A coffee with… Tatiana Melnichuk, CEO and founder, Lucky Hunter

Tatiana Melnichuk founded her bootstrapped IT recruitment agency Lucky Hunter in St Petersburgh, Russia, in 2017, at the height of a global IT recruitment boom. One pandemic, two wars, and a round of Big Tech layoffs later, Melnichuk — now based in London — talks candidly about the impact that both Covid and the Russia-Ukraine war have had on IT recruitment trends and her own business.

What’s your company’s USP?

We adopt a neuroscientific methodology. This distinctive IT recruitment method delves deep into assessing candidates’ cognitive capacities, character nuances, and emotional intelligence. It embodies a fusion of human empathy and state-of-the-art technologies. Our core objective revolves around more than just connecting our clients with the desired candidate; it’s about discerning the perfect fit for the company’s specific requirements and culture.

Why do you think tech employers need to go through an external recruiter?

It’s crucial to understand that IT recruitment goes far beyond forwarding resumes to clients; it involves a methodical approach. It encompasses in-depth resume analysis, rigorous candidate selection, extensive interview processes, and continual assistance to foster effective communication. This arduous and extensive process often surpasses the capabilities of a company with limited resources — even with an internal HR department, their capacity might not suffice.

Managing these requirements becomes an intricate and demanding task in the IT sphere, where multiple vacancies are prevalent concurrently and with the high demand and scarcity of IT specialists. For startups, lacking internal resources dedicated to this purpose makes external agency assistance imperative.

What are the most in-demand positions you are head hunting for now?

I’ve always maintained that every position is in high demand within the IT realm — this includes standard backend development (such as Python, Java, C++, Golang, Ruby, and various other languages), frontend roles, mobile development, QA, AI, blockchain — essentially, every role across the IT spectrum.

What other recruitment trends are you seeing?

The surge in Artificial Intelligence demands reflects the swift evolution of the AI industry. Simultaneously, there’s a sustained push towards fostering diversity in hiring practices, emphasising inclusivity across backgrounds, cultures, and genders.

Moreover, the proliferation of remote work has sparked significant developments in HR technology. Integrating AI tools into recruitment processes is gaining momentum, driving innovation within the industry. Notably, consulting firms are now emerging to educate and equip professionals with AI proficiency. In November, we received a request for collaboration with such a firm.

Why the move to London?

I’ve long aspired to live in the UK; I diligently pursued this goal. Commencing in 2021, I initiated the process of obtaining a talent visa. By January 2022, my application had gained approval, marking the beginning of a new chapter as I unpacked my life in a London apartment by June 2022.

The decision to close our St Petersburg office stemmed from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, prompting the consolidation of our primary operations in London. Moreover, we’ve since expanded, establishing offices in Yerevan, Astana and Dubai.

What’s been your biggest business challenge so far?

Following the war in Ukraine, our business faced numerous hurdles, primarily stemming from our origins. Clients hesitated to collaborate due to our geographical association, while candidates declined engagements based solely on our location.

For over a year, we encountered months in which achieving a breakeven was a notable success and facing stretches where operating at a loss became the norm.

Despite our concerted efforts, the struggle often felt overwhelming — exploring new client acquisition channels, venturing into unfamiliar markets, seeking external support, and intensifying our PR endeavours.

Fortunately, a year after the war’s onset, perceptions toward Russian-speaking people gradually softened, and our acceptance improved, resulting in diminished negativity towards us based solely on our passports.

We witnessed clients’ return, embraced a phase of active expansion, and even welcomed around ten new team members within the past six months.

Two significant tech hubs, Ukraine and Israel, are embroiled in conflict. What kind of impact has this had on IT recruitment?

The conflicts in Israel and Ukraine have significantly impacted the landscape of IT recruitment. Initially, these crises ushered in a surge of IT professionals, notably open to exploring new global opportunities. This surge intensified competition among these specialists, even in the UK, compared to the pre-conflict period. Concurrently, numerous companies shuttered their operations in Russia and Belarus, contributing to the widening candidate pool available for recruitment.

These conflicts also triggered an international crisis, causing start-ups worldwide to close their doors. Subsequently, the ensuing challenges in securing investments affected the closure of vacancies within fledgling projects. Many candidates now exhibit apprehension toward engaging with projects that lack a clear trajectory.

How did the pandemic impact IT recruitment trends?

The onset of the pandemic brought about a seismic shift in the recruitment landscape. Clients responded by freezing their hiring initiatives and grappling with uncertainty regarding future staffing strategies.

This period witnessed a wave of industry competitors shuttering their businesses due to a mass exodus of clients. To sustain operations, we adapted our services further, expanding our portfolio to include onboarding assistance, job offer creation, and relocation consultations, catering specifically to our clients’ evolving needs.

Have candidates’ motivations evolved since you started out working in IT recruitment?

Before the pandemic, the allure of remote work took precedence among candidates. Many were even willing to compromise on salary expectations for this opportunity. However, the lockdown altered this landscape.

Remote work lost its uniqueness, leading to a shift in priorities. Stability emerged as the dominant concern — a clear trajectory for growth, company perspectives, especially in start-ups with a minimum of six months’ worth of investments became pivotal.

With the resurgence of in-office work or hybrid models in the EU, notably the UK, remote work is regaining its appeal. Moreover, the pursuit of greater autonomy, flexibility in work hours and various other essential factors now constitute significant motivational factors for contemporary IT specialists.

Has the industry begun to recover from the Big Tech layoffs?

The reverberations of the Big Tech layoffs persist but to a notably lesser degree. The industry appears relatively stable now, and the probability of experiencing such widespread layoffs again seems low. Contrarily, IT companies are actively seeking new talent, indicating that 2024 might not bring the upheavals witnessed at the end of 2022.

Switching off when you run your own company must be challenging, but how do you try to relax?

I engage in Transcendental Meditation, a practice I’ve followed for many years. Presently, I’m immersing myself in Kriya Yoga, which is more than a physical practice; it’s a holistic life philosophy. Long walks with my English bulldog, Gosha, also offer a perfect break. Stepping out to breathe in fresh air is a fantastic stress-relieving strategy.

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