EP149: Raks Group – How to Improve Hiring

All-In Recruitment is a podcast by Manatal focusing on all things related to the recruitment industry’s missions and trends. Join us in our conversations with leaders in the recruitment space and learn their best practices to transform the way you hire.

This transcript has been edited for clarity.

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Lydia: Welcome to the All In Recruitment podcast by Manatal, where we explore best practices, learnings, and trends with leaders in the recruitment space. If you like our content, please subscribe to our channels on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify to stay tuned for more episodes. I'm your host, Lydia. Joining us today is Ranjith Ravula, Founder and CEO of Raks Group. Thanks for joining us, Ranjith, all the way from the US.

Ranjith: Thank you, Lydia. Thanks for having me. And it’s a pleasure being on your podcast.

From Accounting to Recruitment

Lydia: So walk us through your transition. I understand you’re an accountant before turning into an entrepreneur. What was that transition like, and what were the scariest parts of leaving that safe, traditional employment?

Ranjith: Yeah, sure, Lydia. So, I mean, this is personal for me. I didn’t actually leave the high-paid or corporate job or anything. I worked as an accountant in India. After coming to the US, I wasn’t dependent. I couldn’t work for eight years. So even though I had a degree in commerce and experience in accounting, after this long gap, I wanted to go back and start my career again in accounting.

So, with this gap, I tried applying for jobs online. But I didn’t know what to fill in that gap. So I didn’t get any responses. But I found a job on Craigslist. They were looking for a replacement temporarily because the existing employee was going on maternity leave. So I applied, and then they interviewed me. But before that, they also interviewed another [candidate] and they decided to hire them.

They told me that they liked me even though I had a gap. They said they still have another position, but it’s not the accounting role I was looking for. It was an admin role. But I thought, I don’t know what to do. I really wanted to do accounting, but I had this big gap, so I said yes.

Even though it was like $2 per hour, I was not looking to start my career again with something like that. But I wanted to find myself again, starting, kicking off my career. That’s how I started.

But again, I started a limo business. I drove for a couple of years. But. again, I got laid off. I found another accounting job, and because that company sold out, again I got laid off.

So it was around one and a half to two years, this all happened. I went back again. I only had this one and a half years’ experience in the US, but I still had that gap. So I kept applying and applying, no reply. I felt lost again. So what is wrong with me? Maybe it could be my language. Maybe I’m not a cultural fit for them.

I felt like it was not only me. There were many people like me, like thousands of people are struggling too. So I had a little experience working with a staffing company as an accountant, and I got to know a little bit about recruiting. I didn’t actually want to start recruiting. I just wanted to see if I had someone helping to guide me because this market is new and I had a big gap. So finding an accounting job in the US without help, without somebody who can guide me to fill the gaps and help me to find a job.

This made me think. If somebody like me, there might be many people out there. So why can’t I start something similar? Maybe I can guide them and I can fill those gaps and help them understand how the system works here, and prepare them to get ready for the market. That’s how it started.

Starting Raks Group to Help Job Seekers

Lydia: This is how you started the group in 2016, right? You also mentioned, in your words, Raks Group wasn’t built to be flashy. It was built to be effective. Do you have any examples you can share on how this philosophy actually shows up when you work with your clients?

Ranjith: Yes. See, after this one, I wanted to do something, but I didn’t have any plans. I didn’t have a roadmap. All I wanted was to start helping these people. So I figured it out myself, and I found people who were looking for opportunities after a big gap. So I tried to help them.

Even though I was not technically a recruiter, I took help from a recruiter in the backend. I knew most of the operations. And because most of my circle is in IT, even my wife works in IT, and most of my friends are in IT too. So with those people’s help, I was able to figure out how the market works, how to prepare the resumes, mentor them, and help them to get interviews.

That was my main goal. So there was no plan. There were no flashy things. This is built from my pain. That’s how Raks started in December 2016.

Building a Recruitment Team

Lydia: And you started alone, right? And how big is the team now?

Ranjith: I didn’t start alone. I have very close friends in the US. They’re in IT. So when I was thinking like that, they said, “Okay, we know you, you can do it. Why don’t you start staffing?”

Lydia: What was an…

Ranjith: I mean, I didn’t tell them when I registered. But when I say Raks, it looks like a different name. People ask me, “What is Raks for?” These are my friends’ first initial names. So they helped me to start.

All I needed was support. When I started applying for a job, I didn’t have that support. Who’s going to guide me? The same thing I expected from my friends. They guided me in short stages. That’s why it made me build my confidence and start this.

They were there with me initially. But now I’m building my own. To answer your question, I have 20+ people in India offshore, and I have 25 people in the office, and I have 30+ consultants working in the United States.

Lydia: That’s quite a big growth in 10 years, especially off the back of your hard work

Ranjith: And also, not everybody is currently working with me, but if I counted, I would have helped more than 2,250 people just guiding them, giving advice, and mentoring them. Now they are doing it somewhere else. But I feel pleasure, I feel satisfied helping those people and giving them careers.

High-Stakes Hiring in Recruitment

Lydia: You also mentioned you work with companies, and I quote, when the stakes are high and the margin for error is low. Walk us through a high-pressure hire that really tested your abilities. What was at stake?

Ranjith: Initially, I started helping candidates. Then people were reaching me, the graduates. Somebody is looking for opportunities. So I started helping with all these. Then, clients also started reaching me.

There was a staffing prime vendor. They had a requirement with the State of Ohio. They needed an immediate start. I was able to find a US citizen, and she was a very good fit and local, ready to start. But the problem was she had to be on my payroll, so I would be her Employer of Record.

But because Raks Group was very new, and obviously I’m from another country, the client wanted her to start, but the candidate was hesitating to send her details for preparing I-9 or E-Verify and other things.

We were stuck there. Because we did not have an online presence. We didn’t have visibility. I don’t blame her, because sharing SSN and all those things is very important.

You need trust and credibility. So I had to take my time to call her and explain the process, build that trust, and I promised to pay her before we received payment. It was tough, but I made it work. I told the client, “Let me do it. Let me deliver it on time.” She was very happy. She stayed for six months. The client was happy. I paid her and kept my promises. The clients kept coming with their positions.

Expanding into Products

Lydia: And now you have expanded into software products, right? So what drove you to move beyond services into product development?

Ranjith: I told you, the personal brand was missing from the beginning. Nobody knew. Candidates were asking, “What is Raks Group? Do you work with direct clients? Do you pay on time?”

These questions made me think about it. Not many people knew about me or the Raks Group. I needed to build trust so people could easily share their details, and I could pay them, and increase client and candidate base.

So I started myself, doing everything on my own. Then I found, okay, this is something everybody needs. It takes time to build this kind of brand. So that’s why this was my own problem.

I was posting every day on LinkedIn, on the company page, something educating about the candidate, and to the client. On my personal LinkedIn, I was talking about my journey, my failures, my wins. That made people know me before I introduced myself. So this is like a second touch point.

Some products: SO8, ChatMite, and the big one, Role AI. Role AI solves the problem of recruiters not being deeply technical. It helps identify the right candidates and reduces wasted interviews.

Lydia: Are they all live already?

Ranjith: Now, Role AI is not live. We are almost finishing the first phase, but there’s a long way to go. AI is going very crazy now. There will be a lot of things to add. But yeah, it’s just started.

Advice to Founders

Lydia: So, in terms of consultation to clients, what is one piece of hiring advice that you give to founders that they resist at first, but then later thank you for?

Ranjith: What I’ve seen is that hiring is about the relationship. It’s not about just checklists and resumes.

Founders want speed and fit. Not everybody looks at culture and how well this person can work with the team. It’s not just about time and a resume. Team dynamics matter. Most founders don’t think about it. After a couple of bad hires, they realize. So I feel like this is what founders have to do in the initial stages, not after bad hires.

Solving Bias in Hiring

Lydia: If you could solve one big problem in hiring that no one has managed to solve yet, what would it be?

Ranjith: The biggest problem is unconscious bias. Resumes skipped for gaps, foreign names, or small things. Great candidates lose out due to judgment. Recruiters may be busy, and managers stressed out. If they build relationships with candidates, they will get great talent. Role AI is going to help identify and fill that gap.

Starting a Career in Recruitment Today

Lydia: And finally, what advice would you give someone who is starting a career in the talent space today?

Ranjith: It’s not like 2016 or 2023. The last two to three years have totally changed. It’s AI now.

My advice: be coachable. Unlearn outdated ideas. Consistency matters most. Focus on sales and client acquisition. Understand human behavior. Build personal branding. Be authentic. Share your learning journey. Have at least 12 months of a financial plan to start.

If you do personal touch and relationships, no AI or tool can replace you.

Lydia: Very sound advice. Thank you so much for your time and these insights. I’m sure whoever’s listening might want to find out more about what you’re developing or your plans. Where can they find you?

Ranjith: Of course, LinkedIn is my best place. I spent my whole day on the platform. But you can Google me. I built a personal brand. If you Google my name, you get all my details. Feel free to send me messages if what I talked about today resonates with you. If you are a candidate or founder, I am one message away.

Lydia: Thank you again, Ranjith. We have been in conversation with Ranjith Ravula, Founder and CEO of Raks Group.