Jasmine Awtani
Toronto,ON
Summary
Results-oriented Talent Acquisition Lead with 14 years of experience in corporate, executive search, and agency recruitment. Specializes in aligning organizational requirements with qualified candidates and leading talent acquisition projects that drive organizational success. Expertise includes mid-senior to executive-level recruitment across Finance, Data & Tech, Sales, Strategy, Operations, Human Resources, Technical Services, Marketing, Legal, and Supply Chain.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Talent Acquisition Business Partner, NA
WPP Media (formerly GroupM)
Toronto, Ontario
07.2021 - Current
- Managing the end-to-end recruitment cycle for WPP Media and all its agencies in North America.
- Oversee direct reports, managing workload distribution, providing weekly coaching, conducting
check-ins, and handling performance management. - Coming up with innovative sourcing and screening solutions to ensure we hire the best candidates for the business.
- Created and facilitated Recruitment Service Level Agreement for all stakeholders within WPP Media.
- Collaborating with the Regional teams to provide solutions for best recruitment practices across WPP Media North America.
- Led training and mentoring programs for new joiners in the Talent Acquisition team.
- Leading the Internship and Entry-level programs at WPP Media to bring in new talent.
- Provided leadership as the acting Talent Acquisition lead in Canada to ensure effective hiring practices.
- Working closely with the L&D and DEI team to build programs to attract the best talent in the market
- Providing input to business leads and HRBPs regarding succession planning.
- Contributed to the North America Focus Group to improve the functionalities of the WPP Media ATS system (Greenhouse) and keep all data up to date.
- Use Power BI dashboard to obtain accurate TA/HR data.
- Prepare timely reports on employment metrics and recruitment activity.
- Host onsite or virtual career events, conduct employer presentations, and establish relationships
with institutions to source candidates. - Use various AI tools such as SeekOut, Metaview and OpenAI to streamline daily TA/HR tasks
- Working on various HR Projects such as Employee Handbook, Timesheets, Org Charts.
- Conducting Background and reference checks
HR Change Manager MENA
The British Council
Dubai
06.2018 - 02.2020
- Directed HR change initiatives across 17 countries in the MENA region.
- Developed change communication plans and project timelines for stakeholders.
- Managed recruitment, onboarding, and employee transition activities during restructuring to ensure seamless integration of new processes.
- Designed and updated organizational charts, FAQs, risk assessments, and transition plans to support strategic HR initiatives.
- Mentored regional change managers and standardized change practices across locations.
- Managed employee relations issues to ensure a positive work environment.
- Collaborated with performance management team to enhance employee evaluation processes, promoting alignment with organizational goals.
- Conducted workshops on cultural transformation, resume writing, and interview preparation.
Regional Recruitment Consultant – MENA
The British Council
Dubai
05.2017 - 05.2018
- Managing the full cycle recruitment of the entire MENA region comprising of 17 countries
- Managing a team of 3 recruiters
- Working on roles varying from junior levels to senior levels within the British Council
- Managed recruitment pipeline and developed KPIs to enhance team performance and transparency.
- Liaise with recruiting Managers to define recruitment requirements and review/create accurate and quality Role Profiles
- Define appropriate recruitment methods and scope out recruitment delivery timescales and sourcing strategies, in line with the standard Recruitment Process, and always ensuring the stakeholder is kept informed
- Selected advertising channels and crafted targeted adverts that aligned with role content, reinforced British Council’s employer brand, and upheld diversity commitments.
- Manage relationships with third-party suppliers, ensuring cost-effective terms of business are agreed upon and adherence to the British Council procurement framework and agreed SLAs.
- Led training sessions for stakeholders on recruitment practices, ensuring adherence to British Council standards.
- Facilitated training sessions for newly hired HR staff in the MENA region to explain recruitment procedures and the applicant tracking system (ATS).
- Performed reference and background checks to verify candidate qualifications and ensure hiring integrity.
Senior Recruitment & HR Specialist
Retail Arabia International
Dubai
06.2015 - 06.2016
- Handling full cycle recruitment for the organization (Retail and Corporate)
- Led a team of 2, including payroll specialist and recruitment coordinator, to enhance recruitment processes.
- Managed recruitment pipeline and developed KPIs to track team performance and optimize hiring strategies.
- Drafted employment contracts for new joiners, ensuring compliance with organizational policies.
- Managed the onboarding of new joiners, coordinating their work permits and employment visas.
- Ensure all recruitment activity complies with local labor laws and follows the correct processes regarding medicals and visa
- Recruiting for all markets such as UAE, Turkey and KSA and new markets such as Oman, Qatar and Kuwait
- Assisted in headcount budgeting to align staffing needs with organizational growth and financial objectives.
- Administered HR exit interviews to gather feedback from departing employees and identify areas for improvement.
Lead Recruiter/HR Specialist – Middle East
M.H. ALSHAYA CO
Dubai
01.2014 - 04.2015
- Handling the full recruitment cycle and onboarding of the Retail and F&B brands
- Managed team of 5 recruiters and served as interim manager during Recruitment Manager's absence
- Recruiting for GCC markets such as UAE, KSA, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman
- Travelling to China, India, Vietnam, Nepal, Oman and Myanmar for bulk-hiring recruitment initiatives
- Led the recruitment process for junior to senior roles
- Verified compliance of recruitment activities with local labor laws and managed processes for medicals and visas.
- Planned, designed, implemented, and managed integrated recruitment campaigns to attract top talent
- Conducted candidate assessments through group activities and presentations with hiring managers to facilitate informed hiring decisions
Recruitment Consultant
MANPOWER MIDDLE EAST
Dubai
02.2011 - 01.2014
- Managing the full recruitment cycle - Sourcing, screening, filtering, and submitting CVs for client’s requirements (for direct hiring and outsourcing requirements)
- Negotiated salaries with candidates to align expectations and facilitate successful placements
- Advising & negotiating with the clients on market salary rates
- Conducting telephonic and personal interviews with the candidates
- Setting up video conferences for overseas urgent recruitment campaigns when needed
- Planning and designing recruitment campaigns locally and overseas
- Participating in local recruitment exhibitions, activities, and seminars
- Writing Job descriptions for clients when required
- Prepared contracts and offer letters for outsourced candidates to formalize employment agreements
- Training newcomers on the recruitment processes and usage of the HR system
Education
Masters of International Business -
University of Wollongong
Dubai04.2008
Bachelors in Computer Science - Software Development
University of Wollongong
Dubai06.2005
Skills
Talent Acquisition Strategy & Operations
Executive & High-Volume Recruitment
HR & Organizational Change Management
Data-Driven Recruiting & Reporting (Power BI)
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Programs
Talent Pipeline & Early Career Programs
Team Leadership & Coaching
Recruitment Marketing & Employer Branding
ATS/HRIS Expertise (Greenhouse, Jobvite, SAP, Workday)
Stakeholder Engagement & Business Partnering
AI Tools for Recruitment (SeekOut, Metaview, OpenAI, LinkedIn Recruiter)
Project Management & Workflow
Optimization
- Performance Management
- HR Operations
Timeline
Senior Talent Acquisition Business Partner, NA
WPP Media (formerly GroupM)
07.2021 - Current
HR Change Manager MENA
The British Council
06.2018 - 02.2020
Regional Recruitment Consultant – MENA
The British Council
05.2017 - 05.2018
Senior Recruitment & HR Specialist
Retail Arabia International
06.2015 - 06.2016
Lead Recruiter/HR Specialist – Middle East
M.H. ALSHAYA CO
01.2014 - 04.2015
Recruitment Consultant
MANPOWER MIDDLE EAST
02.2011 - 01.2014
Masters of International Business -
University of Wollongong
Bachelors in Computer Science - Software Development
University of Wollongong