In an exclusive conversation with CXO Lanes, Mr. Rijo Murali, Director of Strategic Alliance & Growth at Reed & Willow, unpacks the evolving dynamics of talent acquisition in India and the UAE—and how his team at Reed & Willow is redefining recruitment as a strategic growth lever rather than a transactional service.
Can you elaborate on your role as Director of Strategic Alliances & Growth at Reed & Willow and the key objectives you aim to achieve in the Indian and UAE markets?
Rijo Murali: As Director of Strategic Alliances & Growth at Reed & Willow, my core responsibility is driving expansion across the Indian and UAE markets by fostering key partnerships and identifying scalable growth opportunities. I specialize in talent acquisition strategies, ensuring organizations have access to high-quality workforce solutions tailored to their evolving business needs. My focus is on leveraging data-driven insights, optimizing workforce planning, and positioning Reed & Willow as a premier partner for businesses navigating dynamic talent landscapes in these regions.
Reed & Willow is recognized as one of the leading forces in data-driven talent solutions. How do you plan to leverage data analytics to enhance talent acquisition strategies in your regions?
Rijo Murali: For over eight years, our company has been at the forefront of analyzing the evolving landscape of talent acquisition, meticulously tracking how organizations hire and how professionals make career decisions. Our in-house Data Research Experts have conducted pioneering studies on the Indian talent ecosystem, with a focus on key regions such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Delhi/NCR. Our insights reveal distinct regional hiring preferences. For instance, a 3-5 year IT professional in Pune and its surrounding districts often prioritizes a company’s brand reputation, as it significantly influences personal milestones, including marriage prospects. In contrast, a tech professional with similar experience in Bangalore is more inclined to join a funded startup, driven by the ambition to build something impactful.
Beyond hiring preferences, we leverage predictive analytics to forecast talent demand in high-growth sectors, such as Global Capability Centers (GCCs). By analyzing historical hiring data and current market trends, we provide companies with actionable intelligence on workforce planning and future talent needs.
Additionally, we optimize time-to-hire metrics for our clients, enhancing their recruitment efficiency. A recent collaboration with a well-established GCC in India illustrates this approach. Faced with an urgent requirement to scale a 70-member Data Engineering team in Hyderabad within four months, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the client’s historical hiring data. By automating interview scheduling, follow-ups, and assessments, we streamlined the recruitment process, reducing the overall time-to-hire by nearly 30%.
Through these data-driven insights, we enable organizations to make informed hiring decisions, identify optimal talent markets, and implement strategic workforce solutions that align with their long-term business objectives in India.
With your extensive experience in Enterprise Customer Acquisitions and creating long lasting relations, what are some of the recent challenges you are facing in this busy market of RPO & Executive search?
Rijo Murali: Since 2021 I am operating in a highly competitive RPO & Executive Search market, I face several challenges, especially with the increasing presence of leading IT services firms and Big 4 consulting firms offering RPO solutions to GCCs and other sectors in India.
Companies with strong brand equity and existing client relationships can easily bundle RPO with consulting, outsourcing, and digital transformation services, making it difficult to differentiate. To navigate this, I focus on highlighting our specialized expertise, agility, and customized solutions, ensuring that our clients receive faster, more tailored talent acquisition strategies than one-size-fits-all models.
Many clients see RPO providers as interchangeable, making differentiation a challenge. My approach is to position Reed & Willow as a strategic talent partner, leveraging market intelligence, data-driven hiring insights, and innovative sourcing techniques to provide real business impact rather than just filling roles, needless to say there is immense cost pressures, clients want higher ROI on RPO investments and are exploring hybrid hiring models instead of full RPO outsourcing. To adapt, I focus on flexible, scalable hiring solutions that align with their business needs while demonstrating measurable cost savings and efficiency gains.
Ultimately, I believe that agility, deep market insights, and a consultative approach are key to succeeding in this competitive landscape. By continuously refining our value proposition and leveraging technology, my role is to ensure that Reed & Willow remains a trusted RPO and Executive Search partner for organizations looking to scale efficiently.
The talent landscape in India and the UAE can be quite diverse. What challenges do you foresee in these markets, and how do you intend to address them?
Rijo Murali: India and the UAE stand as two of the most dynamic talent markets, each with distinct workforce characteristics, sectoral specializations, and hiring trends. While India boasts a deep and diverse talent pool across IT, engineering, finance, and digital transformation, the UAE is a leader in finance, real estate, healthcare, and logistics talent.
India has firmly established itself as the global hub for Global Capability Centers (GCCs), attracting multinational companies seeking to set up large-scale operations. In contrast, the UAE, despite its ambitions to become a tech hub of the future, faces structural challenges, primarily a limited local talent pool and a high dependency on expatriate professionals. To counter this, the UAE government has intensified its Emiratization initiatives, compelling organizations to integrate local talent into key sectors.
However, both nations encounter pressing talent acquisition challenges, including a demand-supply gap, escalating salary expectations, and rising costs of living.
Addressing these concerns requires tailored strategies:
- For India, companies must prioritize retention strategies, salary benchmarking, and structured upskilling programs to bridge skill gaps and mitigate attrition.
- For the UAE, organizations can leverage global hiring networks, compliance expertise, and Emiratization-focused talent strategies to cultivate a more sustainable workforce.
As talent markets continue to evolve, businesses must adopt proactive, data-driven workforce planning approaches to remain competitive in these rapidly changing economies.
Reflecting on your career journey, what pivotal experiences have shaped your approach to leadership and growth in the talent solutions sector?
Rijo Murali: My approach to leadership in the talent solutions sector has been shaped by real-world experiences in driving business growth, fostering strategic partnerships, and solving complex hiring challenges. Over the past 12 years, I have had the privilege of working with multinational organizations across diverse geographies and cultures—from a French multinational to a Japanese conglomerate and a U.S.-based enterprise. These experiences have honed my ability to adapt hiring strategies to different business environments, equipping me with a global perspective on workforce dynamics.
I have been fortunate to collaborate with some of the world’s most prestigious companies, supporting them in scaling their teams under tight deadlines. Leading large-scale hiring initiatives required meticulous workforce planning, deep market insights, and operational efficiency. This reinforced my belief that recruitment extends beyond filling vacancies—it is about aligning talent with business success.
One of my most significant learning experiences has been navigating the intense competition in the RPO and talent solutions industry. This has underscored the importance of resilience, adaptability, and a nuanced understanding of local talent landscapes—all of which have become the pillars of my leadership philosophy.
Expanding into the UAE has provided invaluable insights. While India offers a vast but highly competitive talent pool, the UAE relies heavily on expatriate professionals and is increasingly focusing on local workforce integration. Recognizing these distinct challenges has allowed me to craft tailored talent acquisition strategies that align with regional business needs.
Earlier in my career, I perceived recruitment as a transactional process—matching candidates to job openings. However, through close collaboration with CXOs, HR leaders, and business decision-makers, I came to understand that talent is at the heart of business transformation. Today, I view talent solutions as a strategic function, integrating data analytics, workforce planning, and AI-driven hiring methodologies to help organizations build future-ready teams.
At its core, my leadership style is defined by agility, innovation, and market intelligence, ensuring that businesses don’t just acquire talent—they cultivate high-performing, future-focused teams that drive sustainable success.
Looking ahead, what emerging trends do you believe will significantly influence talent acquisition and management in the next five years?
Rijo Murali: The next five years will witness a seismic shift in talent acquisition and workforce management. AI is set to take a central role, not just in automation but in decision-making—effectively becoming the next hiring manager. The gig economy will expand at an unprecedented rate, with companies increasingly relying on on-demand, project-based talent rather than traditional full-time roles. Gen Z’s workforce will prioritize purpose, mental well-being, and flexibility over high paychecks, compelling organizations to rethink their employee value propositions. Additionally, cross-border hiring will surge as businesses tap into global talent pools, particularly in STEM fields, to address supply shortages. These trends will redefine workforce structures, making agility and adaptability key success factors in the evolving job market.