It has been a wonderful experience getting to know Gabi Preson-Phypers, co-founder of The Tooled-Up Raccoons, a recruiting-tech company based in the UK. Gabi’s passion and creativity in our field caught my attention, and she has shared a wealth of talent sourcing trends on social media. I was thrilled when she agreed to be interviewed for my blog, WizardSourcer. Her expertise and enthusiasm for sourcing make her a true wizard in the craft!
Tell us about your work experience in recruiting – how did you get your start, how did you progress, where are you at this point in time?
Oh my gosh I absolutely love this story so much. Grab a cuppa tea and let’s do this!?
When I graduated University I went straight into Investment Banking at J.P. Morgan. Worked my way from back office to front office. I was a woman on a mission. After 8 years, despite all the promotions and insane roles, there was something missing. I handed my notice in and walked out the door. Genuinely think the whole squad thought I had gone insane, but I had to step outside my comfort zone to find my inner Gabi.
After a short stint at a software start-up company, my beautiful daughter Phoebe joined the family and it changed everything. I looked into her eyes and realized that I wanted to show her that she could have anything and everything she puts her mind to. It was time to stop holding back on myself and launch myself into the venture of running a business.
Mitch, my husband, was already running a recruitment business specializing in Mobile Robotics, so guess where I landed? I did not go into a true recruitment role. My role was in fact to look at the operational process around his business and look at how we could optimize it. This was a dream role for me. I hate inefficiency and I hate spending money, so my mission was simple … save money and increase efficiency. I was in my element.
The transformation we went through was incredible. We realized we had cracked the most insane formula and wanted to bring it to others. And so Tooled Up Raccoons was born. A tech company that helps recruiters discover the undiscovered talent and improve candidate sourcing efficiency through the power of Boolean. You know what also made it fun? Mitch & I were creating this business together.
What are the unique talents you bring to the field?
I am absolutely rubbish at following the status quo. Just because someone did it yesterday does not make it right today. This way of thinking sees me push boundaries for both ourselves and others around us to truly drive to make life exceptional.
My other unique talent is my Dyslexia. This gift has so many benefits, that this interview just is not long enough to enable me to talk about them all. Most importantly Dyslexia has made me who I am. It has made me resilient, stubborn, determined and most importantly great at communicating with people (this is my secret weapon). My communication style evolved very quickly from a young age, especially as I struggled so much with the written form I had to find other ways to communicate. My poor parents tried to teach me to not talk to strangers but thankfully for many of you today that message was lost in the post, as I spent my entire day chatting with “strangers” aka as friends you just haven’t met yet lol!
Share your biggest success story in recruitment so far?
Realizing that the changes we made within our recruitment business had transformed not only our business but so many others. Candidates were being placed into dream roles quicker. Clients were finding the talent they had always dreamt of. No one was settling for second best. We had found a way to truly help others and we could not wait to share this with as many people as humanly possible.
What is the best advice you’ve received during your career path, and from whom?
“Never do a job that does not enable you to be the best version of yourself!” — Who said it? Me!
During a particularly challenging period of my career I was “stuck” in a job that was draining the life out of me. I remember looking in the mirror once and I did not recognize the person staring back at me. My energy, passion, love and everything in between had gone missing. On that day I swore I would not take or do a job that would not enable me to be the best version of myself. I swore to never lose myself again for anyone.
What’s your favorite recruiting tech tool?
Tooled Up Raccoons, without a doubt. It absolutely transformed our candidate sourcing forever and this is why we decided to bring it to the rest of the recruitment marketplace. What is the point of having something powerful if you don’t share it with the rest of the world?
What do you hope to achieve in 2023?
Oh my gosh this is a mega question. I want to continue to inspire recruiters – be they in-house or agency – to lean into candidate sourcing, have fun with it and realize how an exceptional candidate sourcing process can change everything! Get businesses to realize how much they have overcomplicated their candidate sourcing processes and therefore are missing out on candidates. Get recruiters to stop dumbing down their super powers and start reminding the world how exceptionally talented they are … step out from behind the robot!
Any future predictions on talent sourcing?
I worry about talent sourcing with the increased momentum into the use of AI. Many AI tools right now are just filters in fancy dress. They are quick to deliver you a very basic search e.g. basic Boolean string, but they in no way out perform the power of human inputting the variations on words that live outside of the standard filter. The power of Boolean, powered by an exceptional recruiter and then overlaid with their wealth of experience. This is something the market needs to wake up and embrace. If this can happen, I see the world of recruitment being a very different place. Never mind the level of improved D&I this will bring to businesses as we avoid tech that is driven by underlying bias. As with everything in life, sometimes taking a step back and simplifying is in fact exactly what the world needs.
What’s your favorite Boolean string?
How on earth could anyone possibly pick just one? I have a library of 178 unique Boolean strings, each with their own super power depending on the hunt I am playing with. Yep, I love myself a bit of Boolean lol!
Tell me about your current role? How’s that going?
I am the (“Co-Founder” OR “Co Founder” OR “CoFounder”) AND (“Chief Executive Raccoon” OR “CER”) at Tooled Up Raccoons. Oh yes, I actually have a Boolean job title on LinkedIn ;-).
About the Raccoon Squad:
We are a group of passionate sourcing experts committed to empowering recruiters worldwide to become top-notch sourcers in their field using cutting-edge technology, training, and ongoing support.
As recruiters ourselves, we implemented the same changes that we now teach to transform our business. We’ve witnessed firsthand the impact it has on both our business and our team, and we’re excited to share this knowledge with you.
Raccoons and recruiters share a surprising number of similarities. Here’s why we chose them:
Underestimated intelligence: The recruitment industry is often undervalued, with people assuming that matching a person to a job is a simple task. However, we understand that it requires a unique skill set and is truly an art form.
Foraging through rubbish: Both raccoons and recruiters have to sift through a large amount of data to find the best gems. While technology can aid in efficiency, this remains a crucial role.
Resourceful problem solvers: Raccoons are known for their ability to solve complex problems in unexpected ways. Similarly, recruiters must continuously think outside the box and solve evolving challenges.
Exploding populations: The global raccoon population has surged in recent years, both in cities and rural areas. This is similar to the growing number of recruiters worldwide, which requires fast thinking and continuous evolution to stay ahead.
We’re thrilled to help you become the ultimate sourcer in your field. Let’s work together to achieve this goal!
This business was born from the work we actually did on our own recruitment business.
During the operational review, we realized just how powerful Boolean was for candidate sourcing which was fabulous but there were operational limitations when using it, which made the process inefficient. The question was raised as to whether we could remove those operational inefficiencies and turn Boolean into the true powerhouse it was born to be in the candidate sourcing space.
We started to look into the marketplace for solutions but none seemed to solve the problems we had identified and those that got close were mega expensive.
So in true Gabi & Mitch fashion we decided to design and build our own technology solution. The results were absolutely insane and within months we had brought the produce to market so we could help others.
Fast forward 2 ½ years and we have wrapped our arms even further around the candidate sourcing process.
For £300 per user per annum our clients gain unlimited access to our full online candidate sourcing training program , access to the full technology stack and topped off with unlimited support from Mitch & I (yes we love Boolean that much that Clients can email us and even book video calls to tackle specific sourcing problems).
When I was younger and people would ask me what I want to be when I grow up, I never thought it would be owning a tech company talking about Boolean all day. But if truth be told, this job is the best job I have ever had and what I love most is that I truly get to help people! That for me is the ultimate win!
With the amount we talk about Boolean and Raccoons at home, if my youngest daughter Maria’s first proper words are Boolean and/or Raccoons I would not be surprised haha!
(You can check out Tooled up Raccoons here) 🦝
Recommended Reading:
Interview with Balazs Paroczay
Creating a hard to fill talent sourcing plan
Recruiting books to read in 2023 and Beyond
- Unleashing the Power of AI in Talent Sourcing: Meet Noon - May 17, 2024
- Demystifying Natural Language Search: Crafting Effective Boolean Strings - April 26, 2024
- The Art of Context: Why Rushing to Conclusions Can Lead Us Astray - April 25, 2024