About us

We support startups attract and retain top talent, scale efficiently and create a happy, productive workforce. We give them breathing space so they can focus on what they do best: bringing their vision to life.

Based in the UAE and UK, we are well-positioned to serve clients worldwide.

Traditional percentage-based fees aren’t always feasible, and startups often require alternative solutions. That’s why we created Talent Sherpa - to offer Talent as a Service (TaaS), a tailored and scalable approach to meet the unique hiring needs of growing startups.

How are we different?

We help companies create amazing employee experiences, from the first touchpoint to the last.

A wide pool of top notch talent

With extensive experience in global hiring, our team has built a network of talented individuals, many of whom are not actively seeking new opportunities. We connect you with talent you didn’t even know was on the market.

An alternative to traditional recruitment

We've worked in startups, so we get it - money is everything. That’s why we’ve introduced alternative options for startups, without the big, scary percentage fees. Our alternative models provide expert support at affordable rates.

An easy and flexible plug-in

Talent Sherpa can help if:
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1) You can't justify hiring a full-time TA/HR team
2) Your talent team can't keep up or need assistance with niche positions
3) Too much of the founders' time is spent on hiring
4) Percentage based fees is not an option

We've worked in startups before

Our team has worked in startups across various stages, including those backed by YCombinator, MEVP, STV, Kleiner Perkins, Paradigm, Coinbase Ventures)

We understand the unique intricacies of working with startups better than anyone else

Meet the crew

VJ Pahari

Founder | Talent Strategist | People & Talent Consultant

VJ is a global talent strategist with a journey that started in Nepal, grew in the Welsh valleys, was shaped in Brighton, and now thrives in Dubai. He specialises in partnering with startups worldwide, scaling teams across 17 countries, and bringing talent from 34 different nations.

VJ has a unique blend of agency and internal recruitment experience. He was part of the founding talent team at Rain (Series B fintech backed by Kleiner Perkins, Paradigm, Coinbase) and Invygo (Series A mobility backed by STV, MEVP, Al Rajhi Partners), and as such understands the intricacies of working with startup founders.
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VJ is an entrepreneur at heart, from selling sweets and watches in school to growing two businesses in university, and even dabbling in car trading during his early days in recruitment. Plus, he's an avid Chelsea FC fan and a horrific golfer with a slice that he’s proud of! He's recently become a dad for the first time, so be prepared for constant baby talk and pics!

Sandesh Karki

Talent Business Partner

What gets Sandesh up in the morning? His love for challenges!

Over the past 5 years, Sandesh has shaped hiring strategies, built talented teams, and solved unique HR problems across regions including the UK, US, LATAM, EMEA, APAC, Africa, and more, for CloudFactory, an AI-data platform serving clients like Microsoft and HP.

When he's not working, you’ll find him singing with his guitar, exploring new places on my bicycle, or at a party - because he's got a love for all of them!

What are our expertise?

Since starting, we have connected the following professionals with companies

Leadership
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CTO
CPO
Head of Information Security
Head of Engineering
VP Growth
VP Talent Acquisition

Technology
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Backend - NodeJS, Python, Go
Frontend - React
Mobile - React Native
DevOps / SRE - GCP, Azure
Full Stack Tech Lead (NodeJS, ReactJS)
Data Analytics (Mid, Lead)
Data Engineer
Technical Support Engineer

Product & Design
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Product Management (Mid, Senior, Lead)
Product Design (Junior, Mid, Senior, Lead)
User Researcher
UX Writer

Growth & Marketing
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Growth Manager
Marketing Lead
Motion Graphic Designer

Security
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SOC Lead
Security Engineer
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Other
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CO | MLRO
Business Development Manager
Field Engineer