Career Journeys in Talent Acquisition: Mark Kunaseelan

Thanks for reading! This series is designed to shine a spotlight on Talent Acquisition professionals and highlight their career journeys and learnings so far. Today, we're joined by Mark Kunaseelan. If you'd like to be next, please reach out to a TTC Community Manager.

Introduce yourself in one sentence:

I am a Talent, HR and Workforce leader with experience leading talent acquisition functions, workforce transformation programmes and organisational change across complex organisations. My LinkedIn is https://www.linkedin.com/in/mkunaseelan

Can you walk us through the key milestones in your career in the talent acquisition space? What were some pivotal moments or decisions that shaped your journey?

My career has progressed from frontline recruitment and employment services into HR talent, workforce and organisational leadership roles. Starting at Seetec Group, I developed expertise in recruitment, employer engagement and workforce solutions before moving into the public sector with Newham and Hackney Councils, where I supported large scale workforce initiatives and award-winning recruitment programmes.

A pivotal moment came at the Parliamentary Digital Service, where I built an in-house resourcing function from scratch, replacing an outsourced model while supporting workforce growth and digital transformation. This experience strengthened my focus on strategic workforce planning, organisational change and the wider impact talent functions can have on business performance.

Leading talent acquisition in my current role has been particularly formative, giving me the opportunity to deliver transformation programmes, enhance candidate experience, improve operations and technology and develop data driven approaches to workforce challenges. I was over the moon when we won a Bronze Award for Best Career Site last year.

Perhaps the biggest shift in my thinking was recognising that talent acquisition is not just about hiring people. It sits at the heart of organisational success. The most effective talent leaders understand workforce strategy, organisational design, employee experience and change management. That broader perspective has shaped both my career journey and my leadership approach.

In this rapidly evolving industry, what strategies or practices have you adopted to continuously enhance your skills and stay ahead of the curve? Do you have any resources or learning methods you'd recommend to others?

I believe continuous learning is essential because our industry is evolving faster than ever. I dedicate time each week to reading industry research, following thought leaders and engaging with professional networks such as The Talent Community (TTC), the RL100 community, IHR and wider HR forums.

I also learn through experimentation. Whether it is AI tools, recruitment marketing approaches or process automation, I prefer to test new ideas in practice rather than simply reading about them. Some of the most valuable learning comes from not only understanding what works, what does not and why but also where you have made mistakes. I make plenty of mistakes and am grateful to have a strong support network around me that helps me learn from them.

For others, I would recommend combining formal learning with peer networks. Industry reports are valuable but conversations with other practitioners often provide the most practical insights. Staying curious and maintaining a growth mindset are probably the most important skills of all.

What has been the most challenging aspect of your career in talent acquisition, especially when you were actively seeking work? How did you overcome it, and what advice would you offer to others facing similar hurdles?

One of the biggest challenges in my career was experiencing four redundancies in five years. The first came less than a month into a new role and just two days after receiving my laptop and phone. The final two happened only three months apart.

Those experiences taught me resilience, adaptability and the importance of focusing on what I could control. Rather than becoming discouraged, I invested in networking, developing new skills and strengthening my professional reputation.

Another challenge was transitioning fully into an in-house HR environment. I found the first 18 months particularly difficult and took a calculated risk by leaving a permanent position for a one-year maternity cover role. Fortunately, that opportunity led to a permanent position and ultimately set me on the path towards my current role which was also my first leadership position.

My advice to others is simple: setbacks are often temporary but the way you respond to them can define your career. Focus on continuous development, maintain your network and remember that career journeys are rarely linear.

The recruiting world can be fast-paced and demanding. How do you strike a balance between your professional commitments and personal life? Are there specific routines or rituals you follow?

As a leader and a father, balance is incredibly important to me. I have learned that sustainable performance comes from looking after both professional and personal priorities.

My father worked seven days a week for much of his career and losing my mother at a young age shaped my perspective on what matters most. Those experiences taught me the importance of being present for the people who matter to me and not allowing work to become my entire identity.

I try to create clear boundaries where possible by blocking out time in my diary during the day for focused work. Outside work, I prioritise spending time with my family, regular exercise and maintaining healthy routines. Fitness has become an important outlet over the last year because it helps me manage stress, maintain energy levels and improve focus.

I also make time for reflection. Taking a step back to review progress, priorities and goals helps ensure I am working on the right things rather than simply staying busy. I try to avoid spending entire days in back-to-back meetings because that leaves little room for strategic thinking, continuous improvement or personal development. One simple habit I have adopted is starting meetings five minutes later than usual which creates small breaks throughout the day and helps maintain focus and productivity.

As someone involved in talent acquisition, you've likely witnessed various technology and trend shifts. Which technologies or trends do you believe have had the most significant impact on the industry, and how have they influenced your role?

The most significant shift has undoubtedly been the emergence of “artificial intelligence”. AI is transforming sourcing, screening, content creation, workforce analytics and recruitment operations. It’s enabling teams to become more strategic by reducing administrative burden and providing better insights for decision making.

At the same time, candidate expectations have evolved significantly. Job seekers increasingly expect personalised, transparent and seamless experiences. This has driven greater focus on employer branding, candidate experience and recruitment marketing.

Data has also become increasingly important. Leaders are now expected to demonstrate impact through evidence, whether that is quality of hire, diversity outcomes, time to hire or workforce planning metrics etc. As a result, my role has been far more strategic, combining people expertise with technology, analytics and business leadership.

While I believe AI will continue to transform operations, I remain cautious about its use in hiring decisions. In my own testing, I have observed inconsistencies and hallucinations even when using the same data and criteria. For that reason, I see AI as an enhancement tool rather than a replacement for human judgement which is why we don’t use it at all in any decision making.

Where I have found value is in areas such as drafting job descriptions, generating interview questions, analysing anonymised data to identify bottlenecks or trends and providing feedback on reports. Used responsibly, AI can improve productivity and decision making but accountability for critical decisions must remain with people.

For those entering the talent acquisition space or those looking to pivot within it, what's the one piece of practical advice you'd give to help them thrive, especially if they are actively job-seeking?

Focus on building credibility before you need it. Too many people only start networking, sharing insights or developing their professional profile when they begin looking for a new role. The strongest opportunities often come through relationships, reputation and visibility that have been built over time.

Be curious, learn continuously and look beyond recruitment processes to understand business strategy and workforce challenges. The most successful professionals are not simply recruiters. They are trusted advisers who help organisations solve complex people problems and sitting in HR rather than a purely TA team is more beneficial in my honest opinion.

For those actively seeking work, stay consistent, stay visible and remember that every conversation, application and connection is an opportunity to learn and improve. Success often comes from persistence combined with preparation, even when you may be ghosted.

On a personal level, my faith has been one of the most important sources of strength throughout my career. I genuinely believe that what is meant for you by God will not pass you by and what is truly not meant for you will. That belief has helped me stay resilient during periods of redundancy, career uncertainty and professional setbacks.

There have been roles I desperately wanted that did not work out and opportunities that arrived unexpectedly which changed the direction of my career for the better. Looking back, some of the disappointments were actually blessings in disguise.

In one case, I later discovered that a role I had been disappointed to miss out on would not have been the right move for me at all. Experiences like that reinforced my belief that not every closed door is a setback and sometimes there is a bigger purpose behind the opportunities that come our way.

My advice is to keep learning, keep developing yourself and keep putting yourself forward for opportunities. Have faith, trust that your hard work will create opportunities and remember that sometimes the best career moves are the ones you could never have planned yourself.