Georgia’s collaboration with international organizations is on the rise, with DevelopmentAid being a notable platform operating in the country for a year. The company, headquartered in Moldova, offers business intelligence and recruitment services to financing agencies, non-governmental organizations, and consulting companies while also providing information to development sector professionals. By connecting thousands of companies and specialists, DevelopmentAid acts as an intermediary platform, facilitating faster and more efficient development assistance. In this article, the Director of DevelopmentAid Career Center, Irina Bondarenco, explains how the company creates opportunities for Georgian talent.
M: What services does DevelopmentAid provide?
DevelopmentAid provides a range of services tailored to the needs of its users. The platform offers support in several key areas, including business development, career guidance, and recruitment for international projects.
The Career Center assists individual consultants in finding suitable job opportunities by providing them with information on relevant services, organizations, and additional options. The team also offers consultants to have their CVs tailored by professional recruiters and broadcast CVs to prospective employers.
For consulting companies and non-governmental organizations, Business Development Department offers access to information on tenders, potential partners, organizations’ awards, consultants fees, country strategy papers, access to expert databases and other vital information on all fronts.
M: What is the company’s target audience?
DevelopmentAid’s primary target audience consists of individual consultants working in the development sector, as well as consulting or engineering companies, NGOs, financing agencies and academic institutions. While this may seem like a narrow segment, our platform boasts an extensive database of over 300,000 organizations, 100,000+ experts and almost 20,000 donors.
Our platform covers a broad and extensive range of international development sectors, including administration, finance, transportation, education, health, etc., to name only a few. With a team of qualified data analysts who classify data from over 500 sources, and thanks to advanced filters, we ensure that users can easily find the information they need in a matter of seconds and receive the latest posted opportunities via customized email alerts.
M: How has the company grown since its inception?
DevelopmentAid was founded in 2007 in Moldova, at the time known as EMS (European Management Solutions), recruiting experts for EC-funded projects. In 2008 we started working on a platform that has become worldwide known as DevelopmentAid. I joined the company in 2010, when the company had 10 employees, starting her journey with EMS as a Recruiter and later assisted in the creation of the Career Center. In 2022 we opened an office in Georgia, and as of today, we employ over 200 professionals and collaborate with 20+ freelancers worldwide.
M: What criteria do you use to select talent?
At DevelopmentAid, we have a unique approach to recruitment. While some relevant experience is appreciated, it’s not a must for entry-level or junior roles. We place a much stronger emphasis on cultural and personal compatibility, a good command of the English language and proficient command of PC. During the interview process, we seek to understand how well a candidate fits into our carefully developed organizational culture and any specific team. Having relevant experience and educational background is a big plus for more senior roles.
At the final stage of the recruitment process, candidates are invited to take a personality test, which helps us determine which direction is best suited for each candidate. We are open to training inexperienced candidates, except for IT department roles requiring specific qualifications and experience.
Overall, we prioritize finding the right fit for our team based on skills and personal qualities to ensure a cohesive and successful work environment at DevelopmentAid.
M: How did you decide to open an office in the Georgian market?
After carefully analyzing the market, we felt the pool of potential candidates in the Moldovan market was running dry, and we weren’t expanding as fast as we had planned. That was why when we turned our gaze to the Georgian market, we quickly identified new opportunities. Given the cultural similarities between Georgia and Moldova, we applied the same selection criteria when recruiting. Georgians have a strong command of the English language, which made the expansion very efficient. As a result, we established an office in Saburtalo, Tbilisi. One year after expanding into Georgia, our team has grown to 30+ highly motivated employees. We are impressed with the quality of talent in Georgia, having some of the smartest and boldest people we could ask for, just perfect for what we are looking for. Some departments already even surpass the number of Moldovan employees. So, it’s safe to say that we have successfully integrated into the Georgian market, and we won’t stop expanding further.
M: What kind of employees are you currently looking for in Georgia?
We are currently offering about 10 employment opportunities. Our current job openings include positions such as Data Management Specialist, Sales and Business Development Managers, Career Advisors, Recruiters for international projects, and even Project managers. For sales roles, we have a variety of six different positions available in different teams. To help our sales managers identify potential clients, we’re also searching for lead generation specialists.
We encourage all interested applicants to visit our platform https://workwithus.developmentaid.org/, where they can find all available internal job openings. If you don’t see a job opening which interests you, please still feel free to send us your CV, and we’ll add your CV to our database, as we often reach out to past applicants when new roles appear or are reponed. We believe in finding the right cultural fit for our team, so we value applications from people with diverse backgrounds and experiences. s
To find potential candidates, we also advertise our opportunities via social media (LinkedIn and Facebook) and Georgian recruitment websites such as hr.ge and jobs.ge.
M: What opportunities are you creating for skilled talent?
Occasionally, we receive applications from experienced individuals who may seem to be overqualified for our current needs but could be a great fit for our clients and partners’ open roles. For example, during the conflict in Ukraine, many individuals sought refuge in Moldova, leading to the establishment of various organizations in the region. In the search for experienced personnel, these organizations turned to us for recruitment assistance, and we were able to assist them, thanks to our network of connections and a good database of local candidates. Similarly, in Georgia, we seek out information about local professionals to connect them with international organizations in need of their specific skill sets and experience. We are dedicated to getting to know the professionals in the Georgian market, evaluating their expertise, and facilitating connections with organizations in search of individuals with unique competencies and experience. Therefore, we encourage candidates from all backgrounds to send their CVs to us to be informed about any future opportunities.
M: What plans does the company have in Georgia?
Our team in Georgia is experiencing rapid growth, and we plan to keep this pace and expand further. The region is abundant with talent, and we have had no trouble finding highly skilled individuals with great personalities. To make our work environment more appealing to our employees, we offer various benefits, such as flexible starting hours and the ability to work remotely. We encourage our staff to take advantage of training programs that support their professional development. We want our employees to enjoy coming to work, and we celebrate their successes along the way. Recently, we commemorated our first anniversary in Georgia with a company-wide celebration. Our goal is to make our work not only a service but also a happy and fulfilling place for our team to grow and thrive. We are committed to continuing our development in this manner, effectively and efficiently.
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