🏆 Talent Spotlight - Daria Borodavchuk (No. 8 - 2026)

Welcome back to Talent Spotlight, where every month, we shine a light on standout talent professionals and the real stories shaping our industry.

Hey Daria, tell us a bit about yourself. Who are you, where are you, and what keeps you busy these days?

I’m Daria, originally from Kyiv, Ukraine. Currently based in Berlin, where I’ve lived for over four years. I’ve spent more than 11 years in Talent Acquisition.

What excites me most is life itself. Its unexpected turns, contradictions and constant evolution. I’m fascinated by how people and societies change, especially when change challenges what we thought we knew.

Being Ukrainian while my country is enduring Russia’s full-scale war is an unavoidable part of my perspective. It’s not the whole of who I am, but it has deepened the way I think about people, uncertainty and what really matters.

I try to approach both life and work with curiosity, an open mind, and a sense of responsibility for the things I can influence.

Your Story

A big-lesson moment

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that our assumptions shape the reality we create. Both personally and professionally.

I’m constantly learning about myself through people and experiences. Sometimes, seeing someone approach something differently makes me think, “Wait, you can do it that way?” Those moments challenge my assumptions and open up possibilities I hadn’t considered.

I think of personal growth as upgrading my own software: not necessarily becoming a better version of myself, but a different, more self-aware one. This mindset also shapes how I approach Talent Acquisition. What seems obvious to me isn’t necessarily obvious to others. And even great work can go unrecognized if we don’t communicate what goes into it. Sourcing is a good example: much of the work happens behind the scenes and making that effort visible is part of the job.

Ultimately, self-awareness matters, but so does the ability to explain our thinking, challenge assumptions and stay open to perspectives beyond our own.

Something from a completely different field that helped your talent work

After more than 11 years in tech Talent Acquisition, I learned one of my biggest lessons somewhere far removed from the fast-paced world of hiring: during a solo trip, I broke my leg and ended up living alone on an island for seven months.

Being temporarily unable to move independently forced me to slow down, accept help and recognize that not everything is within my control. It also made me more deliberate about how I respond to challenges: before blaming external circumstances, I try to ask what I can change about myself.

I bring that question into Talent Acquisition, too. When a team struggles to hire, the problem isn’t always a difficult market or a lack of talent. Sometimes, we need to look at our own requirements, the brief, the hiring process, or what we’re offering candidates.

The experience also changed my relationship with progress. Not everything can be rushed, and small steps still count. Even when the pressure is to deliver results yesterday.

My takeaway is simple: focus on what you can influence, stay curious about what you can improve and don’t mistake speed for progress.

Talent Talk

The most unconventional or creative thing you've tried in recruiting that actually worked

My most unconventional recruiting strategy is to look beyond the CV and understand what actually drives a person’s decisions.

I’ve worked with candidates who had five or six offers on the table, sometimes with better compensation than ours. Rather than competing on salary alone, I focused on helping them think through what they wanted from their next career move. The goal wasn’t to convince them at all costs, but to ask the right questions, challenge assumptions and help them make a conscious decision.

The same principle applies to sourcing. Before reaching out, I research the person behind the profile and build a message around what makes their experience distinctive and why the opportunity might genuinely make sense for them.

People don’t need another recruiter selling them a job. They need someone who understands their motivations and gives them a compelling reason to have a conversation.

That approach has helped me maintain an offer acceptance rate of around 90%, even in highly competitive markets.

A sourcing, interviewing, or productivity hack that makes your day smoother

My biggest talent hack? Listen to understand, not just to respond. Understanding what candidates truly value helps me assess whether a role is the right fit. And sometimes, it means knowing when to say no. Even a rejection can be a great candidate experience. Honesty builds trust and a respectful rejection today can leave the door open for a future collaboration.

For repetitive sourcing tasks, I put on The Prodigy and get into the flow. When my mind feels overloaded, I light a candle and spend 30 minutes watching the flame. My personal way to slow down, clear the noise and reset my focus.

Different situations call for different tools, but the principle is the same: protect your attention, be intentional about your energy. And remember that being busy isn’t the same as being effective.

One belief about talent acquisition you've completely changed your mind about

I’ve changed my mind about how much people know about hiring, including hiring managers.

I used to assume they knew exactly whom they needed, how to assess candidates and how to close them. Experience taught me that defining a role, challenging assumptions, aligning expectations and navigating offer negotiations are skills in their own right. That’s where Talent Acquisition brings real value.

Early in my career, I was intimidated by interviewing senior engineers because I wasn’t a technical expert. Eventually, I realized I didn’t need to be one. My role was to understand motivation, assess alignment, identify potential risks and connect the dots between the candidate, the team and the business.

Talent Acquisition isn’t just about filling a role someone has requested. It’s about helping the business understand whom it actually needs and making the right hire happen.

Community Connection

Someone in your network who inspires you

Andreea, the founder of Talent Crunch Community, is the first person who comes to mind. When I joined my first Talent Crunch events in 2023, I was navigating a challenging chapter of my life. Finding my professional footing in a new country and city. I’d never really understood the value of community until then. Andreea changed that for me.

What inspires me most is her energy and the intention behind everything she creates. She makes people feel seen, welcomed and connected, creating opportunities for others to grow, find new connections and show up as themselves. She reminded me that community isn’t just about networking, it’s about creating a space where people can thrive.

Through this community, I’ve also met people who inspire me in different ways:

• Tamara Perry for her remarkable ability to connect with people and remember the little things that make them feel valued.
• Swati Kiran for balancing professional resilience with warmth, humor and authenticity.
• Christian Wastlhuber for his calm confidence, depth and ability to combine a focus on results with trust in the process.

What connects them all is that they make professional spaces feel more human. And that’s the kind of impact I deeply admire.

One question you'd love to ask other talent professionals in our community

I’d love to hear how other talent professionals approach two things.

First, AI in sourcing: how do we teach AI to recognize what experienced recruiters often pick up through intuition, pattern recognition and subtle signals that don’t necessarily show up on a CV or LinkedIn profile? How can we automate parts of the process without losing the human judgment that makes sourcing effective?

Second, what genuinely helps you work better day to day? I’m interested in practical productivity hacks, tools and habits. As well as what helps you stay mentally resilient, manage pressure and avoid burnout in a profession that requires so much energy and emotional investment.