KAYA's VP of Engineering on how we are disrupting the IT Outsourcing game

Kanchana Wickramasinghe is the VP of Engineering for KAYA. He has over 17 years of innovation and technology leadership roles at multibillion dollar consultancy organizations that served Fortune 500 clientele. At KAYA, he is leading the charge of balancing AI/ML capabilities with our person-first approach to recruiting.

KAYA Overview

In our fast-changing tech world, finding the best talent is crucial for driving innovation and growth. We believe that combining AI with a humanist touch brings exceptional results in tech recruitment. In a landscape where speed and precision are paramount, KAYA leverages a powerful blend of cutting-edge AI technologies and profound human insight to help swiftly and seamlessly place tech talent in high paying and meaningful positions at Global 2000 corporations and rapidly expanding tech firms.

The KAYA Team represents of a unique cohesion of IT leaders with a profound understanding of the tech recruitment and IT outsourcing landscape. Our new story is about innovation, skills, and connecting bright tech talent with top companies.

Kanchana's Background

Kanchana is a senior engineering lead with over 17 years of experience, including several innovation and technology leadership roles at multibillion-dollar consultancy organizations. As a hands-on technical leader serving Fortune 500 clientele, he possesses a proven track record of leading complex technical programs to success. His innovative tech leadership has proven to be instrumental in transforming several small projects into large-scale, multi-year programs by acting as a transformational leader.

"My key strength is regarded as being a role model for building high-performance, self-motivated teams that develop innovative solutions to drive a commercially focused customer experience. I'm thrilled to be a part of the KAYA team from its inception and its profound vision to enable smarter IT recruitment, which addresses one of the pressing concerns in global tech hiring."

The beginning of KAYA was led by a team of experts whom are globally recognized in the IT outsourcing world. These leaders recognized the potential of AI in IT placement and brought their skills and ideas together to create KAYA. We are taking special care to be a connection between technology and people, rather than just another tech recruiting firm.

"This is a big reason why I made the important decision to leave my successful 17+ year career at my previous firm and join KAYA - I wanted to better serve the outstanding tech talent in the marketplace."

Why IT Outsourcing is Ripe for Disruption

At KAYA, we're not here to just solve problems – we're here to transform the way things work. We're rewriting the rules of tech talent acquisition, focusing on making things better for both top-notch tech experts and the global companies that want to tap into their skills.

It's an Antiquated and Flawed System

Traditional outsourcers, freelance platforms, and recruiters charge up to 40% of the employment contract. If you refer to Lever's Talent Benchmark Report, you will find that it states that 2/3's of placements by recruiters are misplaced. 40% is a large premium to be wrong most of the time.

KAYA is different because we've designed our approach to tackle these problems head-on, creating a new path for both tech talent and businesses that allows the talent to keep most of the employment contract while reducing turnover for the client.

Price is Only One Dimension

Another problem with traditional models is that they solely focus price. Price is important but it is only one dimension and people are multi-dimensional beings. True alignment takes factors such as learning velocity, leadership capability and situational awareness into account.

At KAYA, we recognize and appreciate the true value of tech talent because we focus on the person rather than just the rate. Tech contractors are the minds behind the amazing things tech can do, but finding out what they're really good at is tough. KAYA understands this and has developed an objective, multi-dimensional system to match them with projects where they can shine. 

Traditional Models Have High Turnover

The traditional centralized models used by outsourcing companies don't match the needs of today's tech world. They often create a conflict between how much contractors can earn and the value companies receive. That is why even the placements we find today don't really last long. For example, a Gartner Survey Finds Only 29% of IT Workers Have High Intent to Stay With Current Employer.

KAYA is all about being flexible and open, letting go of old rules and encouraging teamwork, innovation, and growth to provide a sustainable placement solution. Everyone wants to be treated fairly and that's why we believe in a balance of tech talent and businesses that ensures stakeholders succeed together.

Why Tech Talent Should Come to Us

At KAYA, our commitment begins where it matters most – with the Tech Talent. We're not just recruiters; we're your trusted partners and coaches, dedicated to elevating your career with enhanced flexibility and empowerment. This is how we empower you to maximize your potential:

1. Elevate Your Earnings - We ensure that you're rewarded fairly for your expertise. We only take 25% of the contract and ensure that more money is put into your pocket with every opportunity. Not only that, we will curate learning opportunities for you so that you can charge more for a higher range of positions.
2. Gaining a Competitive Edge - When we certify you for a position, it's more than just a badge. It is a testament to your skills and a recognition of your capabilities in the tech landscape.
3. Your Career's Best Friend: Our AI Platform - A fully comprehensive resource that is available to you 24/7. It provides training, networking, and coaching. It removes mundane tasks, helps you focus, and ensure that you are always on the cutting edge of innovation.
4. Turn Rejections into Triumphs - We will never give up on you. We're here to redefine your trajectory with tailor-made improvement plans that will land you the job you deserve. We identify areas of opportunity and feed you content that we know will help you improve.

KAYA is not just a recruitment solution; it's a catalyst for career growth and business excellence. Join us on this transformative journey where we reshape the future of tech talent acquisition.