An Interview with Walter Sabrin, Chief Talent Officer, Vensure Employer Solutions

It will come as no surprise to HR professionals and the companies they serve that qualified talent is harder than ever to find in the U.S. According to analysis by Statista, there were 1.2 job openings for every jobseeker in March, 2025. In other words, there were more jobs than people to fill them. That’s the definition of candidate scarcity.

Recruiters looking for specific skills or experience would seem to have it even tougher. But that isn’t necessarily the view of Walter Sabrin. Since joining Vensure Employer Solutions in 2018 as SVP of Recruiting Services, Walter has seen the company through a rollercoaster of unprecedented growth, even with the added challenge of the COVID pandemic.

When he came to Vensure, there were about 130 employees. The company now employs almost 6,000 people in the U.S. and over 40,000 worldwide. It’s worth noting that – as a PEO (Professional Employer Organization) and BPO (business process outsourcer) – Vensure operates on both sides of the employment ledger, supplying talent to clients and securing talent for itself. So Walter knows the profession from every angle.

When we sat down with him, Walter had just been named among HR Executive’s Top 100 HR Tech Influencers for 2025.

Vensure Employer Solutions: Congratulations on your award. Since that just came out, maybe we should start there.

Walter Sabrin: Absolutely. It really is an honor. I’ve always leveraged technology in my role as a recruiter. But now that I’m with a firm that also develops HR technology, I can apply my experience in more ways.

VES: Tell us about your experience.

WS: Sure. I spent over 15 years as a headhunter before Alex [Campos, Vensure’s CEO] asked me to come over to the “client” side. My first assignment was working with [Vensure’s BPO division partner] Solvo when they were just 12 people in Medellin, Colombia. I didn’t have any experience in international recruiting. But I will say it was the perfect baptism by fire for the way Vensure has grown.

VES: How did that translate, moving from contract recruiting to an in-house role on that scale?

WS: Obviously, I couldn’t do it on my own. I have a fantastic team, very focused, smart. That was the first thing, getting the best people in place to make it happen. So it’s first of all training the recruiting team on being able to engage.

We rely a ton on referrals. We’re constantly in interviews. And we always ask, at the end of every interview, if they know anyone they’ve worked with who would also be a great hire. Our focus is always on quality. Even at our volume, you have to have the quality. Otherwise, you’re not making the best use of your time.

We get those referrals into the system, and then we actually reach out to them. That’s what I did as a headhunter, and it’s still the best way to get the best people. The best people are not scrolling through job boards. You have to be there, but we aren’t sitting around waiting. We’re calling these referrals, seeing if there’s a fit and if they’re interested.

If they’re not ready to make a move, at least not right now, we ask them: Do you know anybody who would be a great hire? Not necessarily in this role, but somebody they’ve worked with who really impressed them.

Our database is our bible. We leverage our technology. You have to. There’s no way me or anybody could remember 40,000 names. You need a great ATS [Applicant Tracking System] and we’re in that all the time. All the resumes are there, all the notes, and you have to be able to use it on a minute-by-minute basis.

I’d like to think I bring speed to the game. That’s typically the difference between an agency recruiter and a corporate recruiter. Speed.

VES: Is that the key to getting the right people?

WS: It’s one part. But too often, recruiters are selling the opportunity, selling the company, and it mismanages the candidate’s expectations. Recruiters want to make a placement. But here, we really believe if it’s not the right fit, that’s not a value judgement. It’s just not the right fit at this time. Let’s stay friends. Let’s connect. Let’s network.

The people are out there. You just have to find them.

VES: Speaking of “out there,” it sounds like a lot of what you’re doing these days is international.

WS: The need is certainly there for our clients. And now, internationally, we’ve introduced them to a talent pool that’s just as talented as the U.S. People don’t always realize how advanced the rest of the world has become. The technology for sure, and also the education levels and the work ethic. Even the language skills.

We have teams in over 30 countries now, mostly working for clients, where we can find the skills we need and the right fit – the right cultural fit – for our corporate culture and for our clients’. Vensure alone has around 2000 people, full-time, nearshore and around the world, working exclusively for us and our division partners.

VES: Eating your own cooking.

WS: We’d be irresponsible if we didn’t. Great people are just too hard to find these days.

Want to learn more about VensureHR’s recruiting services and how they can help you find the best talent? Schedule a call.