Friends of attract: Natalia Tapia

Learn more about why Natalia uses value-based hiring, and why it is so important to hire graduates.

Attract: Why did you start Graduated?

I have a passion for helping people achieve their true purpose in their careers and inspiring them along the way. Many people I met had similar stories to mine—they came from overseas or wanted to start something new, but struggled to connect with tech roles due to gaps in understanding how the Australian job market truly works.

There’s a significant gap between universities, the workforce, and the market, which baffles me. Even with a degree, finding that first role can be incredibly challenging.

We’re entering a new era with emerging Gen-Z talent who are changing how we work and hire, yet there’s no one connecting graduates with employers. Hiring graduates brings amazing insights. Those who have been working for a while often miss what graduates see; we’re too immersed in our projects to view the world through their fresh eyes.

So I created graduated.io to be able to bridge this gap.

Attract: Why do you use a value-based hiring method, rather than a skills-based one?

Skills-based hiring can often be biased and less applicable to graduates. Even for senior roles, hiring someone solely based on their skills can result in a poor fit for the company culture and the job itself. When it comes to graduates, the majority (90%) lack hard skills and have minimal soft skills. I believe that hiring based on shared fundamental values offers the best return on investment for the candidate, their career, and the business.

Attract: Do you get pushback to value-based hiring from leaders?

Surprisingly, I don’t get as much pushback as I expected. No one else in Australia matches values in job searches. It’s exciting but also daunting because it makes me wonder why others haven’t adopted this approach yet. For the past eight years, I’ve prioritised culture, values, and transferable skills where I can, over hard skills in my hiring practices, and it is no different when it comes to graduated.

When speaking to business leaders or founders, I frame it as a revenue conversation. What investment are you willing to make to build the best team for your business? Diverse teams with committed members who love your brand can share and grow it effortlessly.

Hiring the wrong people leads to financial loss and erodes company culture, which is detrimental to everyone.

Attract: How do you assess for value-based hiring in a way that’s fair?

We believe that the true value of our hires at Graduated is reflected in our best practices and the outcomes they produce. Scientific evidence shows that a person’s values evolve over their lifetime and through their experiences.

As a Talent leader, I have always emphasised the importance of company and business personas to deeply understand what the ideal candidate looks like for each role. This helps visualise the right people for your business based on their holistic skills. Sharing examples with your team ensures they understand what it means to hire the right person, promoting an unbiased perspective.

A stable team that shares the same values-driven approach can amplify this process. Businesses can measure the outcomes of values-driven hiring through various methods, such as scorecards, ATS feedback functions, and feedback loops. These tools help determine the effectiveness of value-based hiring.

The key is ensuring that your hiring team is aligned and understands the goals and outcomes of your hiring practices. This alignment helps showcase the ROI of values driven hiring through engagement scores, tenure, productivity, and more.

Consistency in your hiring language and processes ensures you find the right fit and build the right team for your company, something we want to help you achieve effortlessly.

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If you want to hear more from Natalia, follow her on LinkedIn, or follow the Graduated page.

If you’re a grad looking to make connections, check out the Graduated website to discover what employers have the same values as you.