Kildare recruitment expert gives top advice to local firms

Interview with Valentina Tortorelli, Talentica Recruitment, Co Kildare

1. What first sparked the idea for your business?

After 15+ years in recruitment, including executive search, I saw a clear gap.
Large corporates had structured HR teams and recruitment support — but micro and small, founder-led businesses were often navigating critical hires alone.
I repeatedly saw brilliant founders struggle with their first Administrator, first Salesperson, or first Operations hire. These roles are pivotal and high risk.
One wrong hire can stall growth. I created Talentica to become the trusted recruitment partner I knew Micro, Small and Owner / Founder led enterprises needed.

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2. How would you describe what your business does best?

Talentica specialises in business support and commercial hiring for Micro and Small businesses across any industry.
What we do best is reduce the risk of hiring.
I combine executive-level recruitment experience with a streamlined, founder-friendly process to deliver high-quality candidates who align not only on skills, but on culture, vision, and ambition.
My placements stay long term and make measurable business impact from day one.

3. What advice would you tell yourself if you were starting over?

If I were starting over, I would refine my niche sooner and trust the value of focus.
With 15+ years in recruitment, I can hire across almost any role, but trying to serve everyone diluted my mission.
I realised what I do best - hiring well and efficiently - has the greatest impact in founder-led small businesses. F
or them, a wrong hire isn’t just costly; it can stall growth. Once I focused on helping SMEs make strategic, long-term hires, my work became more purposeful and far more impactful.

4. Where do you see the business heading next?

Becoming the go-to recruitment partner for growing Micro and Small businesses - known for quality, integrity, and commercial impact.

5. What is the ultimate advice you'd give to a small business owner hiring for their first role?

Don’t hire reactively — hire with a clear commercial outcome in mind.
I understand that, for small businesses, inconsistent cash flow can make a first salary feel risky.
But hiring should be structured as an investment, not just a cost.
You can align salary and bonus to clear business goals, linking performance directly to financial impact - I’ve implemented this from Receptionist to Senior Leaders.
When reward and results are connected, hiring becomes a growth strategy, not a gamble.