Pampa Talents participates in virtual events that promote connections with industry professionals and networking. From these meetings, the opportunity arose to meet with Oscar Curros, who thought it was appropriate to share our recruiter's experience through an interview that was published on social media. In this interview, Ornela was able to discuss the industry, challenges, opportunities, and more. We are delighted to share our experience and continue contributing to the localization industry from our perspective.
Ornela Rigotti is a psychologist, recruiter, and talent manager specializing in the language and localization industry. She's from Córdoba, Argentina, but taking advantage of her Italian citizenship, she moved to the European Union and settled near Santiago de Compostela (Galicia, Spain) with her husband and two children. They've been living here for a year and a half.
Remote work and flexibility are global trends. Those who don't adapt to them will go through really hard times. "To adapt or to die."―Ornela Rigotti.
We had met Ornela during previous virtual editions of LocLunch™ Compostela, like the one below (screenshot from April 2023. To learn more, you can read the summary, "Interculturality and AI Dominate Localization Pro's Concerns").
Ornela was participative and eager to build local networks. Thus, we decided to organize LocLunch Compostela 6 at Recantos Bar, a cozy cafe in Santiago de Compostela's old town, on June 13, 2023. This allowed anyone interested in recruiting for the language industry to have a face-to-face chat with her about it.
It's like a jigsaw puzzle―finding the right profile to match each demand.―O.R.
You're a talent acquisition specialist at Pampa Talents. How did you get to work for them?
Before joining Pampa, I had worked briefly as a vendor manager for another company in the localization industry. Other than that, I had little experience in this sector. I had been an organizational psychologist and a consultant for small companies.
I was hired by Pampa just a week before the pandemic. Now I work remotely from Spain but follow the Argentinian business hours.
Pampa was created in 2018 as a business focused on finding the best Argentinian candidates for international clients. It's like a jigsaw puzzle―finding the right profile to match each demand. Many of those clients are based in the USA.
This industry is beautiful but not very well known unless you're a translator. [...] However, there's a huge potential demand for workers.―O.R.
What drives companies in countries like the USA to hire Argentinian talent?
There are good universities in Argentina.
Many Argentinian professionals have a high level of English as a second language.
Our clients in the USA are very demanding about spoken English―fluency and correct pronunciation.
The service fees. Argentinian professionals aren't expensive for global standards.
The time zones―the highest difference is up to five hours with the West Coast.
Is there a significant hiring potential in the localization industry?
This industry is beautiful but not very well known unless you're a translator. If you compare it to others, like the automotive industry, you may get a clearer picture of this.
However, there's a huge potential demand for workers. Not only for translators but also for other professionals. I'm a psychologist, for instance.
What's the impact of AI on localization workers?
This is a major change and there's much discussion about it. Will AI replace humans? I don't think so. I haven't tried ChatGPT yet, but I believe we human beings have skills that no machine can equal: judgment, sensitivity, background... You can put AI to work for you, just like we've been doing with CAT-tools and translation memories. It's a must that a person oversees all the processes.
What are some common characteristics of the professionals you look for?
You're critical about the division between soft and hard skills, aren't you?
Yes, I am. I prefer to call them all "human skills." When it comes to specific positions, the professional may need some abilities that are linked to their job, such as communication skills for project managers (those may be not that important for other positions, like those mostly focusing on technical aspects). Another case is that of commercial pros. They should be a bit brazen to succeed.
Is remote work here to stay?
Remote work and flexibility are global trends. Those who don't adapt to them will go through really hard times. "To adapt or to die."
What other projects are you currently involved in?
As an individual consultant, I select people for organizations. I like to work with them as direct clients. I've just finished my education in coaching. I had started in Argentina and finished remotely. I'm now studying for a Master's degree in Positive Psychology at Universidad Nebrija. I also offer careers service by giving clients extensive information and advice about employment, training, and further study, no matter their age. Changes may happen anytime, mostly nowadays, with so many open choices.
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Recap LocLunch Compostela. Conversation with Óscar Curros.
Photo: Ruth Ríos Fernández.
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