Our Wakamees are talented: Danny Vilaysack

It was with great pleasure that we had the opportunity to chat with Danny, our Recruitment Manager at Wakam since September 2022. Always with a smile on his face, Danny is the perfect embodiment of Wakam’s values. Dynamic, hyperactive and organized, he tells us with humor about his daily life, his key role in recruiting and supporting our talent, and his motivations for joining the Wakam adventure. To find out more about his background and anecdotes, dive into this interview full of authenticity and energy!

Hello, can you introduce yourself?

Hi, I’m Danny, I joined Wakam in September 2022 and I am currently the Recruitment Manager of a team of three people.

Tell us about yourself!

I always try to stay in a good mood and keep smiling. I’m someone who’s very active, always needing to be busy, meticulous, a bit of a perfectionist, and organized.

You joined Wakam in 2022, what did you do before?

Before joining Wakam, I was already working in recruitment, mainly in a recruitment agency, for about 15 years.

Why did you join Wakam?

I wanted to join a digital company, work on HR and recruitment projects, and feel like I was making an impact with what I do.

When you’re in an agency, you don’t get to see the concrete results of your work. And the good fit I had with the people I met during the recruitment process was key in my decision to join Wakam.

Can you explain your job in a few words?

In short, my job is to find the right people at the right time in their career. It’s about identifying professional and personal affinities between a candidate and the company. I often compare recruitment to a sales role because there’s an element of “selling” and “seducing” to attract a candidate to join us. Today, we’re in a highly competitive market with a real “war for talent.”

Any anecdotes about a recruitment experience?

Yes, actually, this happened when I was working in an agency. I was managing the recruitment process for a Finance Manager role, and it was a long process with several interviews. It lasted about three or four months. When we finally made the job offer, the candidate ended up declining it because his wife advised against it. He hadn’t told her he was in a recruitment process for a new job, and they had personal projects going on at the same time.

This experience made me realize the importance of considering not only candidates‘ professional plans but also their personal ones during interviews. In this case, the couple had plans to move, which the candidate hadn’t mentioned, and his wife vetoed the job offer. (Oops 😅)

What do you think about the insurance sector?

Before joining Wakam, I thought insurance was a fairly stagnant industry. I knew a few players in the field, having worked for clients in that industry.

Over time at Wakam, I realized that the sector has evolved a lot. Plus, I believe tech brings a good dose of innovation to the insurance industry, especially in digitizing processes and securing and validating data. As a client of other insurance companies or mutuals, I still see a lot of paperwork or long processes… a bit “old school.” So it’s nice to see that the insurance world is evolving, even if it remains highly regulated.

Tell us about your typical week at Wakam?

A typical week is full of meetings—lots of internal meetings, interviews with candidates, phone calls, and cross-functional projects. I spend a lot of time on LinkedIn approaching candidates.

If you could add something to the office, what would it be?

Without hesitation, a ping-pong table 🏓

How would you describe the culture at Wakam?

The culture at Wakam is all about adapting to a fast-moving environment and being flexible. It goes pretty fast. Personally, I come from the consulting world, so I’m used to this pace and working on many projects at once. Wakam is also a human-sized company where relationships are simple, people are approachable, and friendly. There’s a certain culture of excellence because we want to do things with quality and be leaders in specific areas, like AI, which we talk about a lot. There are many topics that make us a unique insurer.

If you had to pick one Wakam value, which would you choose?

It’s closely related to HR and recruitment, but I’d choose We work as we like from Anywhere. It’s a significant advantage from an HR perspective, especially in a highly competitive recruitment environment compared to traditional players. I think Wakam is very open when it comes to remote work. I see it when talking to candidates. Our “Wakam From Anywhere” program, which we launched last year, is fantastic. It takes time for all teams to fully embrace it, but it’s an advantage that few French insurance companies can offer today.

If you could change careers with a snap of your fingers, what would you do?

(Laughs 😄) A fighter pilot or a hotel tester, because I love traveling, so I think it would be cool to get paid to review hotels.

What makes you proud at Wakam?

I’ve done quite a few things, but I’m particularly proud of improving and automating some processes that are now part of our daily routine.

At Wakam, there’s still so much to build and put in place, which leaves room for innovation and improvement. We feel heard, and our roles as recruiters have a big impact. That’s what makes my work here truly fulfilling.

Any morning routine to start your day?

I listen to music every morning to kick off my day.

On the way to work, I mentally prepare for the tasks ahead.

What’s your favorite restaurant near the office?

I think it’s Filakia, a great Greek deli with generous portions. I recommend the “Merida” dish, either with chicken or pork and fries.

Last word?

Since I’m a huge Star Wars fan, I’d say: “May the Force be with you.”

Interview conducted in July 2024.