We recognize team members who don’t just follow our principles—they embody them.

Niharika Tilak , Talent Acquisition Specialist, is our latest Hall of Fame inductee for Dive Deep. She turned 2 different hiring challenges into case studies for what rigorous investigation looks like in practice. 

Here’s her story, in her own words: 

Why I Stopped Trusting the Obvious Answer

In recruitment, there’s always an obvious answer. Pipeline too thin? Source more candidates. Too many applicants? Filter faster. Interviews not converting? Coach the hiring managers.

The obvious answer isn’t always correct.

At Puffy , I learned to resist it. Our principle of Dive Deep taught me that the real problem is almost never the one staring you in the face—it’s the one hiding beneath it.

Here is how that lesson played out across different hiring challenges:

1. Finding a Needle by Building Better Metal Detectors

For a Systematic Trading role, our usual sourcing channels didn’t yield promising results. This role was for our investment team, requiring deep expertise in quantitative finance and algorithmic trading.

The obvious response? Try harder on LinkedIn. Cast a wider net. Hope something sticks. 

I took a different path. First, I had to learn the domain myself — understanding what systematic trading actually meant, what technical skills to look for, and what terminology candidates would use. You can’t accurately evaluate what you don’t understand. Then, I researched where this talent actually spends time — not mainstream job boards, but niche platforms, quant communities, and industry-specific channels. I mapped out several options, evaluated each for relevance, and ran parallel tests across multiple platforms simultaneously rather than committing to one and hoping for the best.

Parallel testing beats linear hoping. We found and hired exactly the candidate we needed.

2. The Pipeline That Looked Healthy (But Wasn’t)

One of our leadership roles - a mix of managerial and hands-on responsibilities, seemed fine on paper. Volume was there. Candidates were progressing. And then… zero hires.

The obvious conclusion? “It’s a tough role” or “the market’s dry.”

I refused to accept that. I mapped every stage and discovered something counterintuitive: certain traits causing rejections in final interviews could have been identified in the initial stages itself.

Why wait until the last round to find a mismatch when you can surface it upfront and save both the candidate’s and the hiring manager’s time?

 The “AI-First” Multiplier

One thing I’ve come to appreciate deeply is how our AI-first culture has shaped the way I work. Tasks that would have taken me hours - researching platforms, analyzing pipeline data, uncovering patterns, now happen faster and more accurately because of our access to LLMs and AI tools.

There’s no ceiling here on what you can use to be more productive. Being surrounded by a high-performance culture that actively encourages leveraging AI has made me a sharper, more proactive problem-solver. It has become second nature to use these tools to dive deeper into data, uncover insights sooner, and address issues before they become bigger problems.

The Takeaway

Every hiring challenge has a surface explanation and a root cause. The surface explanation is comfortable. The root cause requires investigation, data, and the willingness to be wrong before you’re right.

Dive Deep isn’t just a principle—it’s a discipline. Keep asking “why” until the real answer emerges.

What candidates can expect from Puffy’s hiring process

For candidates exploring careers in Dubai and Dubai jobs, this same Dive Deep mindset shapes the hiring process. Each interview is designed to understand how you investigate, communicate, and make decisions when the obvious answer is not enough. Depending on the role, interview questions and an assessment test may focus on practical judgment, problem-solving, and the outcomes you have owned—not rehearsed answers.

If you are wondering what working at Puffy is like, expect a thoughtful interview process, direct feedback, and an assessment that reflects real work. Questions about salary, responsibilities, and growth are best explored in the context of the specific role, while company reviews and employee reviews can offer additional perspective on the pace, ownership, and culture.

For more context on whether Puffy is a good company to work for, explore our Great Place to Work certification and the opportunities currently available across the team.