• Career141’s mission of helping businesses both locally and globally

Finding the perfect job is hard. Many of us go through several rounds of interviews and sometimes never hear back from companies. Likewise, those who work in human resources (HR) know the struggle of finding the perfect employee who will fit into the company’s ethos and values. 

In order to fill the gap in the market, Career141 began as a talent acquisition company helping large conglomerates and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) alike.

“We help a vast number of businesses across every sector,” Career141 Managing Director M.A. Azeemusham told The Daily Morning Brunch. “And we are able to give them the best talent they can possibly find.”

Humble beginnings   

Career141 has a history of headhunting for more than two decades and is still going strong by continuing to serve companies by providing them with a strong and efficient workforce. 

“We were founded in the year 2003 with the name Career Consultants,” Azeemusham said. “Later, the firm was renamed and rebranded as Career141.”

The now successful business first started out as a home-based venture that focused on providing resume design services for executives for the first two years of its operations. As operations grew more successful, the business opened its own office in the year 2004 with just one employee. 

“Looking back on it, we have grown so much over the last 20 years,” Azeemusham said.

By the year 2006, Career141 had transformed and grown to a multi-skilled company that had the building blocks for their future in headhunting and talent acquisition.

“Our main source of growth has to be referrals or word of mouth,” Azeemusham said. “This has led us to serve all types of companies and is responsible for our overall success.”

Career141 is not only successful across the island but also across the globe, with clients in countries such as Singapore, India, and Vietnam. Due to the firm’s immense success, Azeemusham was able to expand his operations to Singapore, making Career141 a multinational operation.  

“Of course, we will not forget our roots and where we started and I am grateful to every single member of my organisation for their contributions to our success,” Azeemusham said. “My employees are my backbone and I will be grateful to each and every one of them till the end.”

The role of headhunting

Headhunting is a recruitment method focused on identifying and approaching people for positions at companies instead of solely relying on job postings. 

“There are so many talented people in the market today,” Azeemusham said. “By headhunting, we can identify them and place them in a company that better suits them in terms of compatibility.”

While headhunting can sometimes form a negative impression in the minds of businesspeople due to the costs involved, the benefits of identifying passive candidates ensures that a wider talent pool could be accessed.

“We are very lucky to have been able to cover new markets and conglomerates,” Azeemusham said. “Currently, the middle eastern region is a big market for us as many workers migrate to the middle east.”

A workplace with values

While being successful, Azeemusham said that his employees are his company’s biggest asset.

“They are what drive our operation forward and our operation would not be where it is today if not for our great and supportive staff,” he said. “They make sure to do their best and always go above and beyond, and I am very proud of them.”

In 2024, Career141 was the first executive search firm that became certified as a Great Place to Work. 

“Building a strong culture is what is important,” he said. “It is what motivates people to come to office and do their best. I am happy if my employees are happy.”

Azeemusham said that building a culture that both employees and clients thrive in is important for success in the business world. 

“Nobody wants to do business with unethical brands,” he said. “People do not work that way. And employees do not want to work for companies that treat their workforce poorly which leads to a high staff turnover.”

The future of the company

One might ask, what lies in the future of this already successful multinational company? Well, the answer is healthcare.

“We started international healthcare recruitment in 2022,” Azeemusham said. “We have started recruiting various healthcare professionals for companies and have even been sourcing professionals for overseas clients as well.” 

Healthcare is considered an essential service in this country and therefore the recruitment of healthcare professionals puts Career141 at the forefront of service to the nation.