AI Talent & Hiring
Senior AI hires placed in 47 days, with an 8% attrition floor.
Stop losing nine months and three failed offers per AI hire. We run senior and executive AI search across nine Asian markets with a 14,000+ vetted network and a 47-day median time to start.
The problem we solve
Hiring your first AI engineer in Asia takes nine months and three failed offers.
You posted the role in March. Two strong candidates declined in May because the package lagged Singapore market by 30%. One joined in July and resigned in October because there was no AI peer to learn from. Your CFO is asking why headcount cost is up and AI output is not.
LinkedIn's 2024 Future of Work report found AI-related job postings in APAC grew 122% year-on-year, while the qualified candidate pool grew 38%.[^1] In Vietnam and Indonesia the gap is wider — fewer than 600 senior ML engineers across the two markets combined.[^2]
We do not run a job board. We run a six-step search rooted in our network of 14,000+ vetted AI professionals across the nine markets, with a typical first-hire start date of 4-6 weeks.
Who this is for
- The CTO of a 250-person fintech in Singapore trying to hire a Head of AI before competitors close the same shortlist.
- The CHRO of a 1,000-person retail group across Malaysia and Indonesia who needs to build a 12-person AI team in nine months without a recruiting function in country.
- The Founder of a Series B SaaS company in Tokyo who has been running an open Head of ML role for seven months and needs the search reset by someone with AI hiring track record.
Outcomes
Faster time to first hire. Industry average for senior AI engineering roles in APAC sits at 134 days from job opening to offer accepted, according to LinkedIn's 2024 talent report.[^1] Our placed roles close at a 47-day median across the last 60 placements in the nine markets.
Higher offer acceptance. Across 2023-2024, 81% of our offers were accepted on first issue. The market average for AI roles in APAC is 54%.[^3] Acceptance rises when candidates have been properly briefed and the package is benchmarked correctly.
Lower 12-month attrition. 12-month attrition on placed candidates sits at 8% — well below the 19% APAC tech-hire average.[^4] Attribution: better role-fit screening upfront and active 90-day check-ins.
Diverse shortlists. Across the last 60 senior placements, 38% of placed candidates were women — versus 19% in the broader APAC AI talent pool.[^2] We screen for capability, then design outreach to widen the funnel.
Engagement formats
| Tier | Duration | US$ price band | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter — Single Senior Hire | 4-8 weeks | US$22,000 - US$48,000 (or 22-25% of first-year base) | One critical senior or executive AI hire (Head of AI, Lead ML Engineer, AI Product Lead). |
| Scale — Team Build | 12-24 weeks | US$95,000 - US$240,000 (volume discount applied) | 4-12 hires across mixed seniority. Includes hiring-manager training and interview-loop design. |
| Strategic — Embedded Talent Partner | 12 months | US$180,000 - US$420,000 | Companies hiring 15+ AI roles in a year. Dedicated partner, priority access to network, quarterly market reports. |
Replacement guarantee included on every tier.
Our approach
Six steps from role definition to a successful 90-day check-in.
1. Role definition workshop (week 1)
We sit with the hiring manager and HR for a half-day workshop. We pressure-test the job description against three current market comparables. We adjust scope, level, and compensation band before going to market. Roughly 40% of roles change shape after this workshop.
2. Market mapping (week 1-2)
We pull a target list of 80-150 candidates from our database, filtered by skill stack, market, languages, visa status, and notice period. We benchmark compensation against the most recent six months of placed offers in the relevant city.
3. Outreach and screening (week 2-4)
Each candidate receives a personalised outreach written by a senior recruiter, not a templated InMail. Of those who respond, we run a 45-minute technical and behavioural screen. Only 8-15% of the long list reaches your hiring manager.
4. Technical assessment (week 3-5)
We use a structured technical assessment built on real-world AI engineering scenarios — RAG design, evaluation harnesses, model selection trade-offs. We never use leetcode-style algorithm tests. The assessment is reviewed by an AIMenta engineering lead before shortlisting.
5. Hiring manager interviews (week 4-6)
You typically interview 4-6 candidates. We coach your interviewers on bias-aware AI hiring, reference-checking, and how to read a candidate's portfolio of shipped AI work. We sit in on the first interview if useful.
6. Offer, onboarding, and 90-day check-in
We negotiate the offer. We brief the candidate on the team, the manager, and the first-90-day plan. We check in with both sides at day 30, day 60, and day 90. If the hire fails within 90 days for cultural or capability reasons, we restart the search at no additional fee.
What you get
- Role definition workshop with compensation benchmarking
- Market mapping (80-150 vetted candidates per role)
- Personalised outreach written by senior recruiters
- 45-minute technical and behavioural screens
- Structured technical assessment with engineering review
- Interview coaching for hiring managers
- Offer negotiation and reference checks
- 30/60/90-day post-start check-ins
- 90-day replacement guarantee
Where this service shows up
Industries and APAC markets where AIMenta delivers this pillar most often.
Beyond this pillar
Cross-reference our practice depth across the other pillars, all 10 industries, and 9 Asian markets.
Other service pillars
By industry
By Asian market
Proof in market
Common questions
How long does it typically take to fill an AI engineering role?
Senior IC roles (Staff, Principal) average 8–12 weeks from intake to signed offer in HK/SG; manager roles run 10–14 weeks. We pre-vet candidates against your stack and culture before first-round, so your hiring panel sees 3–5 strong finalists, not 30 weak ones.
What roles do you specialize in?
AI/ML engineers (production focus, not research), applied scientists, ML platform engineers, AI product managers, and AI governance leads. We do not place generic data scientists or junior engineers — there are better-priced channels for those.
Is your fee retainer, contingency, or success-based?
Default is retainer plus reduced success fee — 30% of fee at engagement start, balance on signed offer. We use this model because contingency-only encourages spray-and-pray; retainer-only does not align us with your timeline. Custom structures available for executive search.
Can you support visa-sponsored hires across APAC?
Yes. We routinely place candidates on Hong Kong TTPS, Singapore Tech.Pass and EP, Taiwan Gold Card, and Japan Highly-Skilled Professional visas. We brief on documentation, processing time, and likely cost so your offer letter reflects realistic start dates.
Ready to mentor your AI?
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