“I value individuals with a strong work ethic, good values, and the courage to voice their opinions. I appreciate receiving regular feedback, especially honest and constructive criticism,” Muna Mahmoud, Founder and CEO of MagikMedia

In the fast-paced business environment of today, leadership and innovation are the focal building blocks of success. Companies are looking out for leaders who would offer a balance of the nuances of modern industries while pushing the growth chart by bringing in positive changes in the industry. One such prominent CEO is Muna Mahmoud, known for her visionary strategies and transforming prowess in the recruitment industry.

Muna Mahmoud is a recruitment industry leader who currently serves as the chief executive officer of MagikMedia. With a new vision and in order to revolutionize the traditional approach towards recruitment, she positioned MagikMedia at the forefront. Led by her leadership, the company has been introducing new innovations into the hiring platform through its unique innovation—the no-commission, pay-as-you-go model—helping wave after wave of new startups and scale-ups afford world-class talent at an economical price tag.

We got in touch with Muna Mahmoud, Founder and CEO of MagikMedia to know more about the company.

Q. Muna, can you walk us through your journey from a communications and law graduate to a CEO of MagikMedia, a recruitment agency? What were some of the key milestones or challenges you faced along the way?

I’ve definitely had a variety of different career experiences but I would say a common thread has always been my passion for people. Since I was in high school, I’ve always been involved in communications, social, blogging, I graduated with a top GPA with an honours degree in Professional Communication and was recruited to work at the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs as the only communications intern working at the office of the director.  I’ve worked in marketing for close to a decade and then went into studying politics and law before rejecting a management consultancy offer and joining a recruitment start-up. So very clearly as an individual I’ve consistently been multi-passionate, I love the combination of creativity and execution and that’s why I’m so passionate about MagikMedia.

When I got a taste of the recruitment world, I found that there was so much inefficiency, inconsistency, lack of trust and conflicts of interest. The industry as I saw it was going to become obsolete or highly over-saturated. It didn’t put people at the centre. It put money and commission first and was a breeding ground for toxicity. I decided to innovate against this. This is why I created MagikMedia, I wanted to leverage my experience in the marketing and communications world, with my insights on people and culture.

I looked at a lot of the information and general census and decided to create a unique business model that would truly eradicate a lot of the inefficiencies and inconsistencies in the industry. I originally started with also assisting start-ups looking to receive investment but decided quickly to focus on our core business which has definitely paid off. With MagikMedia, we work with disruptive start-ups and scale-ups and specialise in hiring for marketing, creative and technology positions.

Our unique package-based subscription model means we do not charge commission, instead we have three tiers based on your needs and charge you a fixed price, allowing our clients to save 82% on their recruitment fees. This is a massive game-changer for businesses looking to hire top-quality talent for a fraction of the cost.

Q. What inspired you to start MagikMedia, and how did your experiences at the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and in the recruitment industry, influence your decision to start the company?3. Scaling a company can be a significant challenge. What's been the most significant hurdle you've faced in scaling MagikMedia, and how have you addressed it?

My experience of the recruitment industry was that it was filled with toxicity, there was a lack of incentive to put your client’s needs first, instead the main incentive was to make as much money as possible. I didn’t feel like there was an emphasis on quality and long-term consultative work and so for me these were major issues that needed to be addressed. I also felt there was a major gap in the market, particularly with recruitment agencies and their branding most didn’t have a brand or work on their marketing, in addition a lot of them were very old-school in their ways of functioning, and doing business.

There was so much to innovate on, that’s why MagikMedia is branded as the anti-recruitment agency. Our mission is to create a world where talent can thrive and my goal is to eradicate the existing recruitment model. My experience at the UN as well as working in marketing on the agency-side, has taught me a lot about the nuances of marketing hiring, the business of running an agency and the intricacies of building a brand.

One of the most significant hurdles with scaling MagikMedia has honestly been maintaining focus. When you’re growing a business especially in the early days, it can get so easy to get caught-up wanting to do it all and I think with that, you get trouble, you lose sight of the excellence that you can build. So, it has been first, learning the intricacies of different clients, we’re in a service-based business and second maintaining focus and keeping our growth consistent and just focusing on learning every step of the way. We’re now registered in London and Dubai but because of our remote model can work with clients all over the world, and I love to travel so if a client wants to meet in-person count me in!

Q. Your company has worked with impressive clients like AU Vodka and other top brands. What do you think sets MagikMedia apart from other recruitment agencies, and what strategies do you use to build strong relationships with your clients?

Our business model is completely different, our unique subscription-based model is the way of the future and innovating an entire industry, so clients are able to save massive amounts of money but still hire top quality talent. It’s a big no-brainer.

Second, our people-first perspective, at MagikMedia we only want to work with the best clients, individuals who are actually changing the game and building incredible companies. We want to work with people who care about their people and our focus on this has meant that we can peacefully say no to clients who are the not the right fit and welcome with open arms incredible clients such as Au Vodka that are truly representative of that ‘very cool’ energy that MagikMedia is about.

Building strong relationships is all about caring about what’s best for your client and offering them the best service possible, you do this, you do it excellently and you build trust and then you go again.

Q. Can you distill the core values or mission of MagikMedia into 3-5 key statements? How do these values guide your decision-making and company culture, and how do they impact your work with clients?

Our mission is to create a world where talent can thrive and are core values are innovation and transparency. This permeates every aspect of our business from who we work with, to how we decide to strategically grow the business to what traits are valued in our company culture and clients can feel this authenticity.

Q. As a female CEO, what advice would you give to entrepreneurs who are considering starting their own business, especially in the recruitment industry? What are some common mistakes to avoid or key takeaways to remember?

Start, go for it and learn on the way. Don’t overthink and over-plan, leverage the knowledge and contacts you have, innovate upon existing processes and continuously learn. Believe in yourself so much, become so delusion-ally convinced that you can build something great.

Q. Time management is crucial for a fast-paced recruitment agency. What specific strategies or tools do you use to stay organized and manage your time effectively, even when working with multiple clients and projects simultaneously?

Time-tracking software such as Harvest are great, also just being disciplined with your time, delegating tasks and maintaining focus.

Q. As a pioneer in the recruitment industry, what changes would you like to see implemented to improve the industry as a whole, and how does MagikMedia aim to contribute to those efforts?

Controversial but the entire industry needs to change and that’s what MagikMedia is doing, MagikMedia will make all recruitment agencies obsolete.

Q. Building a strong team is essential for any company's success. What qualities do you look for in candidates when building your team at MagikMedia, and what strategies do you use to retain top talent?

I look for character traits because I can train someone on skill-set. I look for individuals who have the work-ethic, the values, and the courage to speak-up. I like to get feedback and so individuals who give me honest constructive feedback and are brave enough to constantly do so are wonderful.

“The recruitment industry as we know it will change forever and MagikMedia is going to be at the forefront of this innovation”