“A top-performing engineer or researcher is more expensive to lose than to retain.” That’s how Silicon Valley–based tech recruiting and HR leader Pratibha Singh summarizes the relentless competition for talent in the world’s most innovative tech hub. The battle doesn’t end when the offer letter is signed. “Even after hiring, companies compete through retention bonuses, accelerated promotions, and stock refresher policies,” she says.
Singh moved to the U.S. from North India 11 years ago and completed an HR certification at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her professional background includes a Lead Technical Recruiter role at Amazon Lab126 — Amazon’s devices division behind products such as the Kindle, Echo, and Fire — at Sunnyvale, California, and a Human Resources Project Lead position at Walmart Global Tech, the technology and business services arm of Walmart.
In this conversation with TechTalents Insights, Singh explains what it’s really like to work in tech recruiting in Silicon Valley. She also reflects on employer branding in the hub, noting that the large tech companies “treat employer branding almost like a product strategy — they actively shape how they’re perceived to attract and retain top talent.”
She characterizes the environment as one where “you work with brilliant engineers, designers, and researchers from around the world. Diversity in ideas and backgrounds is considered a strength — not just ethically, but strategically.”
“Here, ideas matter more than hierarchy, and employees are encouraged to experiment, build prototypes, and take risks. Failure is often seen as an opportunity for learning rather than a setback,” she adds.
Read on for the full interview.
TechTalents Insights: What brought you to the San Francisco Bay Area originally, and what has kept you in the industry?
Pratibha Singh: I moved to the U.S. after getting married in 2014. First, I studied at UC Santa Cruz and eventually joined the American workforce in 2015 as an Executive Recruiter. After a few years of working, I got promoted to Human Resource Manager. I am fortunate to work across various HR domains, including mergers & acquisitions, talent attraction and retention, compensation management, and coaching & development.
From working with scaling startups to big tech companies like Amazonlab126 and Walmart Global Tech in Silicon Valley, I have come a long way both professionally and personally. Constantly adapting to evolving technology and mastering the various tools of emerging trends have kept me moving in this industry. I try to learn and grow as it helps me develop my skill set and discover new market trends.
TechTalents Insights: How would you describe the work culture in Silicon Valley?
Pratibha Singh: Silicon Valley work culture is a blend of innovation, ownership, speed, and impact — balanced with a growing emphasis on flexibility and employee well-being. Working here is often considered fast-paced, innovative, and intense, but it varies from company to company.
Here, ideas matter more than hierarchy, and employees are encouraged to experiment, build prototypes, and take risks. Failure is often seen as an opportunity for learning rather than a setback.
You work with brilliant engineers, designers, and researchers from around the world. Diversity in ideas and backgrounds is considered a strength — not just ethically, but strategically.
The environment prioritizes speed: fast releases, fast decisions, and fast iteration. There’s a constant push to stay ahead of competitors and trends. Many people describe it as “exciting but relentless.”
TechTalents Insights: How competitive is the hiring market right now for both candidates and companies?
Pratibha Singh: There is fierce competition for top talent because top performers create immense value and innovation. If you are very high-skill, in a hot area like AI, cloud, or cybersecurity, you’re still in demand and likely to find good options. But, if you’re entering or transitioning, or in a less “premium” skill area, you’ll face more filtering, more competition, and need to differentiate yourself.
Big tech companies compete aggressively for top talent, especially for high-impact roles like software engineers, AI researchers, product managers, and security experts. The competition exists at several levels, and companies compete using high base salaries, significant RSUs [restricted stock units], signing bonuses, and annual refreshers. To hire top-tier engineers, total compensation can exceed USD 500K-1M+ annually in Silicon Valley, and if companies identify a rare candidate — for example, top ML/LLM expertise — bidding wars can ensue.
Even after hiring, companies compete through retention bonuses, accelerated promotions, and stock refresher policies. A top-performing engineer or researcher is more expensive to lose than to retain.
TechTalents Insights: From your experience, how do the large tech companies there build and maintain their employer brand?
Pratibha Singh: Top tech companies anchor their brand in a meaningful mission. Large tech companies in Silicon Valley, and globally, treat employer branding almost like a product strategy — they actively shape how they’re perceived to attract and retain top talent.
Top tech companies anchor their brand in a meaningful mission, attracting those who want impact, not just a paycheck.
Silicon Valley candidates strongly value environments where they can work with brilliant peers, learn from senior technical leaders, move laterally — PM, infra, AI, security, founder track — and build a portfolio of meaningful accomplishments. The brand isn’t just what you do there; it’s who it helps you become.
Also, there are clear and intentional differences in employer branding strategies between big tech, scaleups, and early-stage startups. Each group markets itself differently because they attract talent for different reasons. Each segment deliberately frames its employer brand to attract the mindset that thrives there. Candidates in tech here don’t just apply to companies; they apply to stories and identities.
TechTalents Insights: What are the most common reasons people leave their roles in Silicon Valley?
Pratibha Singh: People don’t leave randomly — they leave when the future feels clearer elsewhere than where they are now. Employees rarely leave a role for a single reason; it’s usually a pattern over time. But across tech, especially in Silicon Valley, certain themes show up consistently. It’s usually when someone feels they’ve stopped learning or there’s no clear path to promotion that they start looking elsewhere.
People, especially in tech, want meaning in their work, and if the company shifts strategy or the product no longer excites them, motivation drops.
High-performers are motivated by progress, and successful companies understand that retention isn’t about one perk or one policy — it’s a system of practices that make the best people feel challenged, valued, supported, and excited about the future.
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