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    Too Many Inbound Job Applicants But Not Enough Qualified Ones? 8 Tactics to Solve It

    As a recruiter, talent acquisition specialist, or hiring manager, you may have experienced an overwhelming number of inbound job applicants. Sadly, with the ease of online job submissions, many of the candidates won’t meet the requirements but apply anyway. While a high number of job applicants could be described as a “good” problem, it creates new problems when the majority are poor matches. 

    This makes the recruitment and hiring process challenging and consumes valuable time, especially on lean teams or in startups without dedicated recruiters, to sift through resumes to find qualified candidates. Fortunately, there are a few strategies and tactics to handle too many inbound applicants to a job but not enough qualified ones.

    In this eBook, we’ll cover 8 ways to prevent and/or handle it when you have a flood of inbound candidates. But first, ask yourself…

    Do You Need to Post Jobs Online?

    There’s no rule that says you need to list your open roles on your site or within other channels, especially if you:

    Don’t have the capacity to handle an overwhelmed inbound pipeline

    Your company has had a reduction in force (RIF) or layoffs in the last six to 12 months. The optics of open roles, especially if they’re similar to eliminated ones, is bad for your employer brand and employee morale. 

    Only have a few roles to fill due to internal changes or attrition

    Outbound Candidates are 5x More Likely to Be Hired than Inbound

    According to a 2022 article, companies saw greater success in hiring outbound candidates versus inbound candidates. Why? As one SVP of Talent said about inbound, “It’s the lowest-quality and lowest-ROI channel you have because of the sheer volume and lack of strategy involved.” 

    Advice from LTK’s Global Head of Talent Sourcing and People Analytics on Too Many Inbound Job Applicants

    In a new episode of Talk Talent to Me, LTK’s Shally Steckerl reflects on the recent increase in candidate volume he sees on LinkedIn:

    “It’s more people clicking on jobs. But compared to the per capita click per job per person, it’s gone down. It used to be that a hundred people would be looking for jobs and fifty of them would be clicking on jobs a day. Now, it’s ten thousand people looking for jobs, but more like a thousand people clicking them. 

    There’s more indiscriminate clicking. We get the same person applying for dozens of jobs and [LinkedIn’s] Easy Apply doesn’t seem to really be a good idea anymore because we have too many applicants too quickly.” 

    Tools like this enable low-intent candidates and result in a “fire hose of candidates,” which usually means fewer fits for a role but more work for the recruiter. Seeing how much time and money this wastes, Shally encourages talent professionals to shift to a big-picture view. 

    Related: Connect with a curated pool of highly qualified tech candidates on Hired.

    The Big Picture Point of View of Too Many Inbound Job Applicants

    Shally’s solution includes reducing friction just the right amount so there’s a balance in how easy it is to apply for positions. He suggests strategies including improving job description readability, enhancing employer brand, and prioritizing outcomes over activity. 

    In fact, Shally emphasizes a focus on the quality of a hire over the activity (clicks and applies) numbers game.

    So, what exactly should you be doing to reach those quality candidates in a flood of applicants? Use this eBook to uncover 8 ways to prevent and/or handle an overwhelming amount of inbound candidates. More

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    How to Use AI in Recruitment: Insights from Activision Blizzard’s Talent Sourcing Director

    Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is taking every industry by storm and tech recruiting is no exception. In a new episode of Hired’s Talk Talent to Me podcast, Activision Blizzard Director of Talent Sourcing Justin Ghio encourages talent professionals to view AI as a tool to enhance productivity and hiring processes. 

    Any recruiter or TA professional knows how precious time is… and how time-consuming the talent search can be. AI helps free up recruiters and TA teams to focus on what they do best: relationship-building and delivering exceptional candidate experiences.

    With Justin’s insights, let’s explore how AI empowers recruiters and TA professionals.

    AI meets Talent Acquisition & Human Resources

    While AI can feel overwhelming and even a bit scary in such people-centered roles, Justin assures talent professionals it’s not something to fear. 

    He says, “I feel the perception is ‘It’s going to take my job. It’s going to replace everything I’m doing.’ But currently, it’s more about how you can make it work for yourself and understanding its limitation. I think that’s something we’ve realized: it can’t do everything from start to finish for me.”

    Justin encourages TA professionals to focus on “how to use it to speed up processes and ideation without replacing what we do best.”

    Reflecting on AI in HR tech, Justin explains it’s being “sold as something so much broader and bigger in our industry versus the incremental steps. AI is never going to close a candidate… or talk to an international candidate about types of credit cards to open while they’re abroad to build credit in the US. Those are human conversations. Those are things we still have to broker. We use the technology to get us to those conversations, but not impede them.”

    So, how exactly can AI help you? 

    Justin shares a few ways AI supports talent activities: 

    Enhance candidate sourcing

    Uplevel candidate communications

    Let’s review some examples of how talent professionals and AI might join forces. 

    1. Enhance candidate sourcing with AI

    Justin finds the underlying AI’s natural language processing technology to be quite useful. Gone are the days of having to write developer and programmer and engineer. AI knows those are the same. 

    Simply write “software developer” and anyone with the title “programmer” or “engineer” will surface too. “You’re saving time that scales out infinitely across your user base and second to second for recruiters.” 

    Related: Hired Releases 2023 State of Software Engineers Report

    The same goes for sending a message, then clicking “Contact Attempt One.” You probably don’t need to do both of those actions so rely on a machine that knows If the user sends an email, it moves the candidate to “Contact Attempt One” If they reply, it moves it to “Bonded.” Ditch the notepad and tally list on your desk. Justin encourages you to “lean on the AI to manage a lot of that minutia.”

    Activision leans largely on AI for skill adjacency to target mid and entry-level candidates. “We’re able to see a match score based on someone’s skill rating. AI is looking at peers of individuals at organizations and based on skills they have, helps me understand the questions I need to ask. 

    AI will verify the individual has a particular skill or that we need to confirm it because someone who worked there has this skill, but they don’t have it on their resume. The days of someone forgetting something on their resume will hopefully be forgotten as we move and the technology matures.”

    While Justin believes Boolean search will still be a differentiating skill set, he does think: 

    “Those who don’t use AI technology to speed up the iteration process will be left behind. I think the people who will continue to be the best Boolean searchers are the ones who can use AI to get 60-80% of the way there. 

    Add the special sauce

    Then, they put their special sauce on top and allow it to become uniquely their version of that boolean. This will continue to allow people to be great at those sub-skills in the world of sourcing.”

    And by “special sauce,” Justin is referring to the human touch. 

    After all, he says “Nobody’s excited about being the best phone screen scheduler. People are excited about being really memorable on the phone. They’re excited about being really punctual with getting things on the books with candidates and having meaningful conversations where candidates feel like they’re being respected, heard, and being given opportunities in the organization.”

    2. Uplevel candidate communications 

    Those human moments are what make working in recruiting or talent acquisition special.  “At Activision, we look at how to leverage technology to help us do more of what we’re best at…You’re better at a lot more dynamic parts. You work with candidates very well.” 

    Related: Find your next opportunity in TA with Hired’s Tech Recruitment Collective

    When it comes to making the case for this technology internally, Justin says the key is “understanding where that point of finality is – where that stopping point of what the technology is or isn’t.”

    You want to capture how to leverage it to a certain point. “Our philosophy isn’t to use it to send all emails. It’s used to write ten rough copies. Then, take two or three of them and customize them.” Use AI to deliver something in five minutes which typically takes an hour.

    When evaluating AI tools, how can talent professionals ensure they are being fair and equitable to candidates?

    Justin advises you to consider these three questions: 

    How does this work? 

    Why does it work this way? 

    What happens if I want to change it?

    It’s essential to grasp the underpinnings and leverage them in a use case applicable to your environment. “There should be an underlying human element. Being able to author rules over top of the machine is really what I would have people ask vendors about,” Justin says.

    Embrace collaborative intelligence

    Justin views AI as “an invaluable tool to help us accelerate the ideation already happening in TA.” Recognize that AI is not a replacement for human expertise but a powerful tool to augment and accelerate recruitment processes. Think of AI as your strategic ally. It works best in collaboration with human expertise. 

    Unlock its potential to drive efficiency, increase productivity, and attract top talent quickly. With the right approach, it can revolutionize recruitment while preserving the invaluable human touch that defines successful hiring. 

    Start plugging in those prompts and questions keeping in mind you now “have a jumping-off point. It’s really for that starting block, not the ending.” 

    Interested in unlocking the power of AI in recruitment?

    Learn to use game-changing sourcing and recruiting practices with AI. Join the Talk Talent to Me workshop on Wednesday, May 24 at 6 pm PT at the Minna Gallery in SoMa. Top talent leaders in San Francisco will explore what AI means for the talent world and how you can use it to create powerful candidate experiences. More

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    Why You’ll Love Working as a Financial Representative at Northwestern Mutual

    Working with a variety of different people to unlock their financial, personal, and professional goals, the work of a Financial Representative is vast and unbounded. Given that there are so many different options and ways to build your financial health, representatives have the ability to use tools and resources to help design plans for their clients. 

    But what does that actually look like? To find out, we spoke with Josh Chandler, a financial representative at Northwestern Mutual, about why he loves working as a  financial representative. 

    Despite being at an intern level, Josh has already been given several opportunities to drive his career forward. In our conversation with him, we learn a little bit more about what working at Northwestern Mutual as a financial representative is like and how he became so successful early on in his career. 

    Impacting Your Clients

    When I first asked Josh what it was about financial consulting and planning that interested him, he shared an anecdote about a family member who he wished had help from a financial representative. 

    Today, Josh is inspired to help other people reach financial wellness because of the story his family member went through. For him, working with people from all different walks of life is what really makes him feel fulfilled. 

    Although blue-collar folks are Josh’s favorite clients to work with, they only represent a  portion of the clients that representatives get to work with. Maybe you want to help out single moms, maybe you want to work with athletes, or maybe you want to work with people like yourself who just got their first job!  

    The beauty of being a financial representative is getting to build your own portfolio and working with the people whose lives you truly get to make a difference in. 

    Celebrating Wins

    Another rewarding part of being a financial representative is that you get to enjoy celebrating the success of your clients every single day. The work you’re doing with these people is very real and impacts their lives in very meaningful ways. What you’re doing might help someone buy a new car, pay off debt, or even send their child to college! These are all milestones that you get to celebrate with your client. 

    It is clear that financial representatives have a really big impact on people’s lives and well-being. This means on any given day, you could be helping someone reach their goals that wouldn’t have been possible without you! It works like this that makes the day-to-day of a financial representative so fulfilling.  

    Interns Do the Same Things as Full-Time Representatives

    By the end of my conversation with Josh, I had to ask him again if he was still an intern  because it hardly seemed that way. Josh had his own office, tons of clients, and was  continuing to build his career in profound ways. 

    However, a good portion of his success can be attributed to the fact that Northwestern  Mutual gives interns the chance to work as full-time representatives right from Day 1  and work with people who inspire them to succeed. Senior advisors help guide in the beginning and along the way as needed, but the role is still very autonomous. 

    The financial representative internship at Northwestern Mutual is hardly an internship at all. Take Josh Chandler’s story as proof that you can have a limitless impact on the  clients you serve while building a business for yourself, but not by yourself. 

    Northwestern Mutual is looking for more people to join their internship program and start  experiencing what life working as a financial representative is really like! Check out their  WayUp profile for more information on jobs, news, and the company itself. 

    Northwestern Mutual Financial Representatives are Independent Contractors whose income is based solely on production. 

    Not all Northwestern Mutual representatives are advisors. Only those representatives with the titles “Financial Advisor” or “Wealth  Management Advisor” are credentialed as NMWMC representatives to provide advisory services. 

    Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM) and its subsidiaries in  Milwaukee, WI. More

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    How Insight Partners Is Championing Diversity in the VC & Private Equity Space

    There are a lot of things to consider as you determine what you want out of a job. In addition to role, salary, and location, one thing that might take high priority on your list is inclusivity and belonging. In other words, being welcomed, wanted, and represented at the company you’re working for.

    Depending on who you are and what background you come from, your sense of belonging will be determined by a number of different factors. At Insight Partners, a New York-based global private equity and venture capital firm, they’ve made it a priority to find out what these factors are and how to properly embed them within their company.

    Recently, we spoke with Insight’s Dhanya Madhusudan, Director of DE&I Community at the firm, and Isabelle Rodriguez, Senior Manager of Campus Recruiting, to learn more about these diversity and inclusivity initiatives at the 28-year-old investment firm.

    In our conversation, we discovered that Insight’s employee resource groups, recruiting efforts, CEO ScaleUp Pledge, and Vision Capital fund are just a few of the ways they promote diversity and inclusion within their firm and the software startups they invest in.

    Employee Resource Groups

    At Insight Partners, employee resource groups (ERGs) are an integral part of company culture and employee benefits. Currently, Insight Partners has Black@Insight and OUTsight ERGs which focus on the empowerment, continued education, and advancement of Black and LGBTQIA+ individuals, respectively.

    As a member of these ERGs, or non-members who are interested in learning more, you can attend monthly meetings, educational series, and panels to discover what it takes to grow and thrive as a young professional. Additionally, a mentorship program is rolled out in which employees can learn from those who have been embedded in the industry and company for a while.

    Campus Recruiting

    One of the most direct ways to expand representation at a company is through recruiting efforts. Insight’s campus recruiting efforts, led by Isabelle Rodriguez, intend to not only recruit individuals from diverse backgrounds but retain them as well. One of the ways they do this is through immersive learning experiences, including the Inclusion by Insight Diversity Summit.

    This diversity summit is a two-day event in which top-tier candidates from minority backgrounds are invited to learn and grow their skills. The goal of the summit is to learn about Insight Partners and venture capital and private equity spaces, but also to grow professional skills in a number of ways. An example of this is when they partnered with Great on The Job, a company that leads workshops on perfecting your pitch, owning your brand, mock interviews, and more.

    But what’s most commendable about Insight’s recruiting efforts is the end goal they are striving for.

    CEO ScaleUp Pledge

    Among Insight’s various DEI initiatives is the firm’s bold CEO ScaleUp Pledge, which Insight’s portfolio company CEOs sign to commit to prioritize DE&I at the executive level and drive tangible change in their workforce. Working alongside the CEOs and their companies, Insight helps them building an inclusive workforce that is representative of various genders, races, ethnicities, nationalities, sexual orientations, ages, socio-economic statuses, religions, physical abilities, and more.

    Those companies that do sign the pledge aren’t only given the resources needed to make these strides, but they are also held accountable by the firm through progress reports. By both implementing and measuring progress on DEI initiatives, Insight Partners intends on making a difference across the many industries and sectors that the firm invests in.

    Vision Capital Fund

    Insight’s Vision Capital 2020 Fund is putting their money where their mouth is, so to speak. Insight believes that underrepresented fund managers have access to differentiated perspectives, networks, and deal flow capable of driving strong fund performance. The Vision Capital Funds are governed by Insight’s senior leadership and leverage Insight’s network, experience, and operational expertise to support fund managers’ investment and operating efforts.

    For Insight Partners, it isn’t enough to make strides just inside their own workforce and portfolio. While the firm’s ERGs, diversity recruiting efforts and ScaleUp Pledge cultivate internal change, the Vision Capital 2020 Fund looks to make change outside of the company.

    To learn more about Insight Partners, the work they do, and the sectors they’re impacting, check out their WayUp company profile. There you’ll find information on everything from job opportunities to more groundbreaking efforts that are changing the private equity and venture capital space as we know it. More

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    Capital One Recruiters’ 5 Resume Tips for Students

    It’s time to boil down your college experience into a one-page document that sells who you are to a stranger. Where do you list your major? How do you summarize your invigorating internship or great part-time job? What kind of file should my resume be?

    We know it can be intimidating putting together your resume. Thankfully, Nyla Walker and Olutoyin Asubiojo, recruiters for our Students & Grads programs, are here to help. Check out their answers to five common resume questions that will help you build a career with real impact.

    Q: Should I make my resume one page?

    Nyla: Yes. Recruiters only look at resumes for about six seconds, so we need to find your information quickly. You’ll eventually get to a point in your career where you can have a longer resume but stick to one page while you’re a student or recent grad.

    Q: How should I organize my resume?

    Olutoyin: Put your school, major and graduation date at the top of your resume so we can figure out which of our programs best match your skills and start date. You can also add relevant coursework, research and academic honors.

    Your jobs, internships and leadership roles should come next—in chronological order—giving us a glimpse at your relevant experience. Finally, you can have a separate section toward the bottom of your resume for extracurriculars like sports, volunteering and hobbies. 

    Q: How do I describe my experiences?

    Nyla: Use vivid descriptions, ranges or scales that show off your achievements, contributions and key results. Go deeper than listing a job description. Share how you improved parts of the company you worked for, and make connections between the job you want and the job you have. 

    If you’re a cashier, tell us you’re a mathematician extraordinaire and share how you can solve problems quickly. Maybe you worked in retail and organized a sales event. That’s project management. You’ll find ways to tweak your resume for each opportunity you’re applying for.

    Q: How should I format my resume?

    Olutoyin: Save it as a PDF. This guarantees your resume format will look the same on different computers.

    Q: Where can I get help preparing my resume and application?

    Olutoyin: Visit our events page for information on workshops about resume building, explaining your career journey, interview preparation and more.  More

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    Investing in Early Talent, Relearning, & More: Talk Talent to Me April ’23 Recap

    Catch up on the April 2023 episodes of Hired’s Talk Talent to Me podcast featuring recruiting and talent acquisition leadership who share strategies, techniques, and trends shaping the recruitment industry. 

    Putting people first with Kelly Minella, Head of Recruiting at Calendly

    Investing in early talent with Krishna Kumar, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Quintrix 

    Relearning and eliminating biases with Jenny Cotie Kangas, Director of Employer Branding and Awareness at PandoLogic

    Creating a thriving company culture with Maryjo Charbonnier, CHRO at Kyndryl 

    1. Kelly Minella, Head of Recruiting at Calendly

    Put people first. You’ll be more likely to make quality hires and maintain a cohesive work environment, according to Kelly. In this episode, she shares how she knew her CEO cared about prioritizing people and the importance of a talent team having a shared understanding. Plus, Kelly tells how the introduction of interview training has made Calendly better and why you should always be asking for and reviewing candidate feedback.

    “I applied [to Calendly], and my first conversation was with our CEO, Tope Awotona, and it was fabulous. I remember calling my mom afterward and being like, ‘Mom, that was special’. And the reason why, and why it has remained special, is how much priority he puts on people.”

    Listen to the full episode.

    2. Krishna Kumar, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Quintrix 

    Investing in early talent is becoming more popular. Krishna discusses why businesses need to think more about this talent in the long term and how companies can better support their new recruits. He also dives into his game-changing post-deployment framework and why many candidates are falling short of the mark. 

    “Career development, or lack thereof, is the number one reason for people to leave their jobs and explore other opportunities. So, you want to make sure that the candidates are constantly receiving the support, feedback, and career development to be successful.” 

    Listen to the full episode.

    3. Jenny Cotie Kangas, Director of Employer Branding and Awareness at PandoLogic

    Sometimes the best approach to a challenge is to start from scratch. When Jenny lost most of her memories as a result of a head injury, she underwent a process of extreme relearning. Though the experience came with hardships and frustrations, it was hugely beneficial to her professional life. In this inspiring episode, Jenny shares how learning to explain things in their simplest form, eliminating biases and blindspots, and employing reverse engineering strategies leads to true organizational change.

    “When you storytell something in a way that makes sense to a 10-year-old – all of a sudden everybody can understand it. Not just the top 10% or the most experienced in your organization, but everybody can. And when you’re trying to actually make change happen, your goal is to hit everybody, not just the top 10%.”

    Listen to the full episode.

    4. Maryjo Charbonnier, CHRO at Kyndryl 

    Maryjo isn’t afraid of a challenge. In fact, she has sought out difficult problems to be part of a solution. Her passion for change-making led her to be Chief HR Officer at the world’s largest startup with over 90,000 employees and $19 billion in revenue. As an expert on cultural processes, Maryjo explains what it takes to cultivate and maintain a thriving company culture. 

    “One of the most important things HR people do is listen to what isn’t said.” 

    Listen to the full episode. 

    Want more insights into recruiting tips and trends?

    Tune into Hired’s podcast, Talk Talent to Me, to learn about the strategies, techniques, and trends shaping the recruitment industry—straight from top experts themselves. More

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    How Many Candidates Should You Interview for a Job? Hiring Best Practices

    A lot of hiring managers want to know, “How many candidates should you interview for a job?” It’s a common conundrum faced by many decision-makers during the recruitment process. In the challenging and ever-evolving world of business, one of the most important decisions a hiring manager, recruiter, startup founder, or CEO will make is who to bring on board their team. As the backbone of every organization, a quality workforce can shape the success or downfall of a company. With such high stakes involved, it’s crucial to be equipped with an optimal strategy when conducting interviews.

    While there is no universal answer, this blog post will explore some key factors to consider when determining the number of candidates to interview for a specific role.

    6 Things to Consider When Determining How Many Candidates to Interview for a Job

    1. The Complexity of the Job or Role

    The complexity of the job position plays a significant role in determining the number of candidates you should interview. For roles that require advanced skills or specific experience, you might need to interview more candidates to find the ideal match. On the contrary, for positions with less complex requirements, a smaller pool might suffice. Evaluating the complexity of the role will aid in approximating the breadth of your interview pool.

    2. Candidate Availability

    An equally significant consideration is the availability of qualified candidates. If you are in a field or location with a limited number of qualified candidates, you may need to cast a wider net and interview more individuals. Conversely, in areas with a high concentration of professionals in your required field, you might have a larger pool of qualified applicants, allowing you to be more selective.

    Hired has a career marketplace pool of high-quality, high-intent candidates for tech and sales roles. Get a live demo and see how it changes your hiring process for the better.

    3. The Interview-to-Hire Ratio

    Another useful method to estimate the number of candidates to interview is the ‘Interview-to-Hire Ratio.’ This ratio represents the number of candidates you need to interview before making a hire. According to research, this ratio can range from 4:1 to 20:1 depending on the industry and the role complexity. Thus, the ratio can help you figure out the potential number of interviews to conduct.

    4. Quality over Quantity

    While the number of interviews you conduct is crucial, it’s equally important to stress the quality of candidates over the quantity. Interviewing too many candidates can be overwhelming and time-consuming, and may not necessarily yield better results. Moreover, it can be detrimental to your employer brand if candidates feel they are merely a number in a long line of interviews. Therefore, it’s essential to maintain a balanced approach and ensure each candidate receives the attention they deserve during the interview process.

    5. The ‘Rule of Three’

    A good rule of thumb to follow is the ‘Rule of Three,’ which suggests interviewing at least three candidates for every job opening. This allows you to compare and contrast candidates effectively, ensuring a fair hiring process. However, remember that the ‘Rule of Three’ is a guideline, not a strict policy. It should be adjusted according to the role, industry, and the quality of the candidates applying.

    Too many inbound candidates, but not enough qualified ones? Learn how to manage and even prevent this recruiting challenge.

    6. Adaptability is Key

    Lastly, remember that flexibility and adaptability are essential in the hiring process. If you haven’t found the right candidate after interviewing a significant number, it might be a signal to revisit the job description, requirements, or your recruitment strategies. A successful recruitment process should be fluid and responsive to the market conditions, candidate availability, and company needs.

    Insights from Talent Leader Trent Krupp

    When asked, ‘how many candidates should you interview for a job,’ Trent says

    “Short answer: As many as it takes. Long answer: Typically you should expect to talk to 7-10 candidates, make 2 formal offers, and receive one acceptance. Having a recruiting culture that’s focused on speed and efficiency makes a massive impact on your success.

    If you’re able to go from meeting someone to presenting them with a firm offer within 7 business days, you’re going to be better than 90% of companies out there. [MAANG companies] may be able to pay higher salaries than you, but they can’t possibly compete against a 7-day end-to-end hiring cycle.

    Being slow & indecisive, creating artificial scarcity (rejecting someone because they don’t have experience with THE particular JavaScript framework that you happen to use), or trying to hire people for significantly below market rates are all enemies of success.

    In my personal opinion, the first one or two engineers you hire should probably be the most experienced you can find. They will be making critical architectural decisions likely to be incredibly complex and expensive to unravel in the future. You need to get it right, and being penny-wise and pound-foolish does not make sense.

    Finally, these guidelines are for typical individual contributor positions. VP or Director-level hires, or positions requiring very specialized knowledge will be different.”

    Let Hired Help You Cut Down on How Many Candidates You Need to Interview for a Job

    In conclusion, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of how many candidates you should interview for a job. It’s a decision that requires a clear understanding of the role, the job market, your company’s needs, and the potential talent pool. Always remember that each interview is an investment in your company’s future, so take the time to make strategic and informed decisions. Happy hiring!

    Learn more about how Hired helps employers of all sizes find the right talent, right away! More

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    5 Things to Avoid in Your First Job or Internship

    While there is a lot of excitement that comes with your first job or internship, there can also be a level of uncertainty that can make you nervous about the upcoming milestone. Given that these are first-time experiences for a lot of people, it is natural not to know exactly what to do and what not to do in these new professional settings.

    At WayUp, we help thousands of young professionals land their first job so we are no strangers to the missteps and errors made during these early days. To help make sure you don’t make the same mistakes some of us did, we interviewed a few WayUp and Yello employees to highlight some things to avoid doing in your first job or internship.

    [embedded content]

    Cramming Doesn’t Cut It

    Something many of you will learn going into your first job or internship is that the habits that worked in college don’t always work in the professional world. One particular habit that doesn’t cut it anymore, is cramming. 

    While a college course often only lasts for a couple of months, a job will hopefully go on for much longer than that. This being the case, it becomes even more important to take the necessary time needed to complete your work. If not, you might end up in a nightmare situation like Jimmy did. 

    One way to avoid this is by setting completion goals for yourself. Instead of having one deadline, have multiple, with each one coordinating to a certain percentage of your upcoming task.

    Don’t Take on Too Much Work

    Another important thing to keep in mind is not to take on too much work. Although you may be eager to show your new employer how much you’re capable of doing, keep in mind that your responsibilities may take some time to get comfortable with.

    While it can sometimes be advantageous to overachieve in your work, it is wise not to aim too high when you’re just starting a new job. In the aforementioned situation, Carter tried to take on too much and his work ended up suffering for it in the form of sore arms, likely impacting future shifts, and a messy uniform which most likely made him seem unprofessional. 

    Instead of biting off more than you can chew, start observing what other people are doing and maybe take the time to ask some more senior members how they manage time. This way, you can start grasping and comprehending what it takes to get more done in your position.

    Stay In Your Lane

    This next hazard to avoid is very specific and has to do with the interview process. Applications and interviews can be incredibly stressful with lots of anticipation. However, you never want that stress and anxiety to lead what this person did

    In this situation, this individual likely came off as both uninformed and probably a little bothersome. Not only did they make themselves look bad, but unfortunately, they also brought Luis down with them! 

    As Luis mentioned, the best way to find updates about your application is to go through your HR recruiter or the hiring manager for the role. Check out this blog to find more great ways to follow up after an interview!

    Don’t Ignore Your Sleep

    When you’re starting your first internship or job, you’re likely going to have to get used to a new schedule. This means that you’re going to have to start valuing your sleep a lot more and getting a more refined schedule. If not, you might end up falling asleep in a meeting like Jess did during her first big internship in NYC.

    =

    This incident is nothing short of a horror story and clearly has remained a lesson with Jess throughout her professional life. At times, it can be very hard to stick to a tight sleeping schedule, especially if you have other things going on in your life like school or family obligations. 

    Our recommendation to you is to rid yourself of the unnecessary things that consume your time. That means no more back-to-back Netflix episodes, no post-dinner espressos, and definitely no scrolling endlessly on social media when you’re in bed!

    Don’t Be Afraid To Ask Questions

    Our last piece of advice when it comes to things to avoid in your first job or internship is something that you should keep in mind throughout the entirety of your professional career and not just when you’re first starting out. While some situations vary, asking questions will always be beneficial – especially when you’re just starting to familiarize yourself with a new role.

    The intern in this situation was likely feeling pressure not to come off as needy or uninformed. Instead of clarifying what she was supposed to do and the deliverable that was required, she went ahead with what she thought was expected and ended up making more work for herself in the end. 

    As you make your way through your first professional experience, there very well might be mistakes you make that are specific and unique. The most important thing to keep in mind is not to let yourself get discouraged by those shortcomings and instead make it a learning experience that you improve from.

    For more career insights and professional development tips, make sure you keep up with the WayUp blog! More