Aurelia Butler

Over 1,000 tech companies cut upward of 260,000 jobs in 2023 alone. Thousands of layoffs in the past few years have meant companies faced uphill battles with public and candidate perception. This is especially true for the layoffs that were handled poorly. 

Employees today want companies that bring more than just job satisfaction through pay. Candidates seek value-driven companies that affirm their values. According to Gartner, 82% of employees surveyed say it’s important for their company to view them as a person – not just a worker. However, only 45% of employees believe their organization actually sees them as such. 

Especially during layoffs, companies need to uphold their values and be empathetic to what employees are experiencing. Data shows that transparency during layoffs builds trust. A PwC survey found that 58% of employees say encouraging managers to increase communications with remaining team members fosters trust during reorganization. 

Related: Why You Should be Recruiting Laid Off Talent (+ 3 Key Strategies) 

The key to creating trust and building a positive image of the company is employer branding. According to a recent Hired survey, 41% of employers plan on increasing employer branding in their 2024 hiring strategy.

Employer branding helps talent pros attract and retain top. A positive and well-defined employer brand enhances reputation, boosts employee engagement, and leads to higher productivity and lower turnover rates. Strong employer branding becomes more important than ever when companies implement layoffs. 

Hired predicts TA will feel the heat as companies that handled layoffs poorly struggle with recruiting and feel tension with managers over the cost of vacancy.

“Companies that were quick to downsize are beginning to realize the negative ramifications, as evidenced by recent headlines about hiring boomerangs. Organizations that laid off staff empathetically, offered severance packages, and helped workers land on their feet will have an easier time hiring and winning back talent, compared to those that face reputational issues.” Samantha Friedman, Hired SVP People Strategy.

Biggest change to hiring strategies for 2024? Surveyed employers say it’s a greater emphasis on employer branding. When asked if their company’s growth has been hurt more by layoffs than the economy, 41% of employers said yes, while respondents at medium-sized companies (300-9999 employees) were most likely to agree.

If their company experienced layoffs and made headlines in the news or chatter on social media for poor execution, companies will need to repair the damage through employer branding. If response rates or acceptance rates were low before, imagine what they’re like after negative publicity from a poorly executed reduction in force.

Efforts to repair reputations and employer brands will be especially valuable to technical sourcers, recruiters, and TA teams, who are on the front lines and often the first point of contact with a candidate.

Hired’s CEO on companies mishandling layoffs

In a recent Talk Talent to Me episode, Hired CEO Josh Brenner discussed layoffs and how companies choosing to handle them would affect their success in rehiring. 

A Hired survey revealed 68% of tech employers would feel confident rehiring employees they laid off. However, only 15% of unemployed workers would definitely accept a job from an employer who laid them off. 

Reflecting on these stats, Josh explained, “One of the key pieces of that connection talent has to companies when looking at the values is trust. They want to feel like they can trust their employer… The companies that handled those layoffs poorly will have a very small chance of getting any of those employees back. They have their challenge cut out for them. Not only are they not going to be able to get the boomerang employees back, but they really need to focus on their recruiting efforts. 

Those companies now have employer branding issues. People talk, use social media, and check company review sites like Glassdoor and Blind. Talent teams now have a hard job within those companies to rebuild trust with jobseekers.” 

What can companies do to address that? Josh suggests they be transparent in the recruiting process. They should share why things happened the way they did, what they learned, and how they will adhere to their values going forward.

Related: Transparency is one of Hired’s vision values, so each year Hired recognizes companies who demonstrate it (and equity and efficiency) in their hiring processes and activity. Check out the 2023 List of Top Employers Winning Tech Talent.

How companies are strengthening employer branding

Whether companies are rehiring post-reorganization or looking to build general brand awareness, investing in employer branding is a strategic move. Bark, Chase, and Wayfair turned to Hired as a solution to strengthen their brands in tech and increase awareness among highly qualified software engineering talent. 

Bark wanted greater brand recognition among experienced Front-end, Back-end, and Full Stack Engineers. Hired Events hosted a virtual candidate event (VCE) for Bark featuring their CEO, Tech Leadership, and Talent team sharing how they navigated through adverse times and exceeded business goals.

Offering the opportunity to directly connect with the tech team and showcase the company’s ability to adapt and excel through diversity boosted Bark’s appeal to engineers. Nearly 90% of attendees opted in to learn more about life at Bark!

See how Hired helped Chase and Wayfair through similar Virtual Candidate Events hosted by Hired.

The cost of vacancy as a key concern

As companies struggle with rehiring after layoffs, we found that 63% of employers say the cost of vacancy (CoV) is a key cause of concern. 

Our survey also revealed that 70% of mid-market or scale-ups (vs 61% SMBs, 58% ENTs) expressed this concern. Data also showed that 76% of hiring managers have this concern as CoV affects their teams and project deadlines the most. This is compared to 63% of executives and 49% of TA/recruiters.

What is the cost of vacancy?

The cost of vacancy is a figure expressing the dollars lost due to leaving a job position unfilled. The costs may be hidden in inefficiency, training hours, knowledge loss, and further attrition from team members taking on more work. Especially concerning is the lost opportunity for research and development along with potentially hindering the ability to capture growth or market share.

Related: Less Competition, More Talent: Here’s How to Recruit in an Economic Downturn 

In the longer-term view, an open position may lead to:

loss of productivity and revenue,

the slowdown of goals and projects’ roadmaps,

the negative impact on deadlines and employee morale,

retention issues, and

even a loss of market share.

The ripple effect of vacancies is damaging to business. Here’s what organizations can do to calculate the costs of vacancy reboot hiring.

Related: Restart Recruitment Guide: How To Reboot Tech Hiring Post-Freeze  More

Are you feeling overwhelmed as a manager? Studies show that managers face a higher risk of burnout compared to individual contributors and executives. Managing stress is crucial for your well-being and effectiveness in leading your team. Here are three simple habits to help you navigate the pressures of your role and maintain balance:

1. Strategic planning for productivity

Efficiency is key to reducing stress and boosting productivity. Plan your week meticulously to make the most of your time. Start by listing your tasks for the week or day, and delegate as much as possible. Hold yourself accountable for delegation by involving your direct reports.

Organize your day like a marathon, scheduling activities in intervals to optimize your energy. Consider tackling routine tasks like emails in the morning, reserving afternoons for more creative or strategic work. Alternatively, prioritize tasks based on importance to feel empowered and productive throughout the day.

2. Could this meeting have been an email? Or Slack? Or asynchronous doc?

Unnecessary meetings can drain your time and energy, especially during busy periods. Politely decline meetings that aren’t essential to your role, or delegate attendance to team members when appropriate. Consider HBR’s guidelines for determining whether a meeting is necessary or if alternative communication methods can suffice.

Schedule meetings in blocks to minimize context-switching between tasks. Designate a “no meetings day” each week on your calendar to focus on deep work without interruptions.

For those meetings you need, set conditions to make them as productive as possible. Require an agenda or a comparable document. Task someone as a “scribe” to take notes and identify action items or next steps. If someone asks for a meeting with you, ask that they provide an agenda and/or any prep materials ahead of time. Choose what that needs to be. Is the morning of the meeting sufficient? Or to prepare do you need it three business days prior to the meeting?

3. Prioritize self-care

Caregivers are frequently told they need to put themselves first. This is hard to hear for those caring for others due to employment or necessity. The reality is, that it’s hard to give when your “cup” is empty. It’s like the instruction given at the start of a flight – put your own oxygen mask on first so that you may help others.

Investing in your well-being is crucial for managing stress effectively. Make time for nutritious meals, quality sleep, and regular exercise, as these activities directly impact your performance and resilience.

Consistent exercise boosts stamina and mental clarity while reducing stress and negative emotions. A balanced diet is essential for optimal brain function, with foods like berries, walnuts, and spinach enhancing cognitive abilities.

Do you ever feel sluggish after working through lunch and think you need more coffee? Bad move. Coffee is fine in moderation, but the caffeine gives it diuretic effects, contributing to dehydration. Soft drinks? The sodium and sugar in them add to the issue. Also, did you know that being dehydrated by as little as two percent impairs your ability to perform tasks needing attention, psychomotor, and immediate memory skills? You don’t need a Stanley tumbler, per se, but try to keep some water close by.

Remember, while pressure is inevitable in any role, it’s essential to recognize the signs of burnout and prioritize self-care. By implementing these daily habits, you can better manage stress, maintain productivity, and lead your team effectively.

Are you questioning whether you’re a good fit as a manager?

Sometimes businesses or individuals make the mistake of taking someone away from something they’re great at (and happy doing) and promoting them into management. Sometimes they forget that, for example, a top salesperson isn’t automatically a top sales manager. Managers are tasked with all sorts of responsibilities. Some may be new and in which they need training. Some may be so outside their comfort zone it grinds them down into burnout.

If you’ve ever wondered which path to follow, read this interview with Hired Engineering Manager Prakash Patel (or watch the video) exploring Engineering Manager or IC? Which Tech Career is Best for Me?

If your burnout is due to hiring, we can help!

At Hired, we know engineering managers would rather be working on projects than thinking about recruiting or hiring, but we make it easy to find the right person for your team. We offer solutions for hiring managers including an easy-to-use platform, a tech skills assessment product, and technical sourcing services. These services are available short or long-term and handle tasks including sourcing, screening, shortlisting, and more.

Request a demo to see how our products and services can help you focus on your primary goal.

This blog was originally written by Whitney Ricketts in 2016, and updated by the Hired Content Team in February 2024. More

Fourth in the Tech Employers Leading the Way Series

Editor’s Note: Tech Employers Leading the Way recognizes companies that innovate and work to improve the hiring experience for both their hiring managers and the tech candidates they seek. In this series, we’ll dive into what works for them, and what they’ve learned, and share it with our readers. Sharing these stories and learnings supports our company vision to make hiring more equitable, efficient, and transparent.

Hired’s List of 2023 Top Employers Winning Tech Talent highlighted companies across a variety of segments and industries creating tech hiring processes and experiences embracing principles such as equity, efficiency, and transparency. 

Among those leading the way is Cisco, an enterprise facilitating connections through innovative software-defined networking, cloud, and security solutions. Cisco ranked 7th overall, among large enterprises, thanks to scores placing them 6th in Equity, 8th in Efficiency, and 10th in Transparency categories. 

Mian Fouché, Director, Join & Connect (People, Policy, & Purpose), shares the power of transforming Talent Acquisition (TA) pros into talent advisors who act as strategic business partners and enhance the hiring process. 

Tell us about Cisco

Cisco enables people to make powerful connections. Our hardware, software, and service offerings are used to create the Internet solutions that make networks possible — providing easy access to information anywhere, at any time. 

We know that powering an inclusive future starts with us. Because without diversity and a dedication to equality, there is no moving forward. Our 30 Inclusive Communities, which unite people around commonalities or passions, lead the way.

Together, we’re committed to learning, listening, and caring for our communities while supporting the most vulnerable with a collective effort to make this world a better place either with technology or through our actions.  In 2023, we surpassed our goal to positively impact 1 billion people, more than one-eighth of the world’s population through our social impact grants and signature programs outlined in our Purpose Report.

Cisco didn’t just build the Internet. We keep building it. And while our technology helps connect the unconnected, that’s not where our edge comes from. It comes from our people—unique, innovative, and diverse. #WeAreCisco

Tell us about a process you implemented to improve candidate experience and the hiring process

Within our security teams, we implemented a structured interview process. We continue to iterate on it based both on feedback from candidates and hiring leaders. The idea is to create a more condensed and intentional process for mutual exploration of role fit between the candidate and the hiring team. 

This not only improves efficiency but leaves room for all parties to get a clear understanding of the role in question and team alignment. We want candidates to complete the process with an understanding of how the position fits into our long-term strategy, and whether this aligns with their ultimate career aspirations. 

What are some of Cisco’s strategies for maintaining a strong employer brand?

Cisco maintains the WeAreCisco blog where candidates can discover our values and read about real-life experiences from our employees. Cisco’s team of talent advisors and business leaders are also encouraged to maintain a strong presence on LinkedIn and other social media platforms to tell their stories. 

We want people to have the opportunity to understand a day in the life of a ‘Cisconian.’ This allows them to understand if our values align with their needs. For instance, Cisco provides employees with generous volunteer time off so employees can focus on the causes that matter most to them. 

Since the Great Resignation, there’s been a shift in priorities for many, if not most, professionals in tech and other fields. Candidates tell us health, wellness, and work-life balance matter to them. 

By creating the space for our employees to tell their stories, we hope to provide a behind-the-curtain look at our employee experience. We understand candidate experience doesn’t end with the conclusion of the interview, but spans into what we would hope to be a long and prosperous career with the organization. 

How has collaboration between hiring managers and TA teams improved efficiency?

Here at Cisco, we encourage our talent acquisition professionals to think and act as talent advisors, not only to candidates but also to hiring leaders. We understand that hiring the best people starts with strong collaboration within the organization, and is a team sport. 

We strive to constantly upskill our talent advisors to enhance their competencies in business acumen, operational excellence, and data literacy. That way, they’re able to act as strategic partners to the business as opposed to simply operating as a transactional support function. 

This drives alignment and partnerships, resulting in an expedited hiring process for the candidate. It also equips the talent advisor with information and details to help candidates come prepared when they meet with our hiring teams.

As businesses evolve, talent strategies do too. How have your strategies shifted in the last 12 months? How do you plan to shift your strategies in 2024? 

Over the last few years, we’ve observed a directional shift from education-based hiring to a more skills-based approach. As this continues to evolve, we anticipate the necessity to adjust the way we evaluate talent. 

This is especially true with the rise in emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning, and a global focus on improving cybersecurity tooling, with a lot of uncharted territory to traverse. 

I foresee this will necessitate that we look at various avenues to address skill shortages in these areas via mechanisms like upskilling and reskilling existing talent with adjacent skill sets.

Related: Hired partners with several organizations offering upskilling and other intensive training programs. See the directory of partners.

How has Hired supported your hiring strategy?

Our partnership with Hired has been invaluable as we strive to build a world-class, technical organization when we have critical needs that require expedited hiring. Hired has a slate of thoroughly vetted candidates who are ready to go to market. 

In providing data and insights on market availability by skills, experience, and geography, Hired has allowed us to influence business decisions based on what the market can provide at any given point in time. They’ve also been able to provide us with exploratory services to determine how we can best leverage the platform for different skills and in various locations. 

With fast and effective training for new users of their highly intuitive and user-friendly platform, and monthly reporting on usage and effectiveness, we can use tangible data to maximize the return on investment we garner from our partnership with them. Offering extreme flexibility on license assignments as our needs and resourcing evolve, their agility is a tremendous asset in the ever-changing tech landscape. 

Finally, the ability to partner with hiring leaders directly on the Hired platform drives efficiency, strengthens our relationships and partnerships with our business leaders, and inspires mutual accountability, for an optimized hiring process.

Check out all the featured tech employers in the series so far: 

Firstup Puts People First to Help Companies Speed Up

One Medical Focuses on Authenticity in the Candidate Experience

Veho’s Multi-Faceted and Candidate-Centric Interview Process for Better Alignment More

At Link Humans, we’re always eager to delve into anything data-related. In this context, we had the privilege of chatting with Doug Kelsall, Global Recruitment Marketer and Branding Director at Experian, about the pivotal role the Employer Brand Index (EBI) plays in helping them gauge Return on Investment (ROI).
In this edition of the Employer Branding Podcast, Kelsall sheds light on why Experian’s Employee Value Proposition (EVP) activation is an ongoing project and how the EBI serves as the cornerstone for their ROI assessment.
EVP Tailored for Employee Engagement
As the world’s foremost global information services company, Experian navigates diverse markets. It is known as a B2C entity in North America for consumer credit reporting and a B2B specialist in data analytics across Asia. The challenge lies in crafting an EVP that bridges these disparate perceptions while positioning Experian as an attractive destination for top tech talent.
Kelsall emphasizes, “Our employer brand is designed to carry the load in talent attraction and brand awareness,” focusing on real employee stories and moments. Their EVP concentrates on employee engagement and the values crucial to their workforce.
Evolving EVP Activation
Experian’s EVP centers around four pillars: People first, Force for good, Innovate, and Together we win. Kelsall identifies “People first” and “Force for good” as the most popular among employees, reflecting the company’s genuine commitment to culture. He highlights the latter, “Force for good,” as a testament to Experian’s impactful work driving financial inclusion.
Mapping the EVP across 16 employee lifecycle stages, from attraction to development, poses a substantial challenge. EVP activation is an ongoing process of refinement, aligning various materials, such as job postings and training materials, to ensure consistency.
ROI Measurement through the EBI
The tangible results are evident, with Experian reporting a record number of applications last year. Now, the focus is on elevating candidate quality and passive talent attraction. Kelsall relies on various accreditations and awards, including Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” and the CCLA Corporate Mental Health Benchmark. Additionally, Experian turns to Link Humans’ Employer Brand Index, a data-driven external evaluation, to measure success and prove the ROI on employer brand.
These metrics form the foundation of a comprehensive monthly employer branding newsletter, reaching all of HR and beyond. Experian’s CEO has discussed their successful Glassdoor strategy with investors, indicating the increasing importance of employer brand in the company’s future.
Insights and Tips from Kelsall
For a deeper dive into Experian’s employer brand strategy, listeners are encouraged to explore the podcast. Kelsall offers valuable advice for employer brand professionals, emphasizing the power of collaboration and diversity within the team. He underscores the importance of consistency, stating that it outperforms sporadic moments of brilliance. Maintaining a candidate-centric approach consistently across platforms is key to success.

Given the awards and metrics, it’s evident that Experian is making significant strides in the realm of employer branding. For those interested in Doug Kelsall’s work, connecting with him on LinkedIn is recommended. To measure your employer brand’s effectiveness, the Employer Brand Index, with its 16 key attributes, provides valuable insights for industry comparison.
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Hired’s Talk Talent to Me podcast started 2024 with a bang! Listen in on these episodes featuring recruiting and talent acquisition leadership plus a special episode with Hired’s CEO. They share strategies, techniques, and trends shaping the recruitment industry.

Talent insights with Ali Bebo, CHRO at Pearson

Recruitment, tech hiring, and talent strategies with Jim Hemgen, Director of Talent Development at Booz Allen Hamilton

2024 tech hiring predictions with Josh Brenner, CEO of Hired

Being mission-driven with Ryan Loken, Head of HR Policy & Governance at Tyson Foods

1. Ali Bebo, CHRO at Pearson

In talent acquisition, future-proofing is as important as focusing on the present. Ali discusses how talent acquisition has changed since she got started, the role of AI in the industry, and why managers should avoid being passive in team building. Ali thinks talent recruitment is much like coaching a sports team. In this episode, she explains how the two jobs are similar. She also shares her experience in helping her company hire a new CEO before she leaves us with some incredible advice about knowing your superpower.

“What can you do better than 10,000 people? Once you can really answer that question, then you find roles and opportunities where there’s less friction. Because when you’re in a role that you’re able to use your best strengths and get to do what you do best every day, then frankly, performance happens.” 

Listen to the full episode.

2. Jim Hemgen, Director of Talent Development at Booz Allen Hamilton

Jim breaks down Booz Allen’s approach to recruitment and talent development, why hiring tech talent is so competitive, and what they are doing to set themselves apart. He also discusses how they cultivate a culture of continuous learning, using data and predictive analytics for workforce planning, and the most effective retention strategies.

“I highly encourage soliciting a mentor from an outside organization. Find somebody who’s in a role you aspire to be in and get engaged in conversations. It goes a long way.”

Listen to the full episode.

3. Josh Brenner, CEO of Hired

The last year has been tough on all fronts when it comes to tech recruiting and hiring. Josh shares his predictions for hiring in 2024. He discusses tech hiring resurgence, AI, layoffs, and the debate on remote, hybrid, and in-office work.

“Companies that have the best teams are the most successful, and you, as the talent professional, are the ones that are helping companies build those best-in-class teams.”

Listen to the full episode.

4. Ryan Loken, Head of HR Policy & Governance at Tyson Foods

Ryan shares his multifaceted role within the company, his broader impact on the community, and the dynamics of HR. He dives into the community outreach work he is involved in, how he leverages the company for good, and his motivation for pursuing community outreach. Ryan also shares why HR professionals are no longer compliance police, why he chases the mission and not the title, and the interconnectedness of company policy and culture.

“I have never chased a title. I have always chased a mission.”

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