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    Tech Hiring Predictions, Talent Strategies, & More: Talk Talent to Me January ’24 Recap

    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

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    Hired CEO Reveals Predictions on Tech Hiring for 2024

    Josh Brenner on the Talk Talent to Me podcast

    Last year was challenging on all fronts within tech recruiting and hiring, so what’s next? To discuss his predictions for 2024, Hired CEO Josh Brenner visited the Talk Talent to Me podcast. Based on The Future of Tech Hiring: 8 Bold Predictions for 2024, he shares his thoughts on a tech hiring resurgence, AI, layoffs, and the RTO/remote debate. Get a sneak peek of the episode below and listen to the full conversation here. 

    There were lots of layoffs happening…You seem to think there’s going to be a resurgence in hiring this year. I’d love to know why you think that’s the case.

    Josh Brenner

    I want to be clear that we have been through this really interesting journey over the past five years. I think the ‘resurgence’ is not to be confused with the rapid scaling we saw post-pandemic, starting in the spring of 2021. The resurgence I’m talking about is more like a pre-pandemic pace than the rapid period we saw from 2021 to 2022. 

    We’re feeling optimistic for 2024 because we took a survey from hiring managers, recruiters, and tech leaders. Overwhelmingly, the response was that their budgets for headcount in 2024 will expand. We’re also seeing that companies have been in this strange place where they’ve pulled back. As a result, they started to see the growth rates slow down and their ability to achieve their digital transformation goals, in a lot of cases slowed down as a result. 

    We’re starting to see some companies, especially the smaller ones, realize that real growth is still important. While managing your costs is important for a small business, they need to show growth, or doesn’t make a lot of sense for them to be in business. We see some of that swinging back around with companies backfilling hires and pulling forward new initiatives. We strongly believe the tech industry is still a really exciting opportunity for people to grow their careers.

    Who are the companies who are well set up to rehire or increase their headcounts?

    Josh Brenner

    I’m not going to name specific names but we have data across a large portion of those companies. We’re seeing financial services companies are back in full swing. In a lot of ways, larger tech companies, while they have very publicly been shedding employees are also hiring on the opposite side of that. 

    Startups, especially those focused on AI, machine learning, and all of the surrounding ecosystem have gotten a vast majority of the funding over the past year. As you can imagine, with that funding comes the need to hire.

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

    Do you think people should not go back to employers that laid them off? Or should jobseekers swallow their pride and get their old job back?

    Josh Brenner

    That’s a really good question. My thinking on why the companies are so interested in taking the people back is maybe self-explanatory. But I think it’s also worth mentioning there are a lot of benefits to having boomerang employees. They’re vetted in the sense that you’ve already made the decision once to hire them. They clearly have a value fit with the company and were a strong contributor to the team. There’s obviously a lot less ramping up needed to get them back into the company. 

    I understand why companies would be excited about having people back. I know a lot of companies across the board had to make extremely tough decisions when making these cuts. A lot of the people they had to let go of were people they didn’t want to see gone. 

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

    On the employee side, it goes back to the pandemic. Talent used that opportunity while we were in lockdown to kind of reprioritize and reevaluate what they were looking for in a company and employer. We left that period with talent being even more focused on making sure they had a really strong connection with the mission, vision, and values a company had. They wanted to be part of something bigger. They didn’t want to just be coming in and clocking in and out. People that are happy at work are happy at home. And the reverse is true, too. It really impacts your whole life. 

    All that being said, 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. A lot of companies took a lot of care when they did reductions. They tried to help people get other jobs and do the right thing by talent. Those employers are going to have a much easier time getting those boomerangs back. They live the values they talk about as a company. 

    On the flip side, there were also a lot of companies – more often than not – that didn’t do the right thing by employees they let go. 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. 

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

    I suggest those companies be very upfront in the recruiting process. They should share why things went down the way they did, what they learned from that, and how they plan to stick to their values going forward. It’s interesting to see such a low percentage (at 15%) of people saying they would go back. I think a lot of it has to do with how companies handle layoffs in this round. More

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    Bold Predictions & Benchmarks: Master Tech Hiring in 2024 (VIDEO)

    What do industry experts predict for tech recruitment this year? In this on-demand webinar, you’ll learn what to expect in 2024, what benchmarks they turn to (especially in what’s expected to be another whirlwind year), and where the inescapable topic of AI fits into it all. 

    Related: The Future of Tech Hiring: 8 Bold Predictions for 2024 

    Hear from:

    SVP of People Strategy, Hired, Sam Friedman

    VP of Strategic Consulting, Criteria, Brad Schneider 

    Director of Talent and Recruitment, Collective Health, Dana Dillard

    Community and Talent Acquisition Advisory Lead, Ashby, Shannon Ogborn

    Read an excerpt of the conversation here and scroll down to access the full webinar. 

    What is one bold prediction or hot take on how tech hiring will change in 2024?

    Dana Dillard

    Hot takes of 2024 seems to be a very big discussion topic in our industry right now. From a recruitment perspective, I think a lot about the importance of elevating the candidate experience. I think we can all agree we’ve got some work to do as a TA function in helping candidates have a great experience no matter who they’re interacting with, no matter the outcome.

    We need to make sure we’re elevating the experience and helping candidates understand the mission of the companies they’re considering and what’s in it for them. Candidates have been through a lot. There’s been a lot of uncertainty. A lot of people have gone through layoffs for the first time in their careers or have seen friends and colleagues get impacted.

    Anchoring on connecting with candidates, elevating the experience, and helping them understand the value you’re offering will be critical this year.

    Brad Schneider

    I think tech hiring will pick up. I view it like a pendulum. When the Fed rate was low and money was cheap, there was a mentality of growth at any cost. There was an enormous amount of hiring, especially in tech. As interest rates increased, it became more and more expensive to borrow. Some organizations couldn’t get loans. There was a need to become profitable and to do so quickly was through layoffs. So you had a tremendous number of layoffs in the tech space.

    People say the one constant is change. A lot of that change is driven by advances in technology. You need people to build that technology and you need people to service it. Salespeople, customer service reps, engineers, and so on. Artificial intelligence is getting really exciting and hot now. Tech companies once again will lead the way in cutting-edge technology. That will lead to more recruiting. I think there will be a turnaround in the second half of this year.

    Sam Friedman

    My bold take is that we will see a new talent market emerge. A lot of what TA professionals are working with right now is a push to scale back on either fully remote or hybrid schedules. We’re seeing this return to the office.

    You’ve had previously happy employees who’ve had that flexibility start to pick their heads up. They might be in great jobs, like the pay they’re receiving, or like the brands they are working for. But I believe that return-to-office will ultimately create this new talent marketplace. Those individuals who still want that flexibility and to be in charge of their day-to-day will pick their heads up for opportunities where they previously had it.

    Watch the full collaborative panel discussion to discover:

    How to facilitate a mindful selection process using AI and assessments

    The importance of authentic employer branding 

    How to elevate the candidate experience 

    Insights into remote work and workplace flexibility  More

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    The Science of Attraction: Thermo Fisher’s Data-Powered Employer Branding

    In the ever-evolving world of talent acquisition, employer branding reigns supreme. It’s the alchemy of company culture, employee experience, and reputation distilled into a potent elixir that attracts and retains the best minds. But how do we know if this potent brew is actually working? For many, measuring the impact of employer branding remains an elusive quest.
    Enter Thermo Fisher Scientific, a global behemoth straddling the realms of pharma, life sciences, and chemical research. With a million products, from electron microscopes to cancer treatments and specialized roles spanning the globe, filling their talent pool is no small feat. Yet, amidst this scientific labyrinth, Thermo Fisher has cracked the code of employer branding measurement, not through guesswork, but through cold, complex data.
    Their secret weapon? A multi-pronged approach that delves beyond superficial metrics like website visits and applications. Here, we dissect Thermo Fisher’s strategies, revealing the science behind their employer branding success:
    The Triple Helix of Engagement:
    Thermo Fisher’s framework is built on three key pillars:

    Website: Beyond the Clickbait: They don’t get fooled by vanity metrics. Instead, they dissect their careers site with laser precision. Kenty Brumant, their Senior Manager of Talent Attraction and Employer Brand, advocates for splitting visitors into new and returning. This exposes how effectively they attract fresh talent, while also gauging their site’s ability to retain and engage existing candidates. But Brumant doesn’t stop there. He tracks time spent on non-application pages, understanding that the longer candidates explore, the higher the chance of them signing up for job alerts, applying, or simply absorbing the company’s essence.

    Social Media: The Conversation Amplifier: Thermo Fisher leverages the Employer Brand Index (EBI) to gauge public perception. However, they’re not passive listeners. They actively seek out conversations happening across platforms, not just on job boards or the usual social media suspects. A prime example? When recruiting data scientists, they discovered the relevant buzz happening not on LinkedIn, but on Stack Overflow, a programmer’s haven. This led to the creation of a dedicated Thermo Fisher page on the platform, attracting the niche talent they craved.

    Internal Advocacy: The Employee Pulse: Thermo Fisher knows their greatest brand ambassadors aren’t external influencers but their own employees. They conduct regular internal surveys not to gather dust but to generate actionable insights and quick wins for each business group. These range from encouraging employee storytelling to soliciting reviews and boosting engagement. But it doesn’t stop there. They partner with HR to track crucial metrics like internal mobility, diversity and inclusion, and corporate social responsibility. This data adds context to survey results and helps tailor their employer branding efforts for maximum impact.

    The External Seal of Approval:
    Their data-driven approach isn’t just self-congratulatory. Thermo Fisher’s #7 ranking on the prestigious Fortune 500 Candidate Experience Report speaks volumes. It’s external validation that their meticulous measurement translates to tangible results, attracting top talent and creating a desirable employer brand.
    Unveiling the Blueprint:
    So, what can we learn from Thermo Fisher’s scientific approach to employer branding?

    Go Beyond the Superficial: Don’t get caught up in vanity metrics. Dig deeper into engagement, conversion, and internal feedback to paint a holistic picture.

    Embrace the Conversation: Listen actively to what people are saying about you on social media and beyond. Adapt your strategy to meet them where they are, not just on the usual platforms.

    Empower Your Employees: They are your biggest advocates. Leverage their insights and enthusiasm to build an authentic brand from within.

    Quantify and Validate: Track key metrics and use HR data to add context. External recognition like industry awards serves as valuable validation for your efforts.

    Remember, measuring employer branding isn’t about finding a single magic number. It’s about understanding what matters to your audience and using that knowledge to build a strong, authentic brand that resonates with the talent you seek. Thermo Fisher Scientific has shown us that through a data-driven approach, we can not only measure the impact of employer branding, but also harness its power to attract and retain the best minds in the game. Now, it’s your turn to write your own scientific success story.

    To follow Kenty Brumant’s work in employer brand, connect with him on LinkedIn. For help gathering data and insights you can act on to improve your own company, get in touch.
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    Veho’s Multi-Faceted and Candidate-Centric Interview Process for Better Alignment

    Third 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. 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 Veho, an organization revolutionizing package delivery and returns. Patrick Vitulli, Tech Recruiting Manager, shares how Veho created its candidate-centric interview process and uses Hired to reach top candidates. 

    Our mission is to reinvent the world of delivery and returns in the e-commerce era by combining technology and logistics into a customer-centric organization. We build from the ground up to create new products and we compete against some top global companies daily.

    Describe a process you’ve implemented to improve candidate experience and the hiring process

    When I joined Veho, we were creating the interview process. Especially for engineers, we wanted to emulate what it would be like daily for an engineer working here. We created a three-part interview, which is back to back to back interviewing. 

    First: Evaluate alignment

    We dive into company culture, make sure you’re a team fit, and see how you align with the values of the organization. 

    Second: Architecture interview for thought process (for engineers) 

    The second part of this is an architecture interview for engineers specifically to design a system and walk us through the thought process. 

    Third: Case study for practical application

    The last portion is a case study, which is a realistic example of what it’s like working at Veho. Candidates get a set of broken code and have the opportunity to fix it and get it working again.

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

    Two of the biggest metrics we discuss is our on-time delivery rate, which is 99.9%. To quantify that for you, it means one in every 1000 packages is delivered late. The second part of this is our customer satisfaction score which is regularly 4.9 out of 5. Both metrics are excellent and very efficient for this industry. 

    As an employer brand, when we deliver on behalf of organizations such as Lululemon, Kroger, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Nordstrom, we are an extension of these brands in the delivery process. This is how we’ve built our brand throughout the years.

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

    At Veho, our recruiters collaborate with hiring managers regularly. We do all intake calls before we post any role. We make sure candidates meet certain competencies. Every candidate goes through the same process to avoid any bias. 

    We meet with our hiring managers multiple times during the week to ensure the process is going well, the candidates are a good fit, and we’re hiring the best person for each role.

    Using a tool such as Hired at Veho allows us to reach out to highly qualified candidates quickly. It also helps reach out to more folks than we typically would be able to, especially those who are underrepresented. 

    Veho sees a 60% interview acceptance rate and an 80% offer close rate with Hired

    Our response rate [using Hired] is far higher than you would see on a typical seat for LinkedIn recruiter, which is typically 13% to 14%. We track throughout the whole process and work with our Hired account and customer success managers to make sure we’re on board with these candidates. 

    For example, they’ve shared that our average time to hire using the tech recruitment platform is 29 days. That’s 18 days faster than the average for companies our size. Feedback like that helps us know we’re running an efficient hiring process and helping our hiring managers reduce the cost of vacancy (CoV). 

    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 More

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    Understanding “Quality of Hire” in Tech Recruitment

    Why is the recruiting metric known as “quality of hire” so important? In the fast-paced world of tech recruitment, finding the right candidates is like hunting for treasure. You receive countless job applications, but how do you separate the gems from the rubble? In this article, we’ll explore what quality of hire means, how to assess it, and why it’s crucial for your tech company’s success. 

    We’ll also share data from past Hired research to illustrate how tech employers define it and how to create recruitment and hiring strategies to make the most of your recruitment team’s capacity. 

    What is Quality of Hire or QoH?

    Quality of hire is a recruiting metric that evaluates how well a new employee performs and fits into your company culture after being hired. In simple terms, it gauges whether your hiring decisions result in successful, productive, and satisfied team members.

    As tech workers found themselves laid off during the “tech winter” of late 2022 – early 2023, inbound applicants flooded employers’ inbound channels. As a result, TA teams found themselves drowning in applicants, but not enough qualified ones. 

    Recruiting teams also began interviewing more applicants per role. According to Hired survey data in The Future of Tech Hiring: 8 Bold Predictions for 2024, 68% of employers said they were interviewing more candidates for each role than they were a year ago. 

    In fact, 54% of surveyed employers of all sizes agreed that Quality of Hire would be their top hiring KPI going into 2024. 

    What does Quality of Hire mean? In The Tech Hiring Tightrope, Hired’s annual research study of tech hiring and salaries, surveyed employers’ top three definitions of a “quality candidate” were: 

    1) Has 6+ years of experience in the industry 

    2) Is “in-demand,” i.e. involved in the hiring process with multiple companies 

    3) Fulfills a senior-level role

    How does your organization define Quality of Hire? It may be different from one employer to another. 

    How to assess Quality of Hire (QoH)

    Assessing Quality of Hire involves several steps:

    1. Define success criteria 

    Before you start evaluating Quality of Hire, establish clear criteria for success. What skills, experience, and qualities should your ideal candidate possess? Define these benchmarks to guide your assessment.

    2. Performance metrics 

    Track an employee’s performance over time. Metrics like productivity, meeting goals, and contributing to projects are useful indicators. Compare these metrics with your defined success criteria.

    3. Feedback and reviews 

    Regularly seek feedback from supervisors, peers, and the employee. Are they meeting expectations? Are they a positive influence on the team? Honest feedback can reveal a lot.

    Hired partner Textio contributed this blog, Want To Hire More Women? Focus On Performance Feedback, check it out!

    4. Retention rate

    Analyze how long employees stay with your company. A high turnover rate may indicate a problem with your hiring process. One of the best ways to retain an employee is to, of course, start with the right candidate. 

    Because Hired provides such transparency in the tech recruiting process, it’s easier for both employers and candidates to enjoy better matches. For employers, this also translates into higher acceptance rates averaging 60% or more. 

    Related: Difficulty Keeping Your Top Tech Talent? This Could Be Why (& What to Do About It)

    5. Cultural fit 

    Assess how well the employee aligns with your company’s culture. Do they embrace your values and work well with others? 

    Note the “fit” is based on values and working styles or team dynamics. At Hired, we caution against using “fit” as similar backgrounds, networks, education, or experiences. In these categories, we recommend a “culture add,” where a candidate helps diversify your team and its thinking.

    6. Self-assessment 

    Ask employees to evaluate their own job satisfaction and performance. Their self-perception can provide valuable insights.

    Separating high-quality candidates from the rest

    In a sea of applicants, it can be overwhelming to discern quality candidates. Here’s how to do it effectively:

    Prioritize skills 

    Focus on candidates with the essential technical skills and experience you need. Use resume screening and pre-employment assessments to filter out unqualified applicants.

    Behavioral interviews 

    Conduct behavioral interviews to assess a candidate’s problem-solving abilities, teamwork, and adaptability. Ask for specific examples of their past achievements.

    Reference checks 

    Contact references to learn about a candidate’s work ethic, attitude, and contributions in previous roles.

    Technical assessments 

    Administer technical tests or coding challenges to gauge a candidate’s proficiency in their field or assess specific tech skills.

    Want to run a coding challenge campaign to tap into a new market or surface candidates with hard to find skills or for hard to find roles? We’ve got you covered from start to finish. 

    Why is Quality of Hire an important recruiting metric?

    Quality of Hire is more than just a statistic; it’s a predictor of future success and retention. When you make quality hires, your company benefits in several ways:

    Better performance

    High-quality hires are more likely to excel in their roles, meet or exceed goals, and contribute positively to your company’s success.

    Team cohesion

    They integrate seamlessly into teams, enhancing collaboration and overall team performance.

    Retention

    Quality hires tend to stay longer with your company, reducing turnover and recruitment costs.

    Hired data shows candidates placed through our tech hiring platform have an 18% higher tenure with their employers.  

    Positive reputation

    Consistently making quality hires improves your company’s reputation in the job market, making it easier to attract top talent. This is one facet of employer branding, a long-term strategy for companies of all sizes.

    Conclusion

    In conclusion, “Quality of Hire” is a vital metric for tech hiring managers, engineering managers, and recruiters. It helps you identify candidates who not only have the right skills but also align with your company’s culture and values. By prioritizing Quality of Hire, you can ensure the success and longevity of your tech team and your company as a whole.

    See how Hired helps employers find the right candidates, right away, from around the world. Request a demo. More

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    Want to Hire Tech Talent in Mexico? 7 Reasons Why It’s Popular

    Interview requests for tech talent in Mexico top the global list; acceptance rates average 55% 

    Want to hire tech talent in Mexico? You’re not alone. Mexico continues to grow as a source for candidates for tech roles, attracting the attention of recruiters, talent acquisition teams, and engineering hiring managers worldwide. With a growing pool of skilled engineers, developers, and engineering managers, Mexico offers a compelling value proposition for tech companies expanding their teams. 

    In fact, Hired’s tech recruitment platform data shows global interview requests for talent based in Mexico are more than double those for the next country on the list. More than half, or 55% of jobseekers on Hired accept the request for an interview.

    In this article, we will explore 7 reasons why many tech companies are “nearshoring” (vs. offshoring) by pursuing candidates for tech roles in Mexico and why Mexico is an attractive location to hire tech talent.

    1. Mexico has a thriving tech ecosystem

    Mexico boasts a thriving tech ecosystem that has been steadily growing over the past decade. Several factors contribute to the vibrancy of this ecosystem:

    Education and Training

    Mexico is home to a strong educational system, with many universities and technical schools offering top-notch engineering and computer science programs. Graduates from these institutions are well-prepared for tech roles.

    Cultural Alignment

    Mexican tech professionals often share cultural similarities with their North American counterparts, making collaboration easier and enhancing team dynamics.

    Time Zone Advantage

    Mexico’s time zone aligns well with the United States, making real-time communication and collaboration between cross-border teams convenient. The majority of Mexico aligns with the central time zone, although it stretches across all four in the contiguous US.

    Top tech cities in Mexico include Guadalajara, Merida, Mexico City, Monterrey, and Queretaro.

    2. Companies gravitate to hiring in lower-cost-of-living markets

    Tech companies are increasingly looking for cost-effective solutions without compromising quality. 

    In Hired’s Tech Hiring Tightrope: Balancing the Skills & Shifts in Talent research report, proprietary talent marketplace data showed tech employers were interviewing in fewer time zones and markets in 2023 compared to 2022. 

    While companies, especially larger ones, were choosing to list more roles as in-office or hybrid instead of remote, some chose to focus remote roles or even open hubs in smaller, nontraditional tech markets.

    Survey data

    When asked if their company hired in smaller markets or internationally to reduce compensation costs, 23% of employers said definitely, while 17% said probably. 

    When asked where their company was hiring or planning to hire to reduce compensation costs 16% of employers identified Canada or Mexico, while 18% said Latin America. 

    Hiring tech talent in Mexico often provides a significant cost advantage compared to hiring in the United States or Canada. Salaries for skilled professionals in Mexico are competitive but generally lower than those in North America, offering a compelling value proposition.

    3. Mexico maintains a skilled tech workforce

    Mexico has a rich talent pool of engineers, developers, and engineering managers. Many Mexican tech professionals have experience working for multinational companies and are well-versed in the latest technologies and best practices. This experience makes them valuable additions to tech teams.

    Related: Hired partners with organizations to help companies navigate compliance, payroll, and tax issues across borders. 

    4. Many tech workers in Mexico are bilingual

    English proficiency is common among tech professionals in Mexico. Many engineers and developers are fluent in English, which is crucial for seamless communication and collaboration with international teams and clients. 

    Based on local census sources, nearly 13% of Mexico’s population, or 15.7 million individuals speak English. The majority live near the US border and in the larger cities.

    5. Mexico’s government has invested in STEM education for years to support the tech industry

    The Mexican government has taken many initiatives to support the growth of the tech industry over the years. Programs like ProMéxico and Prosoft aim to promote technological development and innovation, offering incentives for tech companies to establish a presence in the country.

    6. US finds great cultural compatibility with tech workers in Mexico

    Cultural compatibility plays a significant role in building cohesive teams. Mexican professionals are known for their strong work ethic, dedication, and adaptability. They are often quick to adapt to company cultures and values, making integration smoother.

    7. Scalability

    Mexico offers scalability options for tech companies ready to expand their operations. Whether companies need a handful of engineers or an entire development center, Mexico’s flexible labor market frequently accommodates corporate growth needs.

    Hired helps companies source tech talent in Mexico

    Mexico’s tech talent pool, cost-effectiveness, cultural compatibility, and government support make it an attractive destination for tech companies eager to hire engineers, developers, and engineering managers. With a thriving tech ecosystem, skilled workforce, and the advantages of time zone alignment and language proficiency, 

    Mexico presents a compelling case for tech talent acquisition. By considering Mexico as a strategic location for hiring tech talent, recruiters and hiring managers tap into a valuable resource. This helps to drive innovation and growth in their organizations.

    How may we help you find tech (or sales) talent for your open roles? 

    Let us show you how Hired works for employers when you request a demo.

    See all of Hired’s talent sourcing, technical assessments, DEI hiring, employer branding, recruiting events, and coding challenges products, services, and technical recruiting solutions in action. More

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    One Medical Focuses on Authenticity in the Candidate Experience 

    Second in the Tech Employers Leading the Way Series

    Editor’s Note: This blog is part of a new series, Tech Employers Leading the Way, which 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 One Medical, an organization transforming healthcare through its membership-based primary care practice. John Beard, Senior Director of Corporate and Technical Talent Acquisition, shares how One Medical offers a refreshing interview process and crafted its updated employer branding to foster an authentic candidate experience. 

    About One Medical

    For more than 15 years, One Medical has continuously proven there is a better way to deliver primary health care in the US. We have a hybrid model of both brick-and-mortar medical offices and online services. One Medical has more than 200 offices across the country and robust on-demand virtual services. We’re uniquely positioned to provide a wide range of services for our members. 

    These include wellness and prevention, everyday care, chronic conditions, mental health, women’s health, LGBTQIA+ services, urgent concerns, sexual health, senior health, pediatric services, and many more. 

    At One Medical, we also know that every minute matters when it comes to our members’ health. Our human-centered and technology-powered approach empowers our providers to spend more quality time with our patients and less time on paperwork.

    This gives our members the undivided attention and care they deserve, rather than looking for a quick fix to get them out the door. Our providers have the time and space to consider our members’ current concerns and needs within the picture of their overall health. That way, they receive higher-quality care. 

    We take the same human-centered approach with our own team members. It’s always about the people. It’s our biggest competitive advantage. No matter the role, the people of One Medical are singularly-minded in delivering on our goal of transforming primary care.

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

    While going through the interview process, I realized One Medical is doing the whole process of interviewing candidates much differently than everybody else. It starts with preparing candidates before their interviews. 

    We found it is critically important for candidate experience to proactively answer questions we know they have. They should know what the process looks like and what we’re evaluating them on. Then, we give them friendly reminders about the unique aspects of our culture and what we expect from candidates. 

    For instance, we welcome being able to admit mistakes because it is a learning opportunity. The better prepared a candidate is for the interview, the more comfortable they will be. That results in us getting better information from them. This helps us make sure we’re evaluating their skills rather than any cultural, communication, or environmental biases. And we all know we have them to some extent. 

    It’s really about communicating with the candidates. We’re not trying to play “gotcha” with them. We’re not trying to surprise them even in our coding interviews or paired experiences so they have an opportunity to ask questions and be more interactive than usual.

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

    We embarked on a refresh of our employer brand last year. That started with listening. We conducted focus groups to hear why people were attracted to One Medical and why they stayed. We used that to build messaging around why One Medical is a great place to work. 

    A strong employer brand needs to be authentic to the employee experience. The brand is not just ‘marketing speak’ to attract candidates. It should also be used to retain employees and reinforce why they choose to build a career here. We say it’s very aligned with our people experience team and internal communications to make sure what we say is accurate and consistent. 

    We know from this work that one of the most powerful parts of our employer brand is the mission. Our technology team values the ability to have real, tangible impacts on our patients and clinical teams. They get to work with the people who use the technology they build every single day. That’s really exciting. On the recruiting team, we agree. That’s why many of us are here.

    Related: One Medical shares some insights about building a better employer brand in this eBook.

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

    We’re very fortunate in that our hiring partners see recruiting as a shared responsibility. They will help their recruiter learn how to identify the proper candidate pools and they see it as an equal responsibility to convince those people to engage. They prioritized acting on candidates quickly, even if that’s early in the process. 

    When we’re setting up a search boolean, critiquing our messaging, or reviewing profiles, they understand the importance of moving quickly. In fact, when it comes to scheduling candidates, we have the freedom to overwrite their calendars. 

    We have a rubric we built in conjunction with our hiring teams that tells us what on their calendars can be written over and what can’t. That keeps us moving quickly in the process. Often, that’s the difference between an offer accept and an offer decline.

    Related: One Medical adds expertise to this eBook about collaboration between hiring managers and TA teams.

    We do have a robust tech stack for our TA team. This enables and optimizes speed, efficiency, and candidate experience. Sourcing, engagement, interview scheduling, candidate experience, interview prep, reporting, analytics, and debriefs each have a different tool that fits into our TA stack seamlessly. It enables recruiters to work with increased velocity and efficiency.

    Hired specifically provides a warm handoff between One Medical and potential candidates because there’s mutual interest present from the beginning. The entire process goes much faster with the candidates we engage through Hired. 

    In fact, the Hired platform is now our number one source of engineering hires. So thank you, Hired! More