More stories

  • in

    Tech Candidate Spotlight – Ahmed El Bialy, Intermediate Software Developer

    We’re so excited to speak with you, Ahmed! Will start by sharing a little bit about your educational background?

    I have a Bachelor’s degree in Education with a major in Mathematics and a minor in Special Education. I’m a self-taught Software Developer! I specifically taught myself mobile development. I took some Computer Science courses in university. Those got me excited about programming and I grew to really love the Software Development field.

    When it came time to teach myself about programming, I took an online course through Udacity. It taught me Native iOS development using a programming language called Swift. From there, I worked on a few personal projects that eventually propelled me to land a full-time position.

    Which opportunities made the biggest impact on your tech career?

    Teaching myself code through Udacity and going to tech meetups. I had my foundational knowledge in programming from my university education, but the biggest impact came from the self-taught courses and professional experience I gained later on.

    Networking and attending those meetups were also essential. I had the chance to meet great speakers in the tech industry and learn new skills and techniques. It presented me with an opportunity to get my next role and to help others get theirs!

    What would you like to learn more about?

    Backend technologies and how businesses operate. I’m also very interested in language learning — both human and computer languages. I’d like to continue my journey learning Spanish. As for computer languages, I am focusing on JavaScript, TypeScript, Ruby, and Ruby on Rails for backend.

    I would also love to learn more about the cloud and security. My focus on mobile development security is of the utmost importance and there aren’t many professionals who specialize in this area. That’s certainly another field for me to further explore.

    Related: What are the Best Programming Languages to Get a Software Developer Job?

    What led you to pursue a career in tech?

    When I was a teacher I wanted to work in an industry with the flexibility to work from anywhere. I also wanted to be able to work on my own projects and start my own business or consultancy. I always had a deep passion for technology I wanted to explore more. With the ease of access to technology and powerful computing machines, we can solve, automate and simplify so many problems and impact how we go about our daily lives.

    I was also intrigued by the opportunity to work across industries and with different types of professionals. So far, I have worked in the education, healthcare, media, and legal industries. I have learned a lot from this varied experience! 

    How has your skillset evolved over the course of your career?

    I think my skillset has evolved quite well. I now play more of a mentor and teacher role for younger professionals. I still have a lot to learn from a technical perspective but I’ve had the opportunity to understand how the industry works and what areas of growth I can work on.

    I have become familiar with industry best practices and how to work on a cross-functional team with a variety of backgrounds and problems to solve. My skillset has certainly expanded compared to when I initially started as a mobile developer.

    What area do you specialize in and why?

    I chose to specialize in mobile application development. It’s magical to just pull out my phone and show someone a project I’ve worked on. I really enjoy the hands-on aspect of mobile development and I have the chance to work with the latest and greatest devices. It’s also fun to take on a lot of unique challenges that come with developing mobile applications such as battery life, memory, computing, network connectivity, security, and privacy. Mobile development is full of endless possibilities!

    Is your new role different from previous ones?

    Yes, it is! It is a change in tech stack I’m really excited (and a little nervous!) about. It’ll be a good opportunity for my career growth. My background is in Xamarin and Native mobile development. I really look forward to working in the world of React Native now. I also have the opportunity to work on some backend and infrastructure tasks which are definitely new to me.

    What are some of the things you’re most excited about in your new role and company?

    I’m excited to collaborate with hard working, forward thinking folks and to really make an impact in the industry. I’m also thrilled to work with some cool technologies I did not have much exposure to previously. This technology includes Angular, Ruby on Rails, React Native, and TypeScript. All of these are relatively new to me so it’s exciting and is a different experience than what I’m used to.

    Related: Hired Releases 2022 State of Software Engineers Data Report

    What was your job search experience like before you joined Hired?

    It wasn’t as diverse. I had the chance to match with amazing opportunities I would not have known about without Hired. Some of these opportunities were from companies in different industries like real estate and fintech, which I didn’t have access to before. It’s a really nice way to learn more about what’s out in the market.

    What’s your best advice for jobseekers registered on the Hired platform?

    Always respond and keep in touch with recruiters who reach out to you on Hired. Make connections and never ignore anyone. You never know where your next role might be. Always keep an open mind and take the time to fill out all the necessary information so employers can get to know you better.

    What would you tell someone who’s curious about Hired?

    Definitely check it out and stick to it. The platform is very effective and I think you will be able to get really interesting opportunities you might not otherwise have access to. Hired is also great if you wish to change careers or roles. Let’s say you want to become a developer and have some previous QA experience, Hired is a great place to find what you’re looking for.

    Any general advice you’d like to give other tech professionals?

    Always be on the lookout for roles a little outside of your comfort zone. You never know where your next best career move will be. Never miss an opportunity that comes knocking on your door. Network, learn, help others, and create the community you wish to see in the future!

    About Clio

    Clio is the leader in cloud-based legal technology offering practice management, CRM, and client intake software. Clio is transforming the practice of law in a permanent and meaningful way that’s bettering the lives of legal professionals while increasing access to justice for all. Founded in 2007, Clio has 501-1,000 employees and is headquartered in Vancouver.

    Tech Stack

    Ruby on Rails, Ruby, JavaScript, TypeScript, React, Node.JS

    Benefits

    Health/dental/vision/life/disability insurance, paid holidays, flexible working hours, maternity/paternity benefits, tuition reimbursement, and more. More

  • in

    Ready to Find Your Dream Job? Start with Knowing What You Want

    Searching for a new job, let alone a ‘dream job,’ may feel daunting, especially if you have been out of the market for a long time or weren’t expecting to need a new position. In our recently published blog series, “Recently Laid Off? A Jobseeker’s Guide to Bounce Back Better than Ever,” we dive into the steps you can take specifically after experiencing a layoff so you can set yourself up for a successful job search. 

    Whatever your situation may be, you are likely creating a mental list of things to do before navigating interviews. This might include updating your resume and LinkedIn profile, and starting to look at what opportunities are out there. The first and most important step in your job search, however, is to look within and take stock of what is most important to you in your next opportunity.

    Salary is important, but it’s not everything

    Loving or hating your job pivots first upon how you feel about your compensation. Nearly 3 in 4 workers who hate their job say they stay there in the meantime predominantly because they need financial stability while they search for something new — and 1 in 2 workers report they left their most recent job because the salary didn’t cut it.

    Besides being underpaid, the most commonly cited grievances by people who hate their job include lack of opportunities for growth, a lackluster company culture, and not getting along with their manager or colleagues.

    According to our 2022 State of Tech Salaries report, candidates would trade a higher salary for a flexible work schedule, PTO, and practical benefits such as health insurance and 401K retirement matching.

    Salary and benefits are incredibly important — but those factors are really the tip of the iceberg. A flashy salary is great, but probably won’t keep you happy day-to-day if you don’t click with the management philosophy or lack opportunities to grow on the job.

    Evaluate your wants & needs in a dream job

    Depending on what professional and life stage you are or will soon be in, your non-negotiables and ‘nice to haves’ may vary. Starting a job search requires reflection on your top priorities and deal breakers in your next opportunity. You should decide on these before speaking with a recruiter. What motivates you? What makes you tick? 

    Our study shows people who hate or feel iffy about their jobs tend to focus more on extrinsic factors — like better pay, work-life balance, and feeling appreciated for their work. On the flip side, once salary expectations are met, many people are intrinsically motivated by things like building mission-driven products and services they feel proud to have on their resumes, or opportunities to learn.

    The areas jobseekers should evaluate include (but are not limited to):

    Finances, such as preferred base salary, bonuses, equity or stock options, and total compensationBenefits and perksWork-life balanceTech stackCompany size, stage, and industryCompany cultureLocation, which would include considering if you’re comfortable with and able to commute into an office in a post-COVID world

    As you consider these areas for yourself, know that what you don’t want is equally important to what you do want. 

    Additionally, while it is important to showcase your skills and strengths, being able to identify what you are interested in learning more about will help you immensely. This is especially true in regard to your technical experience. You’ll be able to communicate those desires effectively in your online presence, cover letters, and interviews.

    Pro Tip:

    Moving forward, if you’d like to take a class on a new skill or would feel more fulfilled by spending 20% of your time on internal entrepreneurism, coach your manager on what’s important to you at this point in your career. Get in the habit of discussing your goals day to day — not just at yearly performance check-ins.

    Related: Looking to Land Your Dream Engineering Job? Stop Clicking “Apply Now”

    Empower yourself with data

    After you outline a list of your preferences, requirements, and deal breakers, you should empower and equip yourself with data and research on the role(s) you are interested in. Be sure to look into:

    Job requirementsCompensation for the title, level, and market the role is located inCompanies actively hiring, especially as they relate to your list of preferences

    Information on company size, stage, industry, location, and culture is often easily accessible online, especially on the company’s website. Thoroughly read up on this prior to even applying for open roles. 

    On the other hand, information on compensation, benefits, and perks might be a little harder to find unless you’re actively interviewing with that respective company. In these instances, it is especially important to know what you want so you can ask the right questions in your interviews. There, you’ll uncover the information to make the best decision. 

    In terms of compensation, while company-specific information may not be readily available, equip yourself with market research by using these tools:

    According to our 2022 State of Wage Inequality Report, what candidates actually expect to receive perpetuates the wage gap. This deficit is known as the expectation gap. This is consistent not only across gender but race, age, and markets too. Because their expectations are lower than their market value, tech workers are asking for less and getting paid less. 

    Know your worth 

    When you know your value, and it is backed by data, you can go into conversations about compensation and confidently ask for what you deserve in a dream job. By analyzing data from multiple resources, you can cross-reference the numbers. This gives you a good idea of an appropriate salary range based on your experience and skills.

    Don’t dilly dally — speed matters

    The longer you spend looking for a job, the less likely you are to believe dream jobs are possible. In fact, optimism drops 10% every 3 months you spend on the hunt. With tools like Hired, you can cut the length of your job search in half or more.

    Looking to hire talent seeking their dream role at your organization? Source active candidates on Hired. More

  • in

    How to Effectively Respond to Candidates’ Final Interview Questions

    The seismic shift during the last two years has turned the labor market on its head. Today, there is a near record of ~11.2 million jobs available, with almost two job openings for every unemployed American. And with the constantly shifting landscape, companies continue to face high employee turnover and difficulty acquiring quality talent to fill open roles. Sixty-nine percent of recruiters believe attracting and hiring talent will be difficult for the remainder of the year, per the latest data from Employ Inc.’s latest Quarterly Insights Report.
    To overcome this challenge, it’s key to determine whether the role aligns with the expectations and preferences of job seekers. One of the best ways to find out is during the interview process. By opening the interview floor to questions from a job candidate, you have the opportunity to better understand what is important to them and make authentic connections in a highly competitive hiring environment. In the past six months, 72% of recruiters have encountered candidates who have, at one time, received multiple offers at the same time.
    “What motivates you [Recruiter or Hiring Manager] to stay on the team at your organization?”
    Job seekers know what they are looking for in their next position and want to be satisfied with their future employment. In fact, new research shows that 32% of workers would quit a job without having another one lined up if they don’t feel content or fulfilled with their job. Answering this question truthfully will help the candidate determine whether or not your organization is a good culture fit. Especially since 21% of job seekers cited poor company culture as the top reason for leaving a job in the last 12 months. Another thing to consider is welcoming the candidate to ask that same question to others. The different perspectives of your hiring team can help the candidate really understand the organization and how it might align with their values.
    “What has the company implemented to help drive improvement in the organization?”
    While this question is broad, your answer can help your organization stand out. Tie this answer to the initiatives implemented to build your company culture or improve the well-being of employees, such as mental health benefits, strong work-life balance, and flexible work arrangements, among others. Per Employ data, poor company culture is one of the top reasons employers switch jobs. You might also pull an example from how the organization was faced with a challenge, made a change, and was ultimately able to overcome that obstacle. In addition to a strong culture, reinforcing how your team solves problems collaboratively can really help improve the candidate’s understanding of why they would want to join your team.
    “How has the organization been performing against goals this year?”
    Job seekers want to know whether an organization is setting and achieving its goals. This is especially important for roles where reaching individual goals correlates with salaries, as compensation continues to be a driving factor in today’s hiring climate. Per Employ’s latest data, 42% of recruiters found making adjustments to compensation and total rewards to be the most helpful strategy in overcoming the tight labor market. That’s why it’s crucial to leave interviewees with a clear understanding of compensation, how attainable the goals are, and whether the organization has successfully achieved them.
    “What is [Hiring Manager’s] leadership style?”
    Misalignment on leadership styles can cause significant workplace issues and future career paths. That’s why job seekers need to understand their potential manager’s leadership style and for you to know how candidates like to receive direction and feedback. Answering this question with transparency is critical. Otherwise, you risk hiring a new employee who may not mesh well with the team. Employ data found that nearly one-third of workers who left their job after 90 days claim unsatisfactory company leadership as the primary rationale for departing.
    “Do you have any concerns about recommending me for this position?”
    If you have concerns about gaps in skills or experience, take the time to explain why those are important to the position and allow them to respond. The candidate’s response to the feedback can also signal how well they handle critical feedback and if they’re willing to grow in the areas they’re lacking. Pay attention to what experiences they highlight to help reduce your potential concerns. The conversation surrounding this question could ultimately make, or break, your decision to move forward with a candidate or their decision to accept the job.
    Overcome Hiring Challenges with the Right Technology
    Before an interview even takes place, sourcing the right talent for open roles is crucial. However, our data reveals the biggest challenge for over half of recruiters is finding and hiring quality candidates, while 62% said improving quality-of-hire is their top priority. In today’s tight labor market, recruiters must adapt their tactics and processes to identify the best possible candidates, which can be accomplished by investing in intelligent talent acquisition technologies to meet hiring goals.
    When determining the best solution for the needs of your talent acquisition (TA) team, ensure the technology has extensive experience in delivering recruiting results within your specific industry and business size. Identify solutions that go beyond applicant tracking and integrate a wide range of capabilities to support your hiring goals, including recruiting AI and automation, employee referral tools, analytics, and more. With these solutions, organizations will have everything needed to identify the best candidates for every job opening and the opportunity to dig even deeper during the interview process.
    Corey Berkey serves as Senior Vice President, People & Talent, at Employ Inc. 
    Share this post: More

  • in

    Tech Candidate Spotlight – Simon Fisoye-Kings, Software Engineer in the UK

    Can you share a little bit about your educational background and what opportunities impacted your tech career?

    I studied Computer Science, which can be seen as the traditional course. I actually did not do any coding before university.

    The best thing I did in my career was participating in a year-long placement. High-quality experience on my CV before graduating made me stand out from other candidates. In addition, completing it at a top software company in SAP allowed me to use my technical knowledge in a corporate environment. The skills you learn at university are beneficial but using them in a working setting is very different.

    What would you like to learn more about?

    I want to explore cloud and machine learning further. I believe this is the biggest thing in technology currently. I’m interested in learning more about how machine learning can be used in various areas of our lives. For example, the technology around Amazon Echo and Google Dot devices is fascinating, and I would love to learn more about how they work.

    Related: How to Become a Machine Learning Engineer

    What led you to pursue a career in tech?

    I started with an interest in gaming at a young age and was curious about the technology behind the scenes. Then, I went into web and mobile applications. I was curious about how apps worked and intrigued by how easy it was to create your own. I believe the main reason for my early passion for tech was its ability for users to be creative and express themselves with it. From age 12, I remember working on a mobile application where users could view comedic images and videos in secondary school. I always enjoyed making people laugh and technology brought that to life.

    How has your skillset evolved over the course of your career?

    Over time I have become more confident and excellent in my coding ability. I started Computer Science with a general interest in technology but became more interested in the programming side.

    Do you specialise in one area?

    Yes, I specialise in back-end development. I realised I was interested in algorithms and how systems work behind the scenes, making this area the best fit for me.

    Is your new role different from previous ones?

    I left a high-profile bank for an internet publishing/insurance company. My previous role was old-fashioned, less flexible, and had little room for progression. My new role is flexible and offers a transparent route for progression.

    Related: How to Maximize your Job Offer as a Remote Engineer

    What are some of the things you’re most excited about in your new role/company?

    I’m thrilled about the opportunity to learn from a range of different people. I’m looking forward to the chance to grow and develop myself on a personal level too.

    What was your job search experience like before you joined Hired?

    It was slow-paced and challenging to navigate. There were many unknowns and it was difficult to communicate with employers. I always felt out of the loop and did not know whether I would hear back.

    What would you tell someone curious about Hired?

    I would recommend it to anyone looking for a new role. With Hired, you will feel confident speaking to companies as they approach you first.

    Related: Want More Interviews and Better Matches? 5 Key Tips!

    Any general advice you’d like to give other tech professionals?

    The best thing I would say is to know your worth. If you are confident in your abilities, don’t settle for anything less than your expectations. Remember, the employer has to impress you as well. A job is a transaction, not a favour. 

    Congrats on the job, Simon! Interested in landing a great role in the UK like Simon did? Complete your free profile on Hired today!

    About Compare The Market

    Compare The Market is a price comparison website and provides customers with an easy way to make the right choice on a wide range of products including motor, home, life and energy. Founded in 2005, Compare the Market has between 501-1000  employees and is headquartered in London.

    Tech Stack

    JavaScript, Node.js, MongoDB, AWS, C#, .NET, iOS, Android, Docker, Git, HTML, CSS, Scala, Java, Kafka, Kubernetes, Python, React, Redux, Big Data

    Benefits

    Life/disability insurance, work-from-home flexibility, volunteer time off, flexible working hours, employee discount programs, and more. More

  • in

    Engineering Manager or IC? Which Tech Career is Best for Me? (Video)

    Have you ever wondered whether to follow an Individual Contributor (IC) path or an Engineering Manager (EM)? According to the Hired State of Software Engineers report, one-third of engineers report they want to advance to become managers, while the remainder says they want to continue being ICs.

    What are the pros and cons of the Engineering Manager career path versus the Individual Contributor one? Let’s find out!

    Hired, along with our partner Exponent, recently completed a video series to explore engineering career advice. The series featured three of our talented engineers: Nico Thiebaut, Prakash Patel, and Dan Baker, discussing subjects such as:

    In this article, we recap Exponent’s conversation with Prakash Patel. Prakash is an Engineering Manager at Hired, a tech marketplace that matches talent with employers for roles around the world. He followed his passion for data engineering and solving complex data problems, spending two years as an Individual Contributor and one year as an Engineering Manager. 

    Although Engineering Managers currently command the highest salaries across all technology roles on Hired’s platform conventional wisdom says, 

    You should not become an Engineering Manager if you… 

    Want dedicated time to work on specific projects or hone in on programming skills Are uncomfortable managing team dynamics  Prefer to own your own code   Want to quickly build new technical skills Would rather your success be measured by your individual contributions.

    Here’s a quick summary of the conversation between Prakash Patel and Lucas from Exponent. To watch or listen to the full interview, scroll down to the bottom of the article.

    Engineering Managers often don’t get dedicated time to work on a specific project or hone their programming skills. What is your experience with the flip side of this: being focused on supporting your team and making them successful?

    Based on my time as an IC, I understand the pain points and problems my team faces and will face since I have already experienced it. Engineering Managers are responsible for the smooth execution of projects while minimizing the concerns that arise. 

    There are different phases of projects but every phase has a challenge. As an Engineering Manager, I support my team to succeed while minimizing all those concerns. I enjoy focusing on the vision of the company and blending it with the personal and professional growth of ICs.

    As an Engineering Manager, you’re working with an entire team’s dynamics, meaning you need to resolve conflicts when they arise. What do you think the upside is to managing the dynamics of a team?

    Conflicts are inevitable and as an EM, the more you handle them the better you’ll get. One upside is you help all Individual Contributors on the team succeed. Another upside is eventually you get better at saying no.

    There will be so many things to control as an EM. By managing these dynamics, I see I am helpIng my engineers wholly – both in their technical competence and project management abilities. 

    As an Individual Contributor, your code contributed to the codebase and you could point to what you owned. In your role as a manager, how does your involvement with the codebase change, and how does this impact your team’s work?

    Well, as an EM I don’t get a lot of opportunities to actively maintain the codebase but I do participate in the code reviews. I can always suggest ways to improve the tech stack and that’s where I help my team adjust the roadmap. WhIle I am not maintaining the codebase, I am motivating my team to participate in constructive code-based reviews to help make them better engineers. 

    Insight from Exponent 

    Your experience as an Individual Contributor helps here as you’ve developed the technical know-how and understand how to grow from progress from a junior to senior engineer in terms of coding ability.

    Related: Curious about tech salary trends? Check out the data in this review.

    As an EM, you’ll develop tech skills more slowly. You’ll be focused more on macro than learning new languages or libraries. What kind of skills do you build as an Engineering Manager?

    As an EM I developed a “think big” and “make it happen” attitude. On top of that, I learned to give constructive feedback and how to negotiate.

    When you’re an Engineering Manager, your team’s success determines your success. It can take longer to ship products and code. How is success measured as an EM, and what do you find fulfilling about it?

    My success is measured by the performance of my team and my individual reports. My goal is to develop technical excellence across the company as an EM. I enjoy driving project execution but I make sure my individual reports receive exciting, diverse responsibilities in a way that infuses the company’s culture with our team. 

    If you’re not sure whether to pursue an IC path or transition into an EM, here’s my advice: if you’re even a little interested in becoming an EM, talk about it with your manager. Ask them to provide more responsibilities that will help you become an EM. 

    From there, you can evaluate whether you enjoy the work and if that role feels like the right fit. If so, request more tasks. If you progress, you can eventually transition into an Engineering Manager role.

    Ultimately, the two paths are very different experiences so it’s all about what you enjoy. 

    How to use Hired to find Engineering Management roles

    Hired is completely free for jobseekers and it takes just minutes to create a profile. Once you upload your information, you’ll get interview requests from companies seeking talented candidates like you! Learn more about creating your Hired profile. 

    Already have a profile on Hired? Here are 5 Key Tips to Get Better Matches & More Interviews.

    Should you switch to an Engineering Manager role internally or seek out an EM role when looking for a new job?

    Transitioning within a company is a better and easier decision, especially since you are already familiar with your team. On the other hand, if you are an Individual Contributor seeking a job as an EM at a different company and you do not have that proven experience, it’s harder to make the jump.

    Eager to pursue a role as an Individual Contributor or Engineering Manager? Learn how Hired works for jobseekers!

    Click below to watch the full interview: 

    [embedded content] More

  • in

    5 Automation Habits of Highly Effective Recruiting Teams 

    In a talent-short market, having a consistently engaged talent pool sets recruitment firms apart from their competitors. Thankfully, cutting-edge automation tools are helping recruiters to engage, nurture, and, ultimately, place top-level talent into new roles at the pace and scale demanded by their clients. In fact, according to Bullhorn’s aggregated data, agencies that use automation have a 64% higher fill rate and submit 33% more candidates per recruiter than those completing tasks manually. How are firms making the most of automation to see these incredible results?
    Here are five habits of Bullhorn customers who leverage automation to create an engaged talent community that is excited to work with them in the short and long term.
    1. Engage regularly with talent
    According to our recent survey of 2,000 candidates, the number one reason talent becomes frustrated with recruiters is poor communication. Automation enables recruiters to manage communications more effectively and to keep candidates informed at every stage of the process.
    Many firms already use automated emails, surveys, and text messaging in the recruitment process. However, recruiters need a tightly integrated tech stack to guarantee that they’re able to gather handy information across every channel, as this is essential for personalization and for generating reliable talent insights.
    Recruiters can send occasional feedback requests through automated messages to new hires, those nearing the end of their contracts, or people that have been in a job for a while. These timely interactions will ensure recruiters stay top of mind and will pay dividends once candidates start looking for new jobs – without the burden of conducting manual ‘busywork’.
    Furthermore, AI-based automation can significantly improve the matching process by intelligently recommending candidates for jobs and jobs for candidates. This is particularly useful for temp or contingent workers, whom recruiters can quickly redeploy into newly available positions as soon as their contracts end.
    It’s also important to note that most recruitment firms have numerous candidates in their databases with whom they don’t engage regularly. Using AI, you can stay in touch with them over time and give them content by suggesting jobs, articles, and tips. It’s also a way to notify them that you want to keep their personal data in your database. However, under GDPR, you need to delete their data if they request it since candidates have the “right to be forgotten”.
    2. Improve data health
    Recruitment teams will always have to collect, store, and analyze data in order to succeed – and it’s something to avoid doing manually, especially on a large scale, as siloed, error-filled data can create just as many problems as unified, clean data can solve.
    With the right automation, recruiters can streamline data management and compliance tasks. These include anonymizing candidate records and updating job, company, and contract status for all the records within the applicant tracking system (ATS).
    Declutter your ATS by using automation to identify outdated records, people with no contact information, or records without activity to speed up searches. To make sure you are GDPR-compliant, your ATS must have all its processing activities governed by a contract under EU legislation.
    Don’t forget that internal reminders are an integral part of data collection – remind recruitment teams to send an early message to new contract starters to get feedback on their well-being and work conditions. Unlike traditional recruitment methods, automation simplifies mass communication with candidates.
    3. Stay organized
    Automating simple tasks within the ATS like notes and alerts gives recruiters back valuable time to spend on building candidate and client relationships. With so many candidates competing for so many vacancies, this solution is invaluable for staying organized.
    It also helps recruiters to set interview reminders and let applicants know whether they’ve been accepted or rejected. Importantly, if a candidate has been offered a position and it falls through for whatever reason, you can contact other suitable job seekers and fill the job quickly if your database is up to date.
    4. Streamline onboarding
    The ability to automate paperwork eases the process of onboarding talent. This is especially relevant for recruitment firms working across different locations and industries, where there might be different laws on taxes and compliance. Companies also have different policies on harassment, pay, benefits, company culture, and other aspects they want extra documentation on.
    A well-defined, automated onboarding system tailors processes to different types of hires and mitigates hiring risks. Back-office mistakes not only distract from an employee’s productivity, but mistakes like worker misclassification also carry the potential risk of fines and penalties.
    5. Scale up marketing
    Automating marketing campaigns to candidates and clients across channels like web, mobile, email, and social media is extremely helpful. Equally helpful is the ability to automatically personalize your content to better communicate with specific groups and ensure everyone receives relevant and interesting offers.
    Determine the segmentations you want to use in your marketing workflows and create lists. This will help to target specific contacts with relevant content. The workflow doesn’t just engage prospects initially but is critical to establishing a sustained interaction with them. As a result, you can expect better engagement scores (and closing ratios) from clients or candidates who are actively being nurtured, instead of those who aren’t.
    Nurturing sales prospects with valuable content enables a recruitment agency’s sales team to focus on engaged leads while automatically engaging with not-ready-to-buy prospects. Some of the metrics to track include engagement score (points are added to prospective candidates’ profiles on the database each time they engage with content), pipeline revenue (income generated through lead conversions), and new lead close rate (the percentage of leads that turn into conversions).
    By Jason Heilman, Senior Vice President, Automation, AI, and Talent Experience, Bullhorn.
    Share this post: More

  • in

    What Does Your Tech Salary Look Like? A Review of Salary Trends

    When thinking about how your tech salary stacks up in this current hiring environment you’d consider factors like your job title, years of experience, and company size. 

    In this article we dive into these characteristics in relation to tech salaries based on data from Hired’s 2022 State of Tech Salaries. 

    Related: Should I Stay or Should I Go? Workers Explore Relocation to Improve Quality of Life, Pay

    So, What Do You Do?

    If you’re an Engineering Manager, you are paid more than other tech roles across the US, UK, and Canada. The US pays the highest for this role with an average of $196,000 (remote salaries reach $198,000!).

    The runner up for highest salaries in 2022 is US Software Engineers with average salaries of $160,469. US Product Managers take third place with average salaries of $157,602.

    For those who are not in Engineering roles (Design, Data Analytics, and Quality Assurance), the good news is these positions saw the highest salary increases from 2021 to 2022.

    In 2022, salaries for:

    Design roles in the US increased by about 8% to an average salary of $153,005 USD. The same roles in Canada increased nearly 20% to $121,773 CAD.Quality Assurance (QA) roles in the UK rose almost 10% to £68,215 GBP.Data Analytics remote salaries in the US increased about 8% to $142,565 USD.

    How Long Have You Been On the Job? 

    Years of experience will certainly sway your pay. Generally, working in tech longer correlates with a higher salary.

    It may not be surprising that those with more than 2 years of experience saw major salary growth in the US and Canada. 

    Mid-level (4-6 years of experience) US candidates, in particular, had the greatest salary jump – a $8,000 increase from 2021 to 2022. 

    Again, excluding very junior level roles (0-2 years of experience), remote salaries across all experience levels also saw increased growth between this year and last at $7-8,000 USD.

    Junior candidate salaries (1-2 years of experience) remained steady with little changes compared to 2021 in the US. However, they increased in the UK and for remote roles but decreased in Canada. We might attribute the salary decline to the increase of junior level  jobseekers on the platform.

    How Big Is Your Company? 

    It’s easy to assume the largest companies are associated with the highest salaries. 

    Contrary to popular belief, our data this year found that mid-market sized companies (300-1,000 employees) offer the highest average salaries in the US ($163,623) and UK (£85,312). That means they are passing up SMB (75-300), eSMB (0-75), and even the enterprise ENT (1000+) sized companies.

    However, in Canada enterprise-sized companies did pay the highest salaries. While this conforms to that conventional notion, note the pay was only slightly higher.

    How Does Your Salary Compare? 

    Use Hired’s Salary Calculator to see how companies value your experience. The calculator determines salary benchmarks based on real interview requests to help jobseekers like you know your worth. 

    Say you’re a Software Engineer with 5 years of experience. You’re based in Boston and skilled at Java. Here’s what the output would look like: 

    Give the calculator a try and see what you could be making with a company on Hired!

    We’ve reviewed some common parameters that contribute to how tech earnings might look. Framing what you earn around these trends may lend some insight into how your salary compares in this current hiring environment. 

    There are a lot more factors to explore including location, benefits, and being remote versus local. Check out the new State of Tech Salaries Report for all of the insights into tech salary trends and some more resources to help you navigate the market.  More

  • in

    Should I Stay or Should I Go? Workers Explore Relocation to Improve Quality of Life, Pay

    Despite tech salary increases this year, many employees feel their pay does not reflect increased costs of living. According to Hired’s 2022 State of Tech Salaries report, 42.3% of remote respondents and 29.1% of local respondents surveyed feel their salaries have not matched the pace of rising inflation and living costs. Many have explored relocation already. So, if you’re a tech professional, should you stay or should you go?

    How Far Does Your Salary Take You?

    Let’s say you’re a software engineer living in the San Francisco Bay Area and earning an average tech salary of $176,000. Seems solid, right? Then you take into account the cost of living (COL) there and things take a turn.  

    Note: “Average tech salary” includes multiple roles on the Hired platform, including software engineers, engineering managers, devops, designers, analysts, and more.

    After adjusting average salaries on the Cost of Living Index, we find earning that same salary in San Francisco is equal to making $223,729 in Atlanta. Relocation becomes an attractive option when it is clear earning power is different across markets. If you move to Atlanta, it’s like getting a $47,729 raise! 

    Perhaps you’ll consider Texas, where there are the second and third highest average salary markets in 2022, after adjustment for COL. Your San Francisco salary is the equivalent of making $216,000 in Austin and $211,000 in Dallas. 

    In contrast, if you consider relocating from the West Coast to the East Coast in a big move to New York, your San Francisco salary won’t take you as far. New York City had the highest COL in US markets. This means your San Francisco salary would be the same as earning $153K in the Big Apple – or over $23,000 less. 

    Should You Consider Relocation?

    So, will you stay or will you go? 

    If you’re considering settling in a traditional tech hub like New York or San Francisco, know your earning power will go farther in smaller, second tier cities. 

    Thanks to remote work, tech jobseekers are increasingly based in lower cost of living cities, such as Denver, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, and Atlanta. Jobseekers from these cities rose by almost 8% from 2020 to 2022. Conversely, tech jobseekers in higher cost of living cities, such as New York, San Francisco, and Boston declined. This points to an exodus from major tech hubs. 

    Tech workers are increasingly distributed across the country thanks to remote work. A recent study from Brookings Institute found tech “superstars” like Seattle and San Francisco metropolises are seeing slower employment growth compared to “rising stars” like Atlanta and Dallas. As for “the rest,” or the other 83 metro locations studied, these areas saw tech employment grow faster in 2020 throughout the pandemic. 

    Inflation Grows No Matter Where You Relocate

    In addition to the cost of living, many feel their salaries fall behind with inflation too. 64.5% of remote employees and 82% of local employees surveyed feel their salary is not in line with inflation. 

    Since the pandemic dramatically increased the ability to work from home (or anywhere) tech workers moved away from higher cost of living areas. In some cases it was practical. There was no longer a need to live in a higher cost of living area or they wanted a larger home to accommodate sometimes multiple home office spaces. Others moved to be closer to family, or simply because they were free to live in places they’d always wanted to. 

    It’s little surprise then, that most candidates still prefer pay based on their role. Only 20.2% strongly agree that pay should be determined by location or local cost of living. 

    Between growing costs of living and higher inflation rates, tech professionals may want to explore relocation. Shedding light on how far salaries can take you across locations does offer some guidance in knowing whether you should stay or go.   More