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      5 Ways Recruiting Leaders Can Help their Teams Beat WFH Fatigue

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      For the majority of the UK workforce, December now marks almost eight months of continuously working from home, for thousands of us this has been a shock to the system and a real shift from the norm.
      The balance between a healthy home and work life, for some, may have been blurred and now Google trends data suggests searches for ‘burnout’ peaking as the UK entered a second national lockdown earlier in November and with no respite to the working from home guidance as of yet, this trend is likely to increase.
      So with more people now experiencing a form of ‘work from home fatigue’, Sam Hill, Head of People and Culture at BizSpace shares tips on how business leaders can help to combat this unique form of burnout.
      1. COMMUNICATION IS KEY TO MAINTAINING A CULTURE
      Communication is a vital part of this strategy – with every element of running a business or managing a team, communication is the key to success in morale and for recruiters, a pivotal part in the day-to-day job. Many office workers across the country may be living alone, in shared accommodation, or having to juggle the added pressures of being at home more often, like childcare for example.
      All of this can lead to feeling a sense of isolation from the team and the company, something that can come as a shock to the system. Especially when concerned with the recruitment industry, where camaraderie and an office environment where feeling a sense of striving for targets is instilled and allows employees to excel. While many won’t have a choice but to be working from home, team leaders could encourage the use of instant messaging like Slack and Google Chat. While daily huddles and weekly catch-ups with a line manager/mentor using a mixture of video and voice calls help to keep updated and on top of targets, with managers offering a steer and guidance. Keeping this constant open door to communication can replicate that feeling of being in the office where teams can so easily communicate and celebrate wins.
      2. TRUST YOUR TEAM AND PROVE IT THROUGH YOUR ACTIONS
      Recruiters can work sporadic hours day-to-day but with working hours now no longer ‘normal’, this can lead to many feeling like they need to prove they’re doing the work, leading to overworking and in turn, burnout. Thousands of us are defined by the 9-5, taking lunch at the same time each day and having a physical presence in front of colleagues to prove we are actually working. At home, we don’t have this way of ‘proving’ ourselves.
      So team leads must show that they trust their team, they can do this by being flexible and less formal, where meetings are required, keeping these streamlined and avoiding typical lunch hours or times early in the morning where some may be taking advantage of the new hours. Setting attainable and broad deadlines with a lot of notice will allow flexibility and give enough time to be met.
      3. DEFINING THE PURPOSE FOR EVERY TEAM MEMBER
      Despite many recruiters and talent acquisition specialists having a clearly defined goal and working towards a commission-based salary, the peculiar times we’re living in can still see many questioning their purpose. It is vital that every member of the team is aware of what they’re doing and why they’re doing it, aside from simply logging the hours and getting through the day. Senior management, team leaders, and line managers must be communicating this from the top down through the likes of company-wide communication, keeping teams updated on business progress, any wins, challenges, and opportunities.
      This communication then needs to filter down through the hierarchy with each level of the team being aware of how their work contributes to the overall goal of the company. No role in a team is obsolete and everyone contributes to the success of the overall goal and defining this purpose, more now than ever before, is vital to give your team a sense of purpose and being.
      4. BE CLEAR ON THE PRIORITIES
      When delegating work, be absolutely clear of the deadlines and what the top priorities are. For the more inexperienced members of the team, being in the office has a monumental impact on their progression and will allow them to pick up skills and lean on peers for guidance. As a team leader or manager, making workload priorities explicit from the offset and checking in once a week on progress can help to guide the workload without micromanaging and guide those that may need more of a steer.
      5. ENCOURAGE MOVEMENT AND GET EVERYONE INVOLVED
      Taking a break from the dining room table or home office is key to keeping a clear and focussed mind throughout the day. Workers are likely to be spending more time at their screens with no need to leave the house, whereas heading out to get lunch is the norm when in an office setting. With longer nights, we must get the most out of the short amount of daylight we have. But how do you ensure your team is not neglecting their own need for fresh air and daylight?
      Using instant messaging, a social chat can be an escape for many employees to talk about everything that isn’t work. Encouraging a weekly thread where the team can share photos of their week and something they have done might be a nice way to encourage people to do more other than stay in the house. Apps like Strava that track exercise can also be a great team-building activity that encourages movement. Creating a leaderboard for the number of miles each person logs in exercise outside should encourage competition amongst the team. It doesn’t have to be strenuous exercise either, so whether they’re walking or in a wheelchair, riding or running, it encourages the team to get outside and spend time away from the screen.
      Sam Hill has been with BizSpace since 2017 and is the Head of People and Culture. She has over 10 years’ experience in HR roles and previously worked at The Football Association, Produban (a part of Santander), and Ascential PLC. Sam is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

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      Seven Tips to Measure If Your Talent Acquisition is Working

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      Attracting the best people into a business is one of the biggest challenges facing many companies, however, while most employers understand the need for an effective talent acquisition process to attract and hire the right people, many haven’t developed a way for evaluating its effectiveness.
      If companies fail to measure the success of their recruitment strategy, they will waste time and money recruiting people with the wrong skills and attitudes, but not understand why.
      As we move through the COVID-19 pandemic it is going to be essential to have the right people in roles to ensure the business can recover quickly.
      According to Gartner one of the top three priorities for HR leaders in 2021 is to build critical skills and competencies. Other data from Gartner TalentNeuron™ shows that the total number of skills required for a single job is increasing by 10% year over year, and one-third of the skills present in an average 2017 job posting won’t be needed by 2021.
      Here are seven metrics, which can give businesses deep insight into the performance and impact of their talent acquisition process:
      1. Time to hire
      This is the number of days between the start of the recruitment process and the moment a candidate gets hired. Most talented people are off the market in 10 days, so having a shorter process gives companies a better chance at attracting and hiring top talent.
      To optimize the time to hire, companies need to break down the hiring process and measure how much time it took to move candidates from one stage to another.
      2. Cost per Hire
      Companies need to understand the money they are spending to make a new hire including all costs related to recruitment, such as the purchase of equipment, onboarding, administration, and benefits. It can vary enormously depending on the company’s size, the seniority of the position, and the number of recruitment channels used.
      There are many strategies companies can use to reduce their cost per hire and optimize the recruitment process such as building a talent pipeline; allowing employee referrals; using social media to create a strong employer brand, and using an ATS to streamline and expedite the recruitment process.
      3. Qualified Candidates per Opening
      A “qualified candidate” is anyone who passes the application screening process and moves to the next stage of the recruitment process. This metric is more meaningful than the number of applicants, as it shows recruiters how good the candidates they are attracting are. This is an important metric because if a company is attracting unsuitable candidates, they will not fill a position but can set new strategies to attract better candidates.
      4. Sourcing
      This refers to the performance of the channels, job boards, or social media platforms where jobs are advertised. Companies need to understand which channels work best. To calculate this, candidates need to be tagged according to the acquisition source when they submit their application or to where the recruiter found the profile (LinkedIn, Employee referral, Internal, Facebook, Indeed, etc). Understanding the most effective source of talent ensures the best ROI on time and investment spent on recruiting.
      5. Quality of Hire
      Quality of hire is at the top of the list of useful performance KPIs for most companies, as it measures the value new hires bring to a company. Hiring quality employees means less turnover, more productivity, better culture, and greater overall success for the company.
      As quality is quite hard to evaluate, some quantifiable recruitment metrics can be used, such as new hire performance metrics such as sales targets or achieving good customer satisfaction ratings, turnover and retention metrics, hiring manager satisfaction ratings, or the percentage of new hires promoted within a certain time frame.
      Improving the quality of hire requires alignment with leadership to define the factors that make a quality hire and to set the strategies that will help hire the right people.
      6. Offer-Acceptance Rate
      The percentage of job offers accepted is a good indicator of how well the hiring practices are working. Although candidates can decline a job offer due to external reasons (counteroffer from a current employer, etc.), they can also refuse the company’s offer due to reasons related to the company culture, unattractive compensation, or job duties mismatch which could have been detected and managed by the recruitment team. It can be useful to send out a survey to candidates about their specific reasons behind their refusal.
      7. Satisfaction Rate
      Although this metric often gets ignored, satisfaction ratings allow companies to understand how candidates are experiencing the hiring process. To measure it, companies can survey candidates and new recruits. It is essential to understand what may be causing high numbers of interview cancellations, no shows, or high turnover rates in new hires.
      Build a survey that is easy and quick to answer, focusing only on key satisfaction aspects regarding the recruitment process, to get more answers. Also, do not forget to protect the candidates’ privacy.
      To Conclude
      Evaluating a talent acquisition strategy with a data-driven approach will give companies a more holistic view of how talent acquisition is impacting the business strategy and how they can improve it so that they can consistently attract and hire the best talent.
      By Nicolas Speeckaert, co-founder and director of skeeled. 

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      Why the Recruiting Industry May Never Be the Same

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      2020 has presented recruiters and job seekers with unimaginable circumstances and significant societal challenges, leading to the transition of key processes toward more virtual recruiting. As a result, this shift has created a profound change in industry concerns, challenges, and investments of recruiters, with many believing that recruiting may never be the same.
      These industry concerns were recently revealed in a new survey by Jobvite, which includes responses from more than 800 recruiters and HR professionals from hundreds of companies. It provides an in-depth look at the state of recruiting today and the challenges and opportunities facing recruiters as they continue to navigate the ongoing pandemic.
      Many professionals surveyed believe that these shifts brought forth this year – from investments and priorities to virtual interviewing and onboarding methods – are here to stay, and need to be considered by talent acquisition teams as they begin planning for the new year.
      Industry challenges, priorities, and investments
      Since the onset of the pandemic, stress levels at work have increased for the majority of recruiters, with one in five reporting a drastic increase in stress, according to Jobvite’s 2020 Recruiter Nation Survey. The impact of COVID-19 has also led to diminished headcount and hiring for about one-third of organizations, adding to the stress level.
      Beyond that, recruiting priorities have also changed, with growing the talent pipeline and improving time-to-hire fading and quality of hires growing in importance. Seventy-one percent of recruiters also revealed their recruiting priorities for the next 12 months are different from those they had in the past year.
      Regarding investments, nearly 80% of recruiters said social media is the area most likely to see increased financial investments in the next 12 months. No surprise, since social media has risen over the last three years for recruiting purposes. Untraditional social media channels such as TikTok and Snapchat have also been added to the recruiting mix, presumably for roles that might appeal to younger candidates.
      All in all, these industry insights are valuable and help recruiters understand that conditions are changing, so the strategy should too. Recruiters need to start outlining areas of priorities and financial investments for the upcoming year, so they can confidently navigate this new reality, gain job seekers’ attention, and hire highly-skilled talent the right way.
      Interviews will never be remotely the same
      Three-quarters of surveyed recruiters still believe in-person interviews are the most effective interview mode. However, recruiters have had to adapt with social distancing being enforced across the globe, especially as COVID-19 cases begin to see an uptick in many areas. Currently, the majority of recruiters conduct 50% or more of their interviews via video, and 40% believe virtual interviews will be the default moving forward.
      To some recruiters, video conferencing may seem more casual, but they should always be prepared and trained to properly conduct a professional video interview to ensure a positive candidate experience – the same as if it was conducted in-person.
      Any interview via video should be organized and well-planned, with a quiet space and professional appearance. The 2020 Recruiter Nation Survey also revealed that the biggest video interview mistakes made by candidates are poor connectivity, inappropriate attire, and poor eye contact, so recruiters should not develop the same negative habits.
      Diversity and inclusion initiatives gaining in importance
      With this year prompting many Americans to reflect on what is important to them and what their values are, it is fitting that those beliefs and priorities are being brought into the job search. One major shift is the increased importance of an organizations’ diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives, as one-third of recruiters reported that job seekers are inquiring about these initiatives more than they did last year.
      Companies are embracing this by placing a higher emphasis on developing D&I strategies, with it being listed as a top recruiting priority, according to the report. This is primarily in respect to race/ethnicity and gender, but also as it relates to age, veteran status, and other factors.
      While this shows the value for talent acquisition teams to have D&I initiatives in place, it’s important to remember that accomplishing these goals is a journey, not a destination. It requires people, process, and technology to work together to mitigate conscious and unconscious bias where possible, create opportunities for underrepresented communities, and build strong teams based on talent wherever it is found.
      To start or continue this journey, talent teams should work to revisit their existing strategies and implement technology and services where necessary, that are designed to attract and engage more diverse job seekers. Organizations are being held to higher standards for how they source, recruit, hire, and employ with increased diversity, so recruiters should use technology to reduce unconscious bias during the candidate resume review process. They should also track and measure progress within their D&I recruitment marketing initiatives.
      Looking forward to 2021
      Every year comes a new set of challenges for recruiters. While the recruiting industry reacted to dramatic changes in markets brought on by a worldwide crisis, it’s evident that these shifts will only continue to accelerate and represent the current reality of the industry. By following these best practices and making a concise effort to be nimble in the new year, talent acquisition teams will be able to further adapt to future complexities with ease and meet candidates where they are.
      Jeffrey K. Rohrs is the Chief Marketing Officer of Jobvite, the leading end-to-end talent acquisition suite provider. With more than 15 years of SaaS marketing experience, Jeffrey previously served as CMO of Yext during a period of rapid growth and a successful initial public offering in 2017. He also served as VP of Marketing Insights for Salesforce and VP of Marketing at ExactTarget during their IPO and acquisition by Salesforce in 2013.

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      Why you should seek accurate salary data to land the salary you deserve

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      Discussing salary or going into a salary negotiation conversation can be nerve wrecking for many reasons — and you’re not alone. Some may feel like they lack enough (of the right) data to discuss numbers, while others might not feel confident in the actual words to use when approaching a salary conversation to appear fair while achieving a salary they deserve. Both instances can cause unnecessary anxiety for job seekers, and can prove especially difficult for candidates of underrepresented communities, even though it continues to be the top motivator for tech candidates to look for and accept a new role.
      Leveraging salary data can help empower job seekers to not only ask for the compensation they deserve, but also expect it. In our webinar, “Staying Empowered With Data: Knowing & Asking For The Compensation You Deserve,” I had the opportunity to discuss with our guest speaker, Virgginnia Buccioni-Hillman — an experienced D&I recruiter, HR professional, and DE&I Program Manager at Tile — about why it is important to seek pay equity, how to uncover accurate data sources, and approach salary discussions.
      Empower yourself with accurate salary data
      With a wide variety of resources available online, job seekers must be keen to know where their salary data is coming from. Salary information can be presented as base salary or total compensation, which may include equity, stock options, and bonuses. In addition, salary data can be characterized as employer-reported or self-reported data, the difference being that self-reported data cannot be confirmed by employers. While both types of data sources can be helpful for research purposes, this is what can confuse job seekers and make salary discussions more intimidating and possibly misleading.
      For technical candidates, there are various factors that should be considered when researching salary data and defining a target salary range, including the career field and role you are in or interviewing for, your current city, the location of the prospective role (if it differs from where you live), your core skill-set, and your years of experience (i.e. overall, within a role, coding in a particular language/framework). In her recruiting experience, Buccioni-Hillman shares that this is how different salary bands are developed and how candidates are evaluated for starting salary within the interview funnel.
      Using your research to discuss salary
      On Hired, we encourage a type of salary discussion at the first introduction between a candidate and recruiter to establish a preferred base salary on both ends. While this is not set in stone until a final offer is extended, it elicits a conversation around this early on to ensure there are no surprises or time wasted for both parties. It can also be common for salary discussions to happen as the process approaches an onsite interview.
      Job seekers should invest themselves into the role and team you are interviewing with and lean into these conversations. When asked what your target compensation range is, you can lean on the data you’ve gathered and share your preferred base salary range based on the market research you’ve done. Likewise, Buccioni-Hillman encourages candidates to feel comfortable asking what the base salary range is for the role and level you are interviewing for. By having an open dialogue early on with the recruiter and hiring manager, it can be an ongoing conversation as you proceed through the interview process.
      After doing research into salary data, it is also important to take stock of what is most important to you in a total compensation package, including stock, equity, bonuses, and benefits. Especially in a remote world, examples can include additional vacation time, flexible work schedules, professional development budgets, technology allowances or incorporating a compensation adjustment with a performance review after 6 months and other perks. In an instance of negotiating salary, candidates might shy away from countering to not appear greedy or ungrateful for the opportunity. Companies won’t retract their offer because you would like to negotiate — if anything, they expect you too so don’t be shy. 
      Displaying confidence in your pitch
      If a company has extended a job offer, they believe that you would be a great addition to the team. Displaying gratitude and humility for the opportunity is great but Buccioni-Hillman challenges job seekers to strike a balance between that and ensuring that you aren’t leaving money on the table. Buccioni-Hillman shares that candidates should remember to do the following in salary discussions or negotiations:
      Display confidence in your ability to perform the job successfully
      Focus on the value you can bring to the role and team
      Reiterate your commitment and motivations
      Confidence starts within yourself. When you know your worth, it isn’t boastful to ask for what you are valued. Buccioni-Hillman explains how, while there are systems that may work in favor of some more than others, it shouldn’t stop people from believing in themselves. Gaining visibility and a seat at the table starts with asking for help, gaining mentors, and surrounding yourself with like-minded people that you aspire to be like. While it might feel like it, success doesn’t have to be a lonely road. You can go much further in community with others.
      Additional Resources:
      If you are looking for employer-reported resources and tools to seek accurate salary data, we recommend the following:
      Hired’s Salary Calculator: Discover tech role salaries for specific markets, roles, and years of experience based on real offers extended to candidates by companies on Hired.
      Hired’s 2020 State of Salaries Report: Understand tech role salaries and compensation trends by market, over time, and across different demographic groups, especially in the rapidly changing world we live in today.
      SalaryList: Online tool with real salary data collected from government and companies – annual starting salaries, average salaries, payscale by company, job title, and city. More

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      What Student Job Seekers Really Want from Recruitment Post COVID-19

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      A new report reveals how marketing and recruitment processes should be organized to ensure your business is attractive to student job seekers. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the class of 2020 are facing unprecedented challenges when it comes to trying to secure their place on the career ladder. Debut and the Institute of Student Employers (ISE) came together to survey 2,000 students about what they wanted to find from employers, their attitudes to COVID-19, and how they feel about their career prospects.
      One of the stand-out findings from the report shows that despite the pandemic and all of its challenges, 94% of students are excited to start work, with 42% still confident they will find their dream job upon completion of education.
      A rapidly changing world has led to rapidly changing career paths
      Before the pandemic hit, most students had a solid idea of how they would like their careers to go, including the paths they were going to take to get there. Now, 6 months on from the start of the pandemic, 57% of students say they are changing their ideas around their careers in light of the new challenges. Students are still determined to make the most of the opportunities presented to them though, with 74% still strongly focused on their career path, even if it’s not in the direction they originally thought it would take.
      Fair treatment is the most important factor when choosing a job
      For 98% of young job seekers and students surveyed, receiving fair treatment in the workplace was the most important factor when choosing a job or employer to work for. Being fair to your employees and mindful of the struggles they have faced in this over-competitive job market will go a long way to help them feel valued.
      Many have also stated how they would like to work for an organization that would allow them to ‘have it all’. Simply put they would like to work for an organization that provides a clear career path, work/life balance, interesting work, decent pay, and a strong stance on ethical standards while working alongside like-minded people.
      Communication and the recruitment process
      Students and young job seekers prefer formal methods of communication such as email and LinkedIn to be used when talking to prospective employers about their employment choices, with 95% and 90% respectively, in agreement with these channels. Some students said they would be comfortable with employers communicating with them through blogs (37%), Instagram (36%), Twitter (33%), or Facebook (28%) however most are skeptical about this approach as they feel it encroaches on their more personal platforms. Make sure you’re approachable yet professional in your communication methods with prospective employees, as the wrong type of method could turn them away from your organization.
      During the recruitment process itself, 91% of respondents said they preferred a face-to-face approach, but with the limitations on face-to-face interactions the pandemic has set on people, there is a greater emphasis on calls and video interviews. Luckily 86% said they were comfortable with an online approach where it was necessary, but the main concern was that a third of students don’t trust employers to actually treat them fairly during the recruitment process. We’re all going through a difficult time right now and it’s worth remembering that these students are potentially facing challenges no other generation has done before them, so empathy could go a long way during your recruitment process.
      Job seekers are hungry for information
      When communicating with potential employees, make sure you are providing them with as much information as possible about how to succeed in the recruitment process and what information you’re looking for in applications. Remember, when someone is looking for a job they aren’t just selling themselves to you, you’ve got to sell yourself to them too to make them want to work for you. Providing information on your company’s culture, including testimonials from current employees, career prospects, training, and social opportunities are key things to communicate during the recruitment process.
      Now more than ever though, students and job seekers are interested in what an organization is doing for charities and community work. They are looking for opportunities to get involved in volunteering as part of the positions they are applying for, to help the initiatives throughout the company.
      Excitement and enthusiasm are high despite the challenges
      Overall, despite everything that 2020 has thrown at them, 94% of students are excited to get started in the world of work, with 93% even willing to start remotely if they need to. There seems to be a great understanding amongst students that they need to be flexible and adaptable in the current climate, even if that means starting off their careers at home, getting involved in online inductions, and remote working for now if needed.
      The main worry seems to be focused on finding the opportunities available to them rather than making the most of the opportunities that are presented to them.
      Michele Trusolino is co-founder and chief operating officer of Debut, the student careers app that is revolutionizing the recruitment sector.

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      Knowing What You Want So You Can Find a Job You Love

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      Searching for a new job can feel like a daunting task, especially if you weren’t expecting to or have been out of the market for a long time. Before navigating interviews, you may be creating a mental list of things to do including updating your resume, LinkedIn profile, and to start looking at what opportunities are out there. In our recently published ebook, From Layoff to Lift Off: A Comprehensive Guide to Bounce Back in Your Career, we share that the first, and most important, step to start with in your job search is to look within and take stock of what is most important to you in your next opportunity.
      Wants & needs
      Between what profession and life stage you are or will soon be in, your non-negotiables and ‘nice to haves’ can vary from person to person. Starting a job search calls on self-reflection into your top priorities and deal breakers in your next opportunity, which should take place before speaking with a recruiter. The areas that job seekers can begin evaluating include (but are not limited to):
      Finances, such as preferred base salary, bonuses, equity or stock options, and total compensation
      Benefits and perks
      Work-life balance
      Tech stack
      Company size, stage, and industry
      Company culture
      Location, 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, understanding what you don’t want is equally important as what you do. Additionally, while it is important to showcase your skills and strengths, being able to identify what you are interested in learning more or growing in, especially with regard to your technical experience, will help you immensely to be able to communicate those desires effectively in your online presence, cover letters, and interviews.
      Empower yourself with data
      Once you have outlined a list of your preferences, requirements, and deal breakers, as a job seeker one of the best things you can do is to empower and equip yourself with data and research into the role(s) you are interested in. You look into the job requirements for the role(s) you’re interested in, compensation offered for the title, level, and market that role is located in, and into the hiring companies, especially as it relates to your list of preferences.
      Information on company size, stage, industry, location, and culture are often easily accessible online, especially on the company’s website, prior to you even applying for open roles. On the other hand, information on compensation, benefits, and perks offered 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 to uncover that information to make the best decision for you. In terms of compensation, while company-specific information may not be readily available, you can equip yourself with market research by using tools such as:
      According to our 2020 State of Wage Inequality Report, the wage gap that exists today is perpetuated by a gap in what candidates actually expect to receive. This is consistent not only between women and men but also across racial groups, age groups, and markets. Since their expectations are lower than their market value, tech workers are asking for less and getting paid less. When you know your value, and it is backed by data, you can go into conversations about compensation more confidently to ask for what you deserve. By analyzing data from multiple resources, you can cross-reference the numbers you find to give you a good idea of a range you deserve for your experience in addition to what you can expect to see for roles you are interviewing for. More

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      Understanding Recruitment: Empowering Job Seekers for Better Interviewing

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      Interviewing for a new job can be an emotional and time-consuming process for many, especially in a remote world where home-life and work-life may converge. Feelings of hope and excitement can be mixed with anxiety, frustration, and overwhelm. Although, when you know what to expect as you enter into a job search, your nerves can settle knowing that you prepared as much as you could for the interviewing process. With that, hopefully you can gain that much more confidence and resilience to make it through and find a job that you truly love.
      In our ebook, From Layoff to Lift Off: A Comprehensive Guide to Bounce Back in Your Career, we share tips on how to better understand the recruitment process to improve your interviewing skills and ultimately win at interviewing.
      Understanding recruitment
      Upon review of your application or receiving an interview request, companies will usually have at least 3 steps in their interview process for technical roles. This can include a phone screen with the recruiter, a technical screen, and an onsite interview. In a remote world, companies have taken the opportunity to create a remote interviewing experience that mirrors what it would be like to interview in person, especially for an onsite interview. It is best to practice for phone and video interviews, behavioral questions, how to give a summary of your experience as it relates to the roles you are interviewing for, and gathering your references.
      It is important to note that, while most recruiters and hiring managers work hard to create a stellar candidate experience, they may also be inundated with messages. Upon review by a recruiter, your profile will also need to be reviewed by a hiring manager throughout the process. Because this is a team effort that requires careful consideration by the hiring team, there is time that Don’t be discouraged by automated messages or responses–dealing with a high candidate volume will require understanding and empathy on your part, as well.
      Best practices for follow up
      Being proactive while you interview is a great way to both impress the hiring team and manage your various interview processes. Following up after each interview with a note of gratitude and your next availability will help reiterate your interest and can expedite the scheduling process for your next interview. It works to your benefit to do so within 24 hours after your interview concludes as the discussion is fresh in your mind and you are still fresh in the mind of the interviewer. You can often catch the interviewer within their decision window before they debrief with others on the hiring team.
      If you don’t hear back, don’t count the opportunity out–there could be various reasons for the silence. Prioritize the opportunities you are most interested in and follow up on your initial outreach in a sequence of 3 days, 4 days, then 4 days (not including weekends). As long as you lead with kindness and focus on your conversations with the individual you are reaching out to, instead of pitching yourself as a candidate, it can be a productive and positive signal to the team that you are still interested without seeming too pushy. More

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      How to Hire a Data Engineer

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      Data Engineering is one of the fastest-growing job roles in the tech industry with LinkedIn Talent Insights categorizing demand for these roles as ‘very high’. This means that it’s harder than ever for firms to attract and retain talent in this pivotal role. Estimates on the number of unfilled positions last year range from as much as 33-50%.
      One of the reasons for the shortage is the rate at which the discipline is moving, with tools and technologies emerging and evolving rapidly. This leads to the absence of a standardized toolset and means that the definition of the role can be dramatically different across companies.
      Based on research with 50 Data Engineers, and in conversation with Dani Solà Lagares (Director of Data at Simply Business) research from technology recruiting firm Stott and May reveals what Data Engineers are looking for, and what potential employers can be doing to increase their chances of snagging top talent. Here are the four top tips to come out of the research.
      1. Give them a clearly defined role.
      When looking for a new role, Data Engineers need to see a detailed and realistic job description. 72% testified that this was the most important factor in whether or not they will apply. If an employer doesn’t have this nailed down, then Data Engineers will pass up the opportunity in favor of an employer who has a clear idea of what needs to be done. ‘Give candidates a sense of the projects they will be working on and the stakeholders they will be engaging with,’ says Dani Sola. ‘Even more importantly, provide some narrative on the type of impact you expect key initiatives to make.’
      2. Provide the right technology stack.
      48% of Data Engineers stated that the technology stack they will be working with is the most important consideration in accepting a role. Because the technology stack has so much to do with what their day-to-day work will look like, it’s important that the fit is right. ‘Technical skillsets could vary dramatically from Kafka, Kafka Streams, Scala, Kotlin knowledge, advanced SQL, data warehousing skills, Python, the list goes on,’ says Dani. ‘It is important, however, to paint a picture of your requirements without asking candidates to tick every skillset that’s ever existed in data engineering.’
      3. Benchmark to ensure you’re offering a competitive salary.
      According to the research, 42% of Data Engineers say they are most likely to jump ship because their salary and benefits are below market rate. It’s important to make sure you are benchmarking your salaries against your competitors, and offering a competitive compensation package if you want to retain in-demand talent. ‘In my view, one of the major reasons engineers move on is that the initial value proposition of the role in that organization has not lived up to expectations,’ says Dani. ‘Don’t sell a dream and deliver a nightmare. If you’re authentic and invest in your team’s personal development that can go a long way.’
      4. Don’t wear them out with excessive interview steps.
      Data Engineers’ time is very important, so if they are being asked to jump through too many hoops, they are liable to simply look elsewhere. If you’re looking to recruit a Data Engineer, try to streamline the recruitment process as much as possible so that you can make an assessment of their fit without losing momentum. ‘Keep talent engaged during the hiring process,’ says Dani. ‘Create a sense of your culture and values. Make great first impressions as a potential employer. Interviewing should be about making the candidate feel at ease and creating an environment where they can show themselves at their best.’
      David Struth is Head of Marketing at Stott and May.

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