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      in Talent Acquisition

      Interviewing After a Layoff? How to Be Confident & Become a Top Candidate

      by

      The third article in our series to help jobseekers bounce back better than ever…

      Once you’ve absorbed the news of a layoff, organized your financials, and taken the next steps to kick off your job search, you’re ready. It’s time to begin interviewing after your layoff. Employed but concerned about the stability of your role or company? Use this article series to get organized and feel more prepared for changes.

      Win at Interviewing after a Layoff

      Securing interviews starts with job applications. Prioritize your job applications at a high volume, but what’s the best way to end with success? According to Pathrise Growth Marketing Associate Alex Macpherson and Career Strategist Mentor Ash Ayvar, it’s best to diversify your application sources by using multiple job boards and sending personalized cold emails to recruiters.

      Cold Email Tips and Tricks for Communicating with Hiring Teams from Pathrise

      Before you start sending out cold emails, there are a few things you need to know:

      Make sure to submit your application alongside or before you send a cold email.Focus your cold emailing efforts toward roles you feel passionate about and companies you would be excited to join. Narrow your focus to organizations with less than 500 people. This increases the likelihood someone will read and take action on your message.Stick to the weekends or early in the week when sending cold emails – if you send them on a Thursday or Friday, they’re less likely to be read. If you must, use ‘schedule send’ features, like in Gmail.It’s ok to send your cold email to multiple people within an organization, but keep the number of contacts to three or four at max. Choose contacts from different teams and divisions, too, or else you risk your email coming off as spammy. Don’t CC – send a separate email to each contact, even if your copy is the same.

      Pro Tip:

      These emails don’t have to be totally “cold.” Follow the guidance in Chapter 2 of this series, to grow your network through social media and informational interviews. That work may pay off in some “warm” leads on jobs or referrals. Proactive actions like this often reveal roles that haven’t been posted yet. In fact, this work cuts down on the outreach talent acquisition and sourcers need to do – you’re helping them!

      It’s worth noting, for technologists and sales or customer experience professionals who join the Hired platform, this type of outreach becomes unnecessary. Hired turns the job search dynamic upside down and once your profile is complete, we promote you to matching employers and roles. Employers search for you, requesting interviews with compensation information upfront. You decide which interviews you wish to accept – you can even pause your profile if you get too many interview requests at once. See how Hired works here.

      When Interviewing After a Layoff, Be Authentic and Upfront

      Many candidates suffer some anxiety and nervousness about discussing their layoffs in subsequent interviews. Fortunately, you really don’t need to worry so much about it. Be upfront and authentic in how you talk about the situation. Keep your answers focused – there’s no need to go into lots of information about the layoff and waste valuable interview time. 

      Do acknowledge the layoff and explain it with relevant context. It may be helpful to give specific details. For example, is there a factual number or percentage of how many employees on your team or overall were laid off? Weave it in. Doing so helps your interviewer better understand your situation and illustrates you were one of many. 

      Was the reduction in force (RIF) part of a merger or acquisition? If the employer is a publicly-traded company, they may have disclosed multiple reasons in shareholder communications or in published articles you could reference. Layoffs happen for a variety of causes and the point is not to dwell on it, especially when such workforce decisions are beyond your control. 

      In general, employers know layoffs are painful to talk about and will respect the information you choose to provide. Find a positive from the experience and lean into it. It might be how proud you were of your team while there, because XYZ. Or, how the time off allowed you to pursue a certification you didn’t have time for before. Maybe the change inspired you to do something you wouldn’t have done otherwise, like train for a marathon or pivot careers. Perhaps it allowed you time to spend with loved ones when they needed you. 

      Pro Tip:

      As part of your pre-interview research, study any “core values” or mission statements the company has. Do not parrot these, but think about how your experiences, while working and while laid off, align with these ideals and echo them in your answers. 

      For example, JPMorgan Chase & Co., says on their site, “In a fast-moving and increasingly complex global economy, our success depends on how faithfully we adhere to our core principles: delivering exceptional client service; acting with integrity and responsibility; and supporting the growth of our employees.” 

      When discussing your career or time during a layoff, could you share examples where you: 

      delivered exceptional service, or went above and beyond expectations? acted with integrity and responsibility, or did the right thing, even when it may have been difficult? supported the growth of employees, or facilitated the development of others, as a volunteer, a coach, or a parent? 

      Related: How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” Interview Question for Tech Talent, Video Interviews 101: How to Impress in the Digital Age

      Highlight Your Growth During Employment Gaps

      Resume or employment gaps are another area of concern for job seekers following a layoff, no matter how much time has passed. How will you explain that time? 

      Focus on how you’ve grown during this period and turn this gap into an asset. Highlight what you’ve done to enhance your skills instead of allowing them to fade during this period.

      Tell your interviewer about the things you’ve done to improve your skills and build new ones during the layoff period. Whether you took an online course or worked a temporary contract job, it shows you have been proactive. Maybe you volunteered your skills to a local nonprofit. 

      Employers know layoffs put individuals in less-than-ideal circumstances, so they appreciate an interviewee who has demonstrated commitment to professional growth and development in spite of them. 

      Related: Flip the Script: How to Handle an Employment Gap on Your Resume

      Spotlight Your Past Performance & Growth

      Share the value you’ve provided through your work, even on your last team. When you offer achievements and results, this information becomes more impactful to your candidacy than your layoff. Detail the metrics of your work and share highlights of your past projects establishing you as a valuable asset to your team or organization.

      Keep Your Head Up – You Can Do This

      The layoff period is often a humbling time for many. During these days, weeks, or months, you’ve likely done your fair share of reflection on your experience and your career. Share insights about what you learned during this period while highlighting your resilience and unwavering confidence. 

      No matter what you’ve been through during your layoff, it’s crucial to remain optimistic about the interview process. No matter what role you are interviewing for, character matters. Your positivity in spite of an unfortunate situation reflects best on your character. Resist any urges to speak bitterly about your past employers and focus on the new opportunities ahead of you.

      Interviewing After a Layoff is for You, Too

      Post-layoff job seeking can be tricky. While you want to secure a new job as soon as possible, don’t rush yourself too much. Balance this time between searching for new roles and making sure the urge to get hired right away doesn’t lead you to compromise your career goals.

      The interview can teach you a lot about your potential new work environment so you can decide if it’s the right fit – both culture-wise and in terms of job security. Here are some example questions to help you elicit this information when interviewing after a layoff:

      Why are you proud to work here?Do you feel supported in your career growth and professional development by this organization? How does the organization make you feel that way?What’s the process like for providing feedback to a team member?Is collaboration encouraged here? If so, how?Tell me about a time when you saw the company’s main values in action.Has this company ever gone through layoffs in the past? If so, how were they handled?Can you tell me about the company’s financial situation? Is it profitable? Are future investments secured? The company’s solvency is a legitimate question, especially if you’ve experienced layoffs due to cost-cutting measures. Be respectful, and read the room, but don’t feel like you can’t politely inquire at all. Also, do your homework. Don’t ask questions with answers available to you via Google. 

      Related: Ace Your Interview & Get Your Questions Answered

      Cheers to Your New Role!

      The discomfort of interviewing after a layoff doesn’t have to derail your future job search. Take the time to process the situation and decide what you want moving forward. Set yourself up for success during your job search by honing your network beforehand. When it’s time for interviews, be confident and highlight the positives you’ve achieved over this time.

      Related: Chapter 1: Part of a Layoff? Steps Jobseekers in Tech & Sales Need to Take First

      Chapter 2: Laid Off? Next Steps to Find Your Dream Job in Tech or Sales More

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      in Talent Acquisition

      Laid Off? Next Steps to Find Your Dream Job in Tech or Sales

      by

      The second article in our series to help jobseekers bounce back from a layoff better than ever…

      If you’ve ever been laid off, you know it’s a mixed bag of emotions. Refer to Chapter 1 in our series for the first steps to take once you’ve heard the news. After you’ve had a chance to catch your breath, think about how you’re going to use your time. While many throw themselves into an all-consuming job search after being laid off, it may not be the best strategy for you. To avoid added stress, divide your time between jobseeking, upskilling, and self-care. Consider spending time volunteering to benefit your mental health, keep your skills fresh, and expand your network.

      Once it’s time to start the job search – use these 9 steps to find the roles you want and make the most out of your mission.

      Laid Off Next Steps #1 – Tap into your Network

      Start your job search with the familiar – your existing network. In fact, your network is one of the best sources you have for job offers and hires. Do you know how powerful referrals are in helping you get hired? Referrals are 4X more likely to be hired, so lean into your network for them.

      It’s not always what you know but who you know that may help you land the job, or at least get your foot in the door. While this doesn’t replace having the right skills and qualifications for the role, leveraging who you know including acquaintances and friends of friends can be your ticket to landing that first interview. People may offer warm introductions to recruiters or hiring managers and if you ask them about their company’s referral program, there is a good chance they can cash in on you landing the job. 

      Do your research on open roles and make it easy for people to connect with you online as well as offline. If you’re not particularly social, consider joining shared interest groups. Practice cold outreach on LinkedIn to get out of your comfort zone while you are job hunting. 

      Related: Check out this list of community and networking partners available to jobseekers on Hired!

      Pro Tip: Networking goes both ways

      It’s most effective when you network even when you’re not looking for a new role. Keep in touch with your network to avoid contacting someone only when you’re looking for help. Reshare their posts. Connect them with other professionals in your network you think would be helpful to them. Are they hiring for a role outside of your position or specialty? Refer a qualified candidate to them from your network. Help them too.

      Laid Off Next Steps #2 – Leverage Social Media

      Get involved on social media to make connections, gain industry insights from other professionals, and learn about new tools to aid in your job search success. 

      When it comes to ‘laid off next steps,’ VP of Community Outreach, Raleigh-Durham NC Chapter of Blacks in Technology LaShawnda Rodgers suggests, “#techtwitter is a great resource to help you grow your tech career if you leverage it the right way. I agree tapping into your network is a plus but asking the right questions during informational interviews is profound. When I mentor people who want to grow in tech, I advise them to ask other professionals about: 

      “a day in their life” at their companystrengths needed for someone to excel in the roleif the company has events open to the public so you can continue to meet new people.”

      Related: Learn more about Hired Partner Blacks in Technology.

      Laid Off Next Steps #3 – Set up Informational Interviews

      Informational interviews are a great way to network with people working in areas that interest you. This type of networking allows you to establish valuable connections with contacts who can help further your career and help you land your new role.

      Informational interviews are just that – informational. You’re interviewing them – this is not a job interview for you. Expect an opportunity to share a little about your background and what you’re looking for, but overall, use these conversations as opportunities to learn more about a specific company, a role/job title, someone’s career path, and/or what it’s like to work for a start-up versus a global company of tens of thousands. Review their LinkedIn profile. Prepare questions, but keep it conversational. 

      Informational interview framework

      These informational interviews shouldn’t be long – about 15 minutes is ideal. Follow this framework to help achieve the results you want and gain referrals.

      Take a minute or two to build rapport with your contact.Next, spend a few minutes on introductions and the topic of the interview. Ask them about themselves and allow them to give their elevator pitch. Acknowledge what they’ve said and then give your elevator pitch. Once the introductions are done, tell them what it is you want to discuss and why.Now spend some time listening to the advice they give about your topic. Take notes!Finally, ask for what you want. Give a summary of the information you were just given to show value and ask about the referral process.Wrap up the conversation. Later on, thank them for their time and insight with a well-crafted email that expresses your goal and the value you offer. Update your spreadsheet. It will be easier to keep track of your networking activities if you track who you’ve spoken with, how you know/found them, what was discussed, and the next steps or action items. Plus, if you’re required to submit job search activities for unemployment compensation, this documentation is really helpful. 

      Laid Off Next Steps #4 – Join Professional Communities

      Professional communities are a great place to build your network and meet the people who can help you land the perfect new job. Here are some suggestions to get you started:

      Laid Off Next Steps #5 – Volunteer: It Pays in a lot of Ways

      If you want to achieve more than just an expanded network, consider taking some time to volunteer. Volunteering is a great way to improve yourself all-around and can even help you continue to develop new contacts. Helping others positively benefits your mental health, so why not use your time to give back and help yourself in the process? 

      There are many non-profits that may be in need of your skills. Use these opportunities to continue honing those skills and making good use of them. Plus, volunteer work provides the opportunity to expand your network and bank skills and experience for your resume. Plus, when interviewers ask what you’ve been doing during your layoff, you have great responses ready to go. Here are some organizations for volunteering ideas.

      Laid Off Next Steps #6 – Check Out Educational Resources

      If you want to pivot into a different career path or are interested in obtaining new skills, educational resources are another great place to build your network. 

      President of the New England chapter of Blacks in Technology Rosemary Garabot says, “Look around your community for free or low-cost events like BSides. Sign up to pursue a new certification in a program with hands-on labs so you can build new skills.”

      Related: Hired Partners offer upskilling, certifications, and bootcamps.

      Laid Off Next Steps #7 – Prep for Technical Interviews

      Rodgers suggests, “For those pursuing technical roles, it’s important to prepare for technical interviews. Take some time to work on collaborative projects, showcase your work, and get beneficial feedback. GitHub is a great resource where you can virtually work on projects and collaborate with others.”

      Related: Hired Partners, such as Educative, Exponent, Pathrise, and Interview Kickstart, offer interview prep. SitePoint offers a library of resources to prep and upskill in various coding languages. In addition, developers on the Hired platform can earn badges for their profile using Hired Assessments. Demonstrating skills through earning badges increases the chances of interview requests and better offers.

      Laid Off Next Steps #8 – Refine Your Resume & Elevator Pitch

      Your networking conversations and interactions are invaluable for learning the markers of success in the roles you want. Now that you have this information from your network of insiders, use these elements to further refine your resume and elevator pitch to help you stand out in your search.

      Laid Off Next Steps #9 – Lock In Your References

      Once you start interviewing, references will be critical to the success of your job search. Take time now to lock in key references reinforcing your job performance and work ethic. A reference from your previous manager is also a great tool to ease any concerns about your layoff during the hiring process.

      Ask former colleagues to write testimonials about their experiences working with you. You’re not limited to former supervisors. Colleagues you worked with cross-functionally, peers, reports, even former customers and vendors may be willing to testify to positive experiences working with you.

      With LinkedIn’s recommendation feature, you can ask for a one while offering to write one for them. Positive testimonials about working with someone never hurt, even if your reference is totally content in their role. 

      Ready? It’s Time to Tackle Interviews

      Maximizing your network is a powerful tactic to help you not only learn more about different roles and discover open positions – it may also be the key to getting hired. Get ready to win your post-layoff interviews with Chapter 3: Interviewing After a Layoff.

      Ready to find your dream job in tech or sales? Turn the job search upside down when you complete a profile on Hired. Employers filter based on your skills and preferences to match with you, and request interviews with the compensation information upfront. 

      Sign up with Hired today or re-activate your profile if it’s been a while since you were looking.  More

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      in Talent Acquisition

      Part of a Layoff? Steps Jobseekers in Tech & Sales Need to Take First

      by

      Chapter 1 of a series to help jobseekers bounce back better than ever (or to feel better prepared in uncertain times)

      If you’ve ever been laid off you know it’s often an emotional time full of uncertainty – but it doesn’t have to be that way! Welcome to part one of a blog series to help anyone laid off dust themselves off and spin it into a positive. Likewise, if you’re employed but concerned about the stability of your company or role, use this article series to get organized. It will help you feel better prepared regardless. Learn what to do after a layoff and the steps to take to set yourself up for a successful job search.

      1. Process Emotions After a Layoff

      Losing a job often feels like a loss that comes in waves. Some days, you may feel liberated, optimistic, and perhaps excited for what is to come. Other days, you may feel overwhelmed, confused, or just plain sad. It’s a form of grief in many ways. 

      It’s ok to process your loss, whatever form it may have taken. Recognize you are more than your accomplishments or a job title. Your worth is not tied to your productivity. Remind yourself that nobody is immune, from top performers to leaders, it can happen to anyone. 

      Give yourself time to process a recent layoff and any series of job rejections. Your feelings may surface unexpectedly, and it’s ok to feel them without letting them overrule your life. Sometimes you need to take a few steps backward before you can move forward.

      2. Get Financially Organized Post-Layoff

      Once you’ve taken a beat to absorb the news, it’s time to sort out your financials. It helps you feel productive, in control, and more secure during the time between roles. Find the answers to any questions you may have about your 401k, severance pay, filing for unemployment, and your health insurance. Next, take a financial inventory of your situation and set a budget for your current circumstances.

      Take Care of Money & Healthcare Matters

      After a layoff, there are some loose ends to clear up, such as your final paycheck, any pre-tax withholding accounts, (401ks, employee stock purchase plans, HSAs), unemployment options, and healthcare.

      Most of this information should be included as part of the packet from your HR or Employee Success team. It’s easy to be overwhelmed during those meetings, though, so give yourself some grace if you can’t remember some things. Or, if you need to reach out to them afterward. 

      Here are some financial areas to organize after a layoff: 

      Your last paycheckSeverance payYour 401kUnemployment insuranceHealthcare options

      Your Last Paycheck

      Things may be a bit different from what you’re used to regarding your final paycheck. If you normally have your checks direct deposited, don’t count on that money effortlessly hitting your bank account as usual. Many states require employers to provide a physical check for the final payment. This gives former employees easy access to paystub information. If necessary, make arrangements with your former employer to pick up your check in person or mailed to your home.

      Per the US Department of Labor, there are no federal laws requiring a final paycheck to be given to a former employee immediately following a layoff. Depending on your location, there may be state laws mandating immediate payment when a layoff occurs. Some states only require the final paycheck delivered on or prior to what would have been your next regular payday. 

      If your company withheld money from your paycheck for an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), any monies awaiting the next purchase period may be refunded from a separate account. This might be in the form of a second electronic transfer or check. Verify any money withheld and itemized on your final paycheck is included in the refund of the ESPP monies. 

      To learn more about your state’s final paycheck guidelines, search for your state’s Department of Labor. Many states have made this information available online, or you can contact a representative for assistance. 

      Severance Pay

      Severance pay can offer you a bit of a financial safety net while you’re between roles. However, severance isn’t a guarantee as there are no federal laws mandating it for everyone. A few states have mandatory severance pay laws covering planned layoffs at large organizations. Find this information with your state’s Department of Labor.

      Your employment contract or the company’s severance policy in your employee handbook should tell you what to expect as far as severance from your former employer. The amount of severance pay offered is up to the discretion of the company unless you have previously negotiated it as part of your contract. 

      If the layoff is a result of an acquisition or merger, severance may be determined as part of the agreement and vary from what your company paid before.

      Typically, severance pay amounts to one to two weeks of normal pay for every year you worked for the business. In some cases, severance takes the form of paid insurance premiums or other compensation than cash. 

      What About Your 401k?

      If you’ve been paying into a 401k at your former job, you’ll need to decide how to manage this money after an employment separation. You have three options: leave it alone, cash it out, or roll it over. If you’re uncertain about what to do, talking to a financial planner who can thoroughly explain your options may be helpful. Your former employer may also provide resources to determine the next steps. 

      Typically, if you have more than $5,000 in your 401k account, you can keep this money in your existing plan. While you won’t be able to continue contributing to these savings, you do retain control regarding how it is invested within the plan. By keeping the money in your existing plan, you won’t have to pay taxes or penalties on a withdrawal and the funds will continue to gain interest.A layoff is an uncertain financial time, and some job seekers choose to cash out their 401ks to help with the absence of a regular paycheck. However, withdrawing these funds will also come with penalties and taxes. Consider this a last resort.If you’re considering moving your retirement savings out of your former employer’s plan but don’t want to withdraw it and pay penalties, you can roll over your funds to a new account. Many choose to roll over a 401k into an IRA. Or, you can leave the money sitting in your existing account until you land a new position elsewhere. Most plans allow you to roll over funds from an existing 401k to a new one when your employment changes.

      Unemployment Insurance

      Filing for unemployment benefits can provide much-needed funds when you’re between roles. Requirements vary from state to state, but generally, an applicant must be:

      unemployed through no fault of their own, eligible according to the state’s requirements for previously earned wages, and able to and actively seeking work. 

      Many states allow you to apply for unemployment benefits online through the state’s Department of Workforce Development or similar. 

      If you’ve never filed for unemployment before, it’s okay. You’ve paid into it for probably your entire working life, and there’s no shame in receiving it. It’s there to help bridge the gap during times like these. 

      Generally, once you’re approved, you’ll receive an amount determined on a sliding scale based on your previous income. There are often requirements involved to continue receiving income from the program, such as weekly reporting of job search activity. Be sure to keep up with any tasks, to avoid the inconvenience of a payment disruption. 

      Caution, this is, sadly, also an area rife with fraud. Be vigilant and protect yourself from phishing scams, especially through texts and emails. 

      Healthcare Options

      Healthcare uncertainties are a big stressor for many people following a layoff. Depending on your healthcare benefits from your previous role, you may be able to keep your current coverage through the end of the month your layoff took place. Be sure to ask your former employer for clarification on when you can expect this coverage to end.

      Make a plan for what you’ll do when you reach this point – you have a few options:

      Opt for COBRA coverage within 60 days of your layoff to keep your existing health insurance.Choose an alternative healthcare plan on the Affordable Care Act Marketplace.Check with your state to find out if you are eligible for Medicaid or another state-sponsored healthcare plan.Join a family member’s employer-sponsored healthcare plan. Regardless of enrollment periods, joining your family member’s plan is categorized as a “life qualifying event” and allows you to enroll outside of the annual open enrollment window.Purchase a short-term healthcare plan.

      3. Set Your Budget

      Without a steady paycheck, it’s oh so important to sort out a budget and stick to it. Take an inventory of your existing financial resources to determine what funds you have available. These resources may include:

      Severance payPaid out unused leave daysEmergency savingsPartner’s salaryRetirement accountsCompany stock

      Next, map out your spending and see what your existing budget is like. Seeing where your money is currently going will help you see where adjustments can be made.

      There are many resources to help you get assets, liabilities, and even goals all on the same page. Some include Mint, YNAB, and Honeydue. 

      4. Plan Your Next Steps

      Once you have a handle on your emotions and manage the above details, you can start to prepare for the job search ahead. Get into the right mindset and define your mission to increase your chances of success.

      Gain Career Clarity

      Before you get into the busywork of updating your resume and looking for new positions, take some time to determine what you want and need from your next job. Find clarity regarding the direction you want to see your career take as you move forward. Reflect and identify:

      Your major career goalsThe type of work you enjoyWhat’s important to your career growthYour ideal work/life balance?Your values and dealbreakers?

      Evaluate the Job Market

      Once you’ve nailed down the vision for your career, it’s time to evaluate the current job market. Before you begin searching for new roles, understand the present demand for your experience and skills. This information helps you determine if you need to modify salary expectations from your previous position.

      Hired.com Salary Calculator

      Hired.com Salaries Directory

      Set a Timeline

      Establish a timeline for your job search. When can you start? What’s your deadline for finding a new job? Evaluate your present circumstances regarding availability, financial status, and skills development needs to set a realistic timeframe for your search, from scanning job ads to starting your new role.

      Update Your Resume and LinkedIn Profile

      Before you start an active job search, it’s important to update your information. Now is the time to optimize your resume and LinkedIn profile to best reflect the role you want and help you stand out to recruiters. Here are some resources to help:

      Develop Your Career Story

      A layoff often feels devastating at first, but it doesn’t define your career. Before you start your job search, you need to write your career story and build your personal brand. 

      Decide how you want to frame your layoff when questioned about it. Focus on your experiences, talents, and skills rather than the details of what happened. Be confident in how you will present yourself, and update your social media profiles so they best align with the story you want to tell.

      Consider a Side Hustle

      A side hustle can be a good solution to earn money during the in-between time after a layoff and before you land a new job. While a side hustle may not become a permanent full-time employment solution at this time, it can help provide some financial security and allow you to continue developing your skills. Whether you have a current side hustle or are considering starting one, think of it as a supplement to job searching. 

      Ready to Start Your Job Search?

      Now that you’ve taken the time to emotionally process your layoff, sort out your personal needs, and decide what you want moving forward, you’re ready to find a perfect new role. 

      Complete your free profile on Hired. Instead of searching for a job, employers search for you. Be sure to optimize your profile for the best matches (tips from the Candidate Experience Team). 

      Check out Chapter 2: Post-Layoff Job Search Plan to turn the page on this chapter of your life and begin a new one. More

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      in Talent Acquisition

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

      by

      Hired & Exponent partner for engineering career advice video series

      Hired, along with our partner Exponent, recently completed a video series exploring such as what the best programming languages for software developers to get a job. The series featured three of our talented engineers: Nico Thiebaut, Prakash Patel, and Dan Baker, discussing subjects such as:

      How to Become a Machine Learning EngineerTop Programming Languages to Land a Job (in 2022).Engineering Manager vs. Individual Contributor (IC) Path

      Dan Baker is a former boot camper, now an Engineering Manager at Hired, a tech marketplace that matches talent with employers for roles around the world. He’s currently leading the work on the Hired Assessments product, helping candidates show their skills and find their dream jobs. 

      Based on the Hired State of Software Engineers report, these “top” skills or languages are taken from data on more than 360,000 interactions between companies and candidates on the platform. 

      Here’s a quick summary of the conversation Dan Baker had with Lucas from Exponent. To watch the full interview, scroll down to the bottom of the article.

      First, what are the top programming languages for individual contributors (IC) in software development? 

      Based on the report data: Go, Ruby on Rails, Scala, Ruby, and React Native. 

      What are the most in-demand programming skills for managers?

      Ruby on Rails, Scala, AWS, Google Cloud, and Ruby. 

      What are engineers’ favorite programming languages and skills?

      According to survey data of tech talent on the Hired platform, it’s Python, Javascript, Java, Typescript, C-Sharp, and Go.

      What did you find the most interesting about the top programming languages among developers this year?

      Well-established technologies valuable to new programmers due to their staying power

      When I got started, Ruby was the main language that was normal. It was easy for people to understand. It was the first language for a lot of people. It’s no surprise to me that Ruby on Rails, as the first usable framework, has so much popularity. 

      Today there are probably not that many projects getting started in Ruby but there are many being maintained in it. That really speaks to the legacy nature of coding. 

      Trendy or not, programming languages on the rise help employability

      What stands out to me are languages like Go and Scala because they seem to be newer languages on the rise. People aren’t learning Go and getting Go engineers because they have to. It’s because they want to build new things with Go. 

      To an extent, that’s the truth with React Native but it’s more so the nature of React dominating the front-end framework landscape.

      Do you encourage your team to regularly learn new technical skills? What skills specifically? 

      I frame my advice to my direct reports around:

      How we can position the story for the resume for their next job? What’s the best way to sell this for you to get a promotion internally? How can you sell this for yourself for your next role? 

      Usually, it’s less about the technology and more about solving a business case. That’s what will matter to the hiring manager in the future. The technology is usually secondary. 

      One of my engineers is deep in Terraform right now, another knows more about React than anybody it seems, and then another knows the ins and outs of Django in a way that probably very few people know. When I’m suggesting people learn new skills it’s really catered to the use case, 100%.

      What programming language is best for someone just learning to code?

      If I was speaking to somebody who is just starting to code, I would recommend learning Rust. It’s exciting because it’s a new language approaching programming from a very type-centric point of view and is very low-level control while having high-level usability. 

      Insight from Exponent 

      There are often technologies probably best suited to solve a particular business case and are extremely important to learn for that reason. There are also technologies probably always very popular amongst engineers, maybe because they scratch an itch and they’re kind of technically interesting but maybe they are the wrong puzzle piece or are a bit too new for whatever you’re trying to solve on the job. 

      What’s a programming language mistake?

      Many times I’ve seen companies make the wrong decision by supporting engineers to do things they’re curious about that don’t align with the business case. Then, the current business case they need to move forward is not addressed so they have to pivot to something that does make sense. The engineer maybe gets a skillset but it isn’t even that sellable – why? It never was usable at the business.

      What about jobseekers who don’t know these ‘best programming languages?’ How do you recommend they stay competitive in their job search?

      The top five skills are interesting because you get an idea of the heavy hitters and what languages people for the most. It depends on where you are in your career and how much you understand about where you want your career to go. 

      For an engineer who has a little bit of experience but has a good idea of what they want to do, I would say, look in that subset and maybe it doesn’t matter which is the top language.

      Maybe it’s more so, which programming language do you have some experience in – and will it be viable to enough potential employers? Looking at this list, I guarantee the people who are best at Scala don’t know much about React Native. 

      Tip from Exponent

      Most engineers won’t become an expert in all of these. You definitely want to assess where your own experience is and take it based on that. 

      Can you describe how Hired Technical Assessments are designed to assess a candidate’s technical ability? How can jobseekers do well in technical assessments?

      Benefits of Hired Assessments

      My advice to any potential client using the product is to understand what an online technical assessment can do and what it can’t. The biggest value add is not that you’re going to get an automated answer to whether this candidate is right for the role. 

      You’re going to have an asynchronous interaction. A candidate’s going to do the assessment when it makes sense for them. The employer is going to review their work when it makes sense for them, that’s first and foremost. 

      Employers can review their work, and playback how they completed it. They can see if the candidate is within an acceptable range of performance, and how they executed problems. See what kind of approaches they took and if it makes sense to you (the employer). See if they are using coding patterns successfully demonstrating a level of expertise. 

      Benefits to jobseekers

      Candidates have the opportunity to show their thinking more than simply trying to solve the problem. In some cases, employers are looking, getting so many good candidates that they’re only able to look at the top one percent of them. 

      However, in these cases, no one really enjoys or does well in a game where only the top 1% are winning. You want to find a smaller pond where you can actually show a connection to the employer and show that you thought out your work. 

      For candidates, unfortunately, with the state of the industry and in online assessments, LeetCode reigns supreme. I recommend brushing up on that because that’s what most of these products are geared towards. 

      I do see a trend slowly moving away from purely LeetCode questions to framework-based questions that include a file system to find the bug, fix the bug, create a new file, and add a new pattern. 

      That’s where we see candidates thinking creatively and how they actually interact within an existing structure. That’s going to be more valuable – showing employers how you’re going to actually perform in the role. rather than you can do Fizz-buzz or bubble sort.

      Insight from Exponent

      In my own experience, I have seen more interviews where the company crafted a test case that more closely mirrored a real-world coding situation in which you had to diagnose a bug in a code base that probably looked like their actual code base.

      With that comes the impression that they care about your time and like to test skills that closely match what you’re going to do on the job. This is a bit different than the more esoteric LeetCode tests that you may be doing. I think it feels more valuable from a candidate’s perspective.

      Interviewing advice for software developers

      I think that’s something candidates need to be aware of as they choose which companies they engage with. As somebody interviewing a candidate I know I am selling as much as I am evaluating. Candidates should get a sense of how well the company they are interviewing with is selling them. 

      If they’re not selling you at all, what does that tell you about the company and the culture you’d enter? On the other hand, if they’re selling you 100%, they’re not really evaluating. What does that tell you about the mess you’d enter? 

      There’s a healthy balance where employers care about you and the experience you’re having, while also asking meaningful questions relevant to the role.

      Candidates should know who they want to interact with but it’s also really important for employers to ensure they’re creating an experience that makes a candidate feel safe in the context of their whole life cycle, from candidate to employee, to ex-employee. 

      Tip from Exponent

      The technical interview experience you go through is, to some degree, a proxy of the engineering culture you may enter. It can be the best signal you have before you sign the paper.

      Ask, where is the demand?

      One takeaway from looking at this is to understand where the demand is and how important it is to find the right demand/supply ratio. That could be one. If there’s one person that needs one engineer of one type, then there you go. You can get that role and you can be happily ever after at that company. 

      If you just choose the one most in demand, it also might be the most candidates going after that skill set as well. What you see yourself doing matters most because ultimately when you get the role you have to show up and do the work. So find something you’re interested in. That’s where you’re going to thrive and succeed long term.

      Insight from Exponent

      If you have spent the last five years working in databases and think you need to learn React to be employable but your passion is databases, then that might not be the technology to learn.

      Learn more languages 

      It’s easy to think back on when you learned the language that you actually made your bread and butter with, it was hard to learn and you probably don’t want to do that again. The truth is that with every year that passes, the way people learn coding languages is better and easier than it was the year before. Remember when Stack Overflow changed the game? There’s a time that didn’t even exist. You couldn’t ask a question – you’d get an odd forum and esoteric responses or you’d have to open a paper book. So, learn a little bit about more languages and realize you’re never pigeonholed to one.

      Tip from Exponent

      The first language you learn is going to be the hardest but after that, you establish mental models and understand how to read documentation. It’ll be much easier to pick up new technologies after mastering one or two.

      Understand concepts in programming  

      Learning more languages also speaks to how much you start understanding real, valuable concepts in programming. I recommend the book, Learning Javascript Design Patterns. It reviews what you need to do to write really complex code. There is the specific stuff like hoisting but also polymorphism, ways to curry different functions to build into other ones, and there’s direct inheritance.

      Understanding deeper patterns will make you a stronger programmer and enable you to do more powerful things. When an interviewer looks at a submission and says, “Oh they’re currying a function. That’s an interesting approach.” Even if you aren’t able to do it, if employers watch it (which we really encourage our clients to do), they’ll see you know your chops. At the end of the day, no business is making money by having a programmer who can write fizz-buzz the fastest. 

      Ready to complete a free profile and sit back while employers search for you? Learn how Hired works for jobseekers!

      Click below to watch the full interview, including when Dan and Exponent’s Lucas fall down a rabbit hole discussing the relationship between javascript, cryptocurrency, and building blockchain. 

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      in Talent Acquisition

      Starting a New Job? 10 Ways to Set Yourself Up for Success

      by

      The First 30 Days are Critical When Starting a New Job

      Starting a new job is often a mix of emotions: excited, nervous, and frequently, overwhelmed. Regardless of the company and role, the first 30 days are instrumental in setting yourself up for success. Use these 10 tips to help you get the most out of your first interactions, and ensure you’re ready for the inevitable challenges.

      1. Introduce yourself – a lot

      No matter the role or team, it’s important to take the initiative to introduce yourself when starting a new job. You likely won’t know everyone you will end up working with over time. Establishing introductions early will help you connect with more of your colleagues and avoid awkward interactions down the road. Even if you’re not a social butterfly, make an effort to at least say a quick hi – it’ll be worth it.

      2. Ask questions

      No one expects coworkers starting a new job to know everything at first. Even if you’ve performed the exact role somewhere else, there will be things to learn about your new role and company. It might be workflows, policies, or leadership preferences. 

      Approach this time with a beginner’s mind. Demonstrate your curiosity, interest, and enthusiasm. Ask questions when they come up – of leaders, peers, and people across the business. This helps you accelerate your learning, build interpersonal connections, and get a broader understanding of the company, your team, and role.

      Take notes during presentations to ask at the designated time. The goal is to be inquisitive, not disruptive. Listening is equally important to asking so be receptive to answers with eye contact and active feedback. Don’t forget to follow up with a thank you. This not only expresses your gratitude for their time and response, but fosters a positive relationship moving forward. 

      3. Say yes

      Even if you’re not exactly sure what you’re saying yes to, accept new opportunities. Perhaps a different team is looking for help on a project, or your manager has an unexpected request. By diving in you may earn respect, learn more about the business, and explore your potential there.

      Caution: 

      While it might be tempting to say yes in an effort to please colleagues or take it all in, do not overextend yourself. As you establish a good impression at the start of your new job, you don’t want to compromise the quality of your work by spreading yourself too thin. To combat this, ask questions about the project or opportunity, and discuss it with your team lead or manager. Ask for their help prioritizing and setting realistic expectations about these extra tasks. 

      4. Set goals as part of starting a new job

      Starting a new job often comes with (at least) some ambiguity. It’s only natural to want to get your bearings before committing to goals. However, you should have some preliminary targets to help you focus early on. 

      Your goals might change but this will help set you on the right track – or realize you should consider a different path. Many companies have best practices around creating a 30-60-90 day plan to structure priorities and communicate expectations during intro meetings.

      Related: 30/60/90 eBook with free template for employers onboarding tech engineers.

      5. Keep a list of roadblocks/opportunities:

      You have an incredible advantage as a new employee. When you’re onboarding, you have “fresh eyes.” This perspective is often a great value to your team and company. This is not about noting failures or complaints. Use starting a new job as detecting opportunities and potential solutions. 

      Keep a list and review them with others as appropriate. It might be in a 1:1 with your manager, or among team members. Sometimes, it’s helpful to phrase them as questions. 

      For example, “I’ve noticed we refer to X by Y. Is that an internal term? What’s the reason behind that?” Remember, you’re showing curiosity and interest. 

      If, in this example, there’s no good reason or history to support this label, then introduce your suggestion. “I wonder if it confuses customers? Most people refer to X as Z, even if it’s not the technical name. Maybe we should rethink the communication around X to make it easier for our customers to find.”

      6. Ask to be included

      Leverage being new to the team – you don’t know everything yet. Use this to your advantage by asking to be included in anything you are interested in. The worst answer you can get is no – and even then, colleagues and leaders will appreciate your curiosity, a valuable quality in a new team member.

      7. Figure out who you need to know

      Be aware of who to reach out to when you need to accomplish something. Use introductory meetings to understand how your role overlaps with and affects others. This will help you stay organized when seeking assistance with future tasks and provides direction amid what can feel like a sea of people. 

      Approach individuals wisely and don’t make the mistake of discounting support staff. Whether interviewing or working, treat everyone with respect. It’s often administrative staff who become allies or have the ear of key decision makers. 

      Being friendly with an executive’s personal assistant, for example, often helps to keep you in the loop on important conversations and decisions.

      8. Build alliances when starting a new job

      Observe and identify people you’d like to know better. They may be especially sharp, seem to have things figured out, or make a comment on a common interest. Even if you don’t end up working together, it’s important to form friendships in any workplace – for your sanity, professional network, and understanding of the company.

      Make an active effort to connect with a variety of colleagues. This includes team members across a range of levels and with varying tenure. You’ll collect a diverse portfolio of perspectives. Established employees can offer deep institutional knowledge to help reduce your learning curve, while new hires (like you!) can bring fresh ideas and the camaraderie you need to feel settled. 

      9. Get to know your team

      Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the beginning of a new job is prime time to really get to know your team. You generally get a bit of a pass when it comes to your output in the first few weeks, so take the time to set up one-on-ones, lunches, or whatever it takes to integrate into the larger team. 

      In addition to understanding what each person is responsible for within the business, do what you can to get to know them as people. Building authentic relationships generally leads to more effective collaboration and fewer tensions when resources are constrained.

      10. How to connect when starting a new job remotely

      Working from home, or remote work, for many employees has become the preferred option. In a Hired survey, only 1% of respondents said they preferred an in-office environment 100% of the time. So, if you’re starting a new job remotely, how do you make personal connections with your new co-workers? In a WFH setting, you’ll need to be extra intentional about communicating and making the effort to connect.

      Co-working Spaces

      Dropbox, like many large companies, uses co-working spaces like Studios. Located in many metropolitan areas, Studios provide spaces for co-workers to meet up, conference rooms for meetings, or just to get out of the home office for a while. 

      Dropbox Technical Recruiting Manager Marcus Mackey used one to participate in a Hired webinar event. 

      “I’m in our New York studio today. I’m doing this panel and there’s a number of other folks here as well. I try to get in here once a week to meet with a couple of folks on my team, to build those connections in person, which I think are super important.”

      Virtual Options

      Identify immediately which tools the company uses and familiarize yourself with them. Schedule casual introductory meetings, or “coffee chats,” and attend the company-hosted virtual events. Happy hours or “game nights” via Zoom may be essential to feeling integrated and comfortable with your team. 

      Outside of video, you can also be an active communicator via chat. See if your company has group chats available for employees to connect and discuss topics that may or may not be related to work. At Hired, fun Slack channels are aplenty (“Pupdates,” “Random Coffees,” and “Book Club” to name a few). 

      The “Random Coffees” channel, for instance, randomly pairs two employees each week for a one-on-one virtual meeting “over coffee.” These virtual “watercoolers” humanize our interactions and support socialization among employees across all teams and time zones. Consistently contributing and participating demonstrates your interest in being part of the team and helps you develop bonds in spite of the distance. 

      Starting a new job is easy when you are ready to hit the ground running.

      Implementing these tips will help you confidently establish yourself in a new role and make your first month a little less overwhelming. When you make your presence known, express your interest and enthusiasm in work, and make an effort to connect with team members, you are off to a strong start. 

      Are you looking for a new role in tech or sales? Complete a free profile and let employers come to you!

      Curious how Hired helps jobseekers find great roles in tech and sales? Learn how our platform helps you create meaningful connections with top employers. More

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      in Talent Acquisition

      Evaluate the Job & Negotiate the Job Offer You Deserve

      by

      Editor’s note: this is Part 3 in our series with our partner, Makers, “Build Confidence and Take Control of your Job Search Series.”

      After a successful interview, a job offer often comes next. The offer stage sometimes creates discomfort and uncertainty for job seekers. When do you bring up compensation? How do you negotiate a salary? What should you ask for? Is the offer a good fit for you?

      These are all questions Hired and Makers answer in this chapter. Learn how to check offers and negotiate the salary you deserve! If an interview ends in rejection, learn how to tackle that, too.

      Get Started with Salary Negotiations

      Most of the time, the sourcer or recruiter will ask what you’re looking for in base salary or total compensation. Don’t feel put on the spot! Instead, if a screener asks for your expected salary range, ask about the salary band, or budget for the role.

      Pro Tip: It’s illegal in a growing list of areas to ask candidates for a salary history, or about their current compensation. Doing so promotes bias. These laws are known as a salary ban, not to be confused with a salary band, as mentioned above.

      If this doesn’t come up in initial phone screens, you can start the salary conversation early in the interview process. Be polite, don’t make it your first question, but don’t wait for an offer, either. Waiting to bring up salary until the end of the process doesn’t do you any favors. The early discussion helps you get in front of salary negotiations. 

      You could choose to say, “I’m sure you value alignment as much as I do. Can you share the salary band budgeted for the role?” You may have follow up questions to qualify that number. Is it base plus bonus? Is that a total compensation number, including benefits? Nobody wants to make a false assumption.

      Make sure you are clear about your personal priorities during the interview process. Determine your value in the marketplace before setting foot in an interview. This is very important for women. Female job seekers sometimes undervalue their contributions to the marketplace. This is known as an expectation gap.

      Hired’s salary calculator helps you with this task. We  recommend a starting point for you using data from the marketplace. The Hired platform alerts you to the discrepancy so you are able to make changes if you set expectations too high or too low.

      Remember, this number is just a starting point. Keep your priorities in mind as you negotiate. Some job seekers choose flexibility in exchange for entering a high-demand industry. Don’t share minimum expectations as they can result in low offers. Think about the salary offer that makes you excited to take the job and pursue this number.

      How to Negotiate Your Salary & Benefits

      Ask if you and the company are on the same page regarding salary after stating your expectations. The salary offer isn’t always what you expect or a number that satisfies your needs, and that’s ok. Communicate your desire to negotiate salary quickly so the company can respond.

      State your passion and motivation to join the company. Then, explain that the current offer doesn’t work for you. Be direct and be very clear if you intend to give a counteroffer for your salary. Let the company know that you plan to accept the role if they meet that number. Companies ready to move forward quickly respond when candidates are ready to start.

      Tech jobs and sales jobs have differing salary components. Base salary, target bonus, and equity are common for tech role offers. Fixed compensation and variable compensation or base salary plus commission are components of a sales job salary offer. Benefits and perks are usually included in both.

      Consider negotiating other benefits beyond salary. Getting creative can help you get what you want when there is no wiggle room in the base salary. Some possibilities include:

      Sign-on bonusGuaranteed annual bonusExpedited raiseMoving stipendStocks or RSUsPaid time offHealth benefitsLearning stipends

      Examine the Offer

      Once you lock in salary negotiations, it’s time to take a hard look at the offer. Look at all elements and decide which are the most important in your eyes. Write down your priorities – this trick helps you hold yourself to them.

      Consider these areas when checking your job offer:

      People element – your manager, team culture, and company culturePlace element – location of the office, company size, industryThings element – compensation, benefits, perksTiming element – do you need to find a new job right away, or is there time to be choosy?

      Rejection is Just Redirection

      Sometimes it just doesn’t work out, despite a great interview. Don’t take this personally! Rejection doesn’t always mean you did something wrong or weren’t qualified.

      Stay solution-oriented to keep future doors open. The way you handle rejection can make or break this relationship. Ask the company for feedback. Learn what you can to improve your future interviews. You never know when another position will open. Be civil and respectful despite rejection.  It often leads to new opportunities on different teams or at other offices. Besides, there’s no guarantee the person they hire will work out. It happens more than you think.

      Do you feel like you need to upskill to be more competitive? Makers offers opportunities to increase your technical skills!

      Land the Job Offer You Deserve on Hired

      Master the job search process from start to finish with these easy to follow steps. Hired.com helps you every step of the way! Our Customer Experience managers help candidates achieve success throughout the hiring process. Complete your free profile on Hired’s job marketplace. Be sure to optimize it with these tips, and let employers search for you!

      Related:

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      in Talent Acquisition

      How to Become a Machine Learning Engineer

      by

      Hired & Exponent Partner for Engineering Career Advice Video Series

      Hired recently completed a video series with our partner Exponent, featuring three of our talented engineers: Nico Thiebaut, Prakash Patel, and Dan Baker. They discussed topics such as:

      How to Become a Machine Learning EngineerEngineering Manager vs. Individual Contributor PathTop Programming Languages to Land a Job (in 2022).

      Here’s a quick summary of the first one! To watch the full interview, scroll down to the bottom of the article.

      How has the Machine Learning and AI career path changed over time and what’s behind that evolution?

      It’s constantly evolving. There’s a clear shift from machine learning and pure data science to a more holistic approach to roles. As companies collect more and more data, it’s inevitable to try to build predictive models. I think it’s a natural result of the age of data collection.

      What kind of education, technical knowledge, and soft skills are necessary for machine learning engineers?

      Success is achieved as a machine learning engineer from various backgrounds. Even though the role has been around for some time, it still feels new. While we look for diversity on our team, we try to hire people whose strengths will combine well with existing team members.

      Educationally, solid understanding of computer science and math is standard. In addition, I’d say:

      experience with software developmenta sense for businessstatistical modeling skillsunderstanding probabilitiesgreat at managing dataunderstanding DevOps is helpfulhow to develop and deploy models to production smoothly.

      No one person is skilled at all of these equally. It’s incredibly difficult to find someone who would check all of these boxes immediately, but I suggest spending the time to develop these skills in a basic way, at a minimum. Then, figure out which areas really drive you and find a team that needs that energy. Because machine learning is changing all the time, it’s likely you’ll find a time that’s a fit for your skillset.

      Are there computer science degrees and certifications for Data Science and Machine Learning?

      It’s a common mistake for companies to require machine learning degrees. Why? They’re relatively new, so there are few people with those specific credentials. Frankly, the demand for engineers with an ML degree doesn’t match the supply.

      A lot of folks, myself included, come to machine learning engineering from quantitative fields. I have a PhD in physics. On our team, we have people with computer science, traditional software engineering, and mathematics backgrounds. They’ve all moved into an ML role well. You don’t need a specific degree to be successful, it seems very open to various experiences.

      How can you pivot from different engineering fields? Which roles might be easiest?

      While pretty flexible, I’d say traditional software engineers who remember math concepts well probably have the easiest time and quickest path to success. Another extremely useful and valuable transferrable skill is the craft of software engineering. It can take a long time to develop that.

      So, if you’re someone who has, you’ve got a big headstart. More ML engineer practitioners strengthen software development skills as they become more experienced, obviously. So, if you’re a software engineer, the pivot is a natural one.

      What do machine learning interviews typically look like?

      Generally, they resemble interviews for software engineering roles. It commonly starts with a couple of technical interviews. You may meet with a cross-functional stakeholder, someone you’d likely work with on a project. This person might be from a department like Revenue, or Product Marketing and less technical.

      The interview with the hiring manager may be toward the end. As for the technical portions, they’re commonly divided into software development and algorithms. The direct machine learning portion may use math concepts more directly.

      What are the biggest career growth opportunities in the machine learning AI space?

      There’s so many! Regarding modeling, dealing with textual data and natural language processing (NLP) are big. If you haven’t heard of the transformers revolution, it’s a new collection models incredibly efficient at comprehending language.

      As for machine learning, MLOps is one to watch. At the crossroads of machine learning and DevOps, we’re seeing more and more roles in companies. Teams need someone who knows how to plan and execute deployment efficiently.

      There’s also room for generalists. Machine learning skills are highly transferrable.

      Related: In a survey of software engineers on Hired’s platform, they identified the hottest trend in tech as AI, Machine Learning, and Big Data, with 55.1% of respondents ranking it first. (Hired’s 2022 State of Software Engineers.)

      What are the most important skills to develop as your machine learning career grows?

      Versatility and curiosity! Because the field is changing and growing quickly, keep learning! Learn the new techniques for modeling, technologies, the foundations – all of it. Don’t box yourself in by investing too much time in any one technology.

      Watch the complete interview here:

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      in Talent Acquisition

      Wayfair Invests in Technology Teams Across North America

      by

      Online Retailer Opens Four New Tech Hubs in Seattle, Austin, Toronto, and the Bay Area

      In order to continue to recruit the best technical talent from across North America, Wayfair announced in 2021 plans to invest in technology teams with four new locations in key cities. These Technology Development Centers (TDCs) in Seattle, Austin, San Francisco Bay Area and Toronto, Canada have dramatically opened up their technical pool to a wider and more diverse audience. They’ve already resulted in hundreds of new employees in these regions. 

      Roles include infrastructure engineers, software engineers, experience designers, data scientists, analysts, and product managers. These roles play a huge part in a variety of solutions, from emerging machine learning and data science techniques that help Wayfair customers find the perfect product within their 22 million+ item inventory.

      Initiatives also include innovative merchandising powering brilliant, inspiring product imagery, to platforms helping suppliers to grow their business by reaching customers more effectively. 

      Related: Wayfair scored so well on equitable, efficient, and transparent hiring processes, they ranked in the Top 10 Enterprise companies (US) on Hired’s 2021 List of Top Employers Winning Tech Talent.

      Why Wayfair is Great Place to Grow Your Tech Career

      Austin TDC Project Manager Kanya McCann says, “Wayfair is full of opportunities and growth in the tech space. With so many different orgs across the enterprise, you could venture to learn something new in every space.

      In my time here, I have worked in several organizations that I have never been able to before (i.e. Supply Chain and Legal, just to name a couple).”

      Wayfair Culture

      Leopoldo Hernandez Oliva, a software engineer at the Austin TDC agrees. “Wayfair is a magnificent place for anyone that is new or well-seasoned in the tech industry. You’ll find Wayfair’s culture is inclusive, fun, and super supportive. 

      This is my first tech job. Before joining Wayfair I had held different roles in teaching, customer service and even providing applied behavioral therapy. The interviewing process was pretty straightforward and I was helped by recruitment along the way. I relocated from Boston to Texas and I was given plenty of time to do so.

      Once at Wayfair, you’ll find the vibe pretty relaxed and the org structure super cohesive. We work in small teams composed of highly tenured to the new talent, like me.

      Ramp up was individually tailored and I was made to feel like my work contributed to the overall success of the team at large.

      Wayfair’s main office is located at the heart of Boston, MA., right inside Copley Square Mall. There are tons of things to do around the area. Wayfair also has offices in California and Texas, and is expanding soon to Seattle and Toronto.  Wonderful cities that are vibrant and at the vanguard of tech advancement.”

      “Wayfair Tech is a great place for talented and smart individuals to work and have fun while doing it,” adds Jill Tonelli, Waybassador Program Manager. “We are constantly solving fast paced challenges and working together as a team across many different functions and skill sets. 

      More Than an Onboarding Buddy, the Waybassador Program is Integral to Wayfair Culture Within Technology Teams

      Jill Tonelli explains, “the Waybassador program was created to ensure the Wayfair culture is instilled in the new Tech Development Centers opening up across the US. It is exciting and different than a traditional buddy program because it is likely the Waybassador’s first time living in the new location too; as many Waybassdors moved.” 

      “My situation is unique in that I was hired in the beginning of the pandemic, so I interviewed remotely, was hired remotely and have been remote since my onboarding,” says Kanya McCann. “For me, the Waybassador Program differs in that someone is “dedicated” to you. 

      It’s an unbiased person to get you ingrained in the Wayfair culture and welcome you. That person is someone specific that you can build a relationship with and really get to know.” 

      Leopoldo Hernandez Oliva says,”the Waybassador program aims to pair tenured Wayfairians with new hires at the newly aforementioned locations. New Wayfarians continue onboarding procedures according to their individual team but Waybassadors review with them culture expectations, in and outs about the company as a whole and provide moral support to them along their journey. Think of it as a supporting hand and personal cheerleader for their tenure at Wayfair.”

      Typical Waybassador Activities

      As the TDC’s fully opened, Waybassadors connected with new hires in the offices in many ways. These include coffee chats, office happy hours, and networking events. Toronto TDC Site Lead Silvia Fernandes notes they also plan location-specific events to help create and foster relationships.

      How Wayfair Chooses Waybassadors

      Silvia Fernandes explains. “The Waybassasors are existing employees who voluntarily relocate to the TDCs to support the development of Wayfair’s culture, values, People Principles, and working norms into our new offices.

      “They are selected based on their proven track record of upholding our People Principles and helping make Wayfair the top destination for technical talent,” adds Jill Tonelli. 

      Wayfair’s People Principles

      On an episode of Hired’s popular podcast, Talk Talent to Me, Wayfair Chief People Officer Kate Gulliver describes some of the nine principles. 

      “One of my favorites is to collaborate effectively. We believe collaboration is core to our success, our teams are very matrixed, and so to work effectively, and [cross-functionally], get the alignment you need, and also be transparent in the information you’re sharing, so a team in another group can actually help support and provide value to you.” 

      “Another one of our ‘People Principles’ is to respect others. We think it’s important how you interact with each other daily and show up with the expectation that the person across from you is doing their best. We describe it as assuming good intent. 

      Assume the person across from you is approaching the problem differently and you need to collaborate effectively to deliver results with agility. But overall, you’re both trying to do the right thing for Wayfair.”

      Editor’s note: since the podcast episode aired, Wayfair appointed Kate Gulliver as incoming Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) as CFO Michael Fleisher plans his retirement.

      People Principles in Action

      In a recent webinar, “Behind the Scenes at Wayfair: Team Culture & Engineering Insights,” Head of Product & Design Mark Schmitz also spoke of the People Principles.

      “One of the most exciting ones for me is a relentless focus on the customer and the outcome. Secondly, we’ve, like a lot of businesses, have had a lot of macro influences, requiring us to adjust our approach, and especially at our scale, it’s been pretty amazing. 

      So, our principle to ‘adapt and grow’ is super critical for us to be successful, especially in supply chain. This culture supporting a willingness to iterate is, I think, unique to Wayfair, based on the amount of ‘boomerangs,’ on my team specifically. People who’ve left come back telling me, [we] ‘just need more of the fast pace we get at Wayfair.” 

      Empower Teams

      Director of Supply Chain Visibility & Planning Anurag Rohatgi added how important it is to empower teams to make decisions and be flexible.

       “As they’re going down the path they have defined OKRs, objectives, and key results, but we learn a lot through the journey.

      We often have to pivot, iterate, and with our culture of flexibility, teams can recalibrate the targets. We’re a data-driven company, so we certainly use data to our advantage. 

      Collaborate Effectively

      Associate Director of Product Management Carmen Valdivia was quick to weigh in on effective collaboration.

      “I would say it’s rare we’re not working on a cross-functional initiative, based on where we are in supply chain and fulfillment. Aligning on objectives is key, probably number one. Plus, we understand the dependencies across the different teams. Everyone is empathetic when issues and challenges happen because they’re going to happen.” 

      Learn more about the People Principles at Wayfair.

      The Difference Waybassadors Make for New Employees

      “Working at Wayfair is very gratifying,” says Vick Castillo. “Since I started as a Salesforce Developer, I have had the support of a mentor and my team, who have helped me to do my work better. 

      They have also helped me understand the impact and value of the effort we do as a team for the company. I belong to a fantastic team constantly giving ideas, opportunities and challenges. This makes me grow professionally.”

      Wayfair Connects Employees and Communities

      One example is with one of Wayfair’s longest standing nonprofit partners, Habitat for Humanity International. The organization focuses on helping lower income families build strength, stability and self-reliance through affordable homeownership. 

      Wayfair employees will have the opportunity to sign up for Habitat for Humanity builds in our Austin and Toronto markets. A Habitat “build” day is a one-day volunteer event, where employees gather together and work on a home. Work might include construction, framing, painting, cleaning, landscaping etc. The organization collaborates with a family in need of a home; working together on the “sweat equity.” 

      These events allow employees to get together and bond with their teams. It also connects back to Wayfair’s larger mission of helping anyone, anywhere create their feeling of home. For people new to the area, possibly relocated, it’s a great opportunity to make connections in their new city.

      Professional Development is Integral to Wayfair Employee Success

      In Hired’s 2021 State of Tech Salaries report, tech talent surveyed ranked ‘professional development/tuition reimbursement’ high on their list of desired benefits. At Wayfair, they offer a variety of development opportunities whether you’re an individual contributor or a people manager. 

      Developing Leaders

      Wayfair offers development programs tailored to leaders at various levels starting with those aspiring to lead others. Designed to be the first step in an individual management development training journey, the Aspire program is available to all employees. 

      Emerge is for first-time people managers, or managers new to the organization. There’s also Emerge for Senior leaders, as well as the RISE program focused on development for senior leaders.

      Individuals Making a Difference

      “I haven’t seen any limitations on professional development within my group,” says Kanya. “We use DEAL (drop everything and learn) on a weekly basis. Plus, we have access to almost any platform of training you can imagine ( ie. Linkedin Learning, Pluralsight, Learn@Work). In addition to the CBT classes, leadership encourages me to attend at least one conference a year, of my choice. The opportunity to grow my professional career is endless and welcomed.”

      ”We are committed to Adapt & Grow through continuous self-development as an organization,” agrees Silvia Fernandes. “In addition to the e-learning platforms, we have virtual/in person training sessions and a tuition reimbursement.” 

      Leopoldo has also been pleased with the professional development options. “Wayfair provides many ways to upskill and stay sharp. I personally take advantage of their tuition reimbursement policy.  We also have access to PluralSight, LinkedIn learning and our hub with guided tutorials called “learn@work.”

      Eager to Learn More about Wayfair’s investment in technology teams and culture? Listen to this on-demand webinar “Behind the Scenes at Wayfair; Team Culture & Engineering.”

      Then complete your profile on Hired to be eligible for interview requests from great companies like Wayfair.

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      About Wayfair

      Wayfair is the destination for all things home: helping everyone, anywhere create their feeling of home. From expert customer service, to the development of tools that make the shopping process easier, to carrying one of the widest and deepest selections of items for every space, style, and budget, Wayfair gives everyone the power to create spaces that are just right for them.

      The Wayfair family of brands includes:

      Wayfair: Everything home – for a space that’s all you.Joss & Main: The ultimate style edit for home.AllModern: All of modern, made simple.Birch Lane: A fresh take on the classics.Perigold: An undiscovered world of luxury design.Wayfair Professional: Just right for Pros.

      Wayfair generated $13.2 billion for the twelve months ended March 31, 2022. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts with operations throughout North America and Europe, Wayfair employs approximately 18,000 people.

      Editor’s note: Thank you to Wayfair for inaugurating our new Employer Spotlight series! More