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    Want to Win Top Tech Talent? Align with Candidate Preferences

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    The tug-of-war between remote and in-office work continues. Just when we thought the work-from-home lifestyle might be here to stay, companies increasingly called employees back into the office. Regardless of their current working environment, Hired data shows tech workers value work-life balance while remaining ambitious. 

    Hired predicts companies that integrate candidate preferences with the organization’s needs will win the most top talent.

    In late 2023, Hired surveyed 1000+ tech workers and 250+ tech employers about tech recruiting and hiring topics. When asked what’s most important to them in a job (besides competitive compensation and benefits), tech talent responded: 

    Related: 2023 Survey Results: Top 3 Benefits Ranked by Engineers (Besides Salary) 

    Why would employers’ organizations continue or expand remote work? 

    Employers’ top four survey responses were: 

    1) To secure top talent who prefer its flexibility and autonomy 

    2) Improved work-life balance 

    3) Access to a broader talent pool 

    4) Increased productivity

    Work from Home (WFH) vs. Return to Office (RTO)

    Our partner Teamtailor believes the remote work era will continue to shape policies and recruitment strategies for a thriving workplace. They feel companies offer remote work primarily to improve work-life balance. 

    Related: How to Onboard Remote Employees Really Well: Free Checklist Template 

    Teamtailor says, “As we step into 2024, it’s evident that remote work is firmly entrenched in the professional landscape. With 54% of HR leaders expecting stability in their remote work policies and a notable 57% recognizing its positive impact on employee engagement, the future of work embraces a balance between flexibility and organizational needs. The focus on fostering a healthy work-life balance, particularly to attract autonomy-driven talent like Gen Z, is a strategic move being embraced.”

    As for why companies are bringing workers back to the office, another ATS partner, Workable, suggests it is a pragmatic decision some companies are making based on a multitude of reasons. This includes collaboration and teamwork, innovation, mentoring, and development.

    Workable’s Senior Content Strategy Manager Keith MacKenzie explains, “Today’s workers have more options not to commute than they did before the pandemic. The return-to-office conversation is positioned in the community as a polarized battle between remote and on-location work. But it’s much more nuanced than that. In 2024, many of those nuances will start to rise to the surface, including the establishment of hybrid work as a standard.”

    Hired’s CEO on hybrid work

    In a recent feature on the Talk Talent to Me podcast, Hired CEO Josh Brenner reflects on shifts in the workplace environment. He says, “I was really thinking it was going to be remote forever across all companies. Last year, I was scratching my head realizing we’re not seeing that in the data anymore. Companies started to pull people back into the office”

    He sees hybrid work as the dominant model now, a result of talent taking a stand against a full work week in the office. “There are strategic things that are good for being in person. And there are benefits of having flexibility and the ability to focus at home.

    The challenge with the hybrid is that the companies need to hire people in the local area where the offices are.”

    This reduces their available talent pool, limiting the quality of talent they can reach and the diversity of candidates they can bring in. Josh explains, “During the pandemic, companies were able to bring diversity of thought, background, gender, and age. With a focus on hybrid, it’s far more limited.”

    Related: 4 Ways to Keep Company Culture Alive in Remote & Hybrid Work 

    The future of work is flexible 

    Tammy Dain, former Senior TA Consultant at Axiom, founder of Recruiting Rabble & Talent Collective echoed the emphasis on work flexibility in a past Talk Talent to Me episode. 

    She says, “I think the use case for flexible work and a flexible workforce is needed because of what we’ve seen happen with the workforce. So I think it’s just a trend we’re going to continue to see grow and grow.” 

    Start with transparency

    The best way to align the needs of the business and tech worker preferences is to begin with transparency. When candidates are approved for the Hired platform, for example, they create a profile, which is more comprehensive than resumes. It includes skills, experience, salary expectations, as well as preferences, and even “dealbreakers.” 

    Related: Hired’s 2023 List: Top Employers Winning Tech Talent 

    This drives better matches between employers and candidates, which translates to 60%+ response rates and better efficiency in the hiring process.

    Related: What Happens When TA & Hiring Managers Unite? Best Practices from One Medical, NBCUniversal & More  More

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      Productivity Monitoring in the Workplace: Best Strategies for Managers

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      15 guidelines and strategies for leaders to employ

      Implementing productivity monitoring tools to complement good management practices rather than replacing them requires a thoughtful approach. Here are 15 strategies and guidelines for achieving this balance as a people leader.

      1. Set clear objectives

      Clearly define the objectives and goals of using productivity monitoring tools. Ensure that these tools align with the company’s broader mission and objectives.

      2. Transparency and communication 

      Communicate openly with employees about the purpose and use of these tools. Make it clear that the goal is to enhance productivity, not to spy on employees. Encourage feedback and address concerns.

      3. Focus on employee development 

      Use the data collected to identify areas where employees may need additional support or training. Encourage managers to provide coaching and resources to help employees improve their skills.

      4. Collaborative goal setting 

      Involve employees in setting performance goals and targets. When employees have a say in their goals, they are more likely to be motivated and engaged in achieving them.

      5. Privacy and data security

      Ensure that the tools comply with all relevant privacy and data security regulations. Protect employee data and provide transparency about how data is collected, stored, and used.

      6. Regular performance reviews 

      Continue to conduct regular performance reviews and one-on-one meetings between managers and employees. Productivity monitoring tools should complement these discussions, not replace them.

      7. Customization 

      Tailor the monitoring tools to the specific needs of different teams or departments. What works for one group may not work for another, so flexibility is crucial.

      8. Training and education 

      Train managers and employees on how to use the tools effectively and ethically. Ensure that they understand the purpose of the tools and how they can benefit from them.

      9. Avoid micromanagement 

      Encourage managers to use productivity data as a high-level overview rather than a means to micromanage employees. Trust your employees to manage their time and tasks effectively.

      10. Aim for continuous improvement 

      Continuously evaluate the effectiveness of the monitoring tools and adjust them as needed. Seek feedback from both managers and employees to make improvements.

      11. Balance quantitative and qualitative metrics 

      While quantitative data is valuable, don’t overlook the qualitative aspects of employee performance. Encourage managers to consider factors like creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork.

      12. Recognize and reward productivity 

      Implement a system for recognizing and rewarding employees who consistently perform well. This can motivate employees to maintain or improve their productivity levels.

      13. Regularly review policies 

      Ensure that company policies related to productivity monitoring are up-to-date and aligned with best practices and legal requirements.

      14. Ethical use 

      Encourage ethical behavior among managers and employees when using monitoring tools. Emphasize that these tools are meant to foster productivity, not to create a culture of surveillance or mistrust.

      15. Employee feedback loop 

      Establish a feedback mechanism where employees can express their concerns, suggest improvements, or report any misuse of monitoring tools without fear of retaliation. Understanding the current status informs your plan and inspires confidence. You can use surveys to collect employee feedback. In your messaging, be clear of your intent to listen thoughtfully and action on the data as needed.

      Conclusion: productivity monitoring is an exercise in trust

      By following these strategies and guidelines, a company can ensure that productivity monitoring tools are used as a supportive tool to enhance management practices rather than a replacement for them. It promotes a positive and collaborative work environment where productivity and employee well-being can coexist.

      If you have roles to fill in tech or sales, we’re ready to help you with better ROI! Request a demo and see the products and solutions Hired offers to help talent acquisition teams, people and DEI leaders, and hiring managers stay on target. More

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      in Talent Acquisition

      How to Create a Strong Personal Brand: The Key to Beginning a Networking Relationship (VIDEO)

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      A strong brand is not only relevant for businesses. It’s important for individuals too, especially those navigating the job search. A strong personal brand that speaks to your skills, values, and expertise is crucial for networking and your overall career. 

      It’s your identity. What should people think about when they hear your name during conversations or in the media? What populates when hiring managers or recruiters search for you online? 

      Watch this on-demand webinar to hear experts from Get Hired: Future-Proof Your Career in Tech discuss what it takes to make your personal online brand effective and how it can lead to a new career and networking opportunities.

      You’ll hear from:

      Revenue & Product Marketing Manager, Multiply, Lee Brooks

      Senior Platform Engineer, RVU, Suraj Narwade 

      Lead Talent Acquisition, GTM, International, Sonatype, Heidi King-Underwood

      Founder & CEO, Hustle Crew, Abadesi Osunsade

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

      When it comes to seeking talent, what do you want to learn about someone from their personal brand?

      Suraj 

      When it comes to hiring someone from a personal brand perspective, the first thing to call out here is that you obviously see a resume. But I think in today’s world, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, etc. act as a resume together. From a personal brand perspective, I will look at how they are presenting themselves and how they are showcasing their knowledge on any of the platforms. 

      Lee 

      For me, one of the most important things is: Are they fit for the role I’m hiring for? Does their personal brand give me confidence they have expertise in the areas I’m recruiting for? Sometimes it’s easy to tell from someone’s personal brand. Sometimes it’s more difficult, but if I was looking for someone who was good at creating content or social media, I hope I’d be able to get that from their online profile. 

      Another one that’s really important to me is cultural fit. How would someone’s personality, values, and work style fit? At Multiply, we’re all remote workers. It’s quite important that you have someone who can fit into that culture and thrive. 

      The third one is passion and drive. Are they enthusiastic when they’re talking online? This leads to culture a little bit but do they really show passion and drive for their work? I think you can tell through the content, achievements, and overall approach to their career.

      Heidi 

      The cheat is we are bundle searching. We’re looking for keywords. Make your LinkedIn profile as full as possible, like you would a CV… Talk about everything you were doing and everything you’re looking to do. 

      On LinkedIn these days, you can actually put how to pronounce your name. Make things as easy as possible for the recruiter. What are your pronouns? Let’s make sure I don’t insult you by presuming… 

      Talk about the tech stack you’re utilizing. If you present yourself on a third-party site, put the link there. Make it available so I can actually forward it to my hiring teams. I might send over that link and say, ‘What do you think about what they’re putting out or their content?’ It shows… you’re using your own recreational time to highlight you’re really passionate about this. Include stand-out elements like volunteering… If you have certain skills or have done a workshop on LinkedIn learning around diversity and inclusion, that goes with cultural fit.

      Related: Code Your Career: Staying Competitive in the Developer Job Market (VIDEO)

      It shows passion and drive around the fact that you’ve gone off and taken on that skill and you recognize it as a skill. There are so many different elements but the more words you put on your professional site, CV, and personal sites, [you increase chances that] we will find that by doing boolean searching. The more content you have and the more authentic you are about yourself, the easier it will be for me to find you. Put your contact information out there too if you want to be contacted. That’s really important.

      Watch the full collaborative panel discussion to learn:  More

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      8 Ways Talent Professionals Can Drive Business Impact Despite a Hiring Freeze

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      Pausing hiring efforts may be necessary for a variety of reasons but talent professionals can still drive business impact. Whether due to missed projections, shifts in funding or shareholder priorities, or even a global pandemic, a hiring freeze sometimes means cuts to recruiting and TA teams.

      This doesn’t have to be the case. This hiring freeze may be a golden opportunity for TA and recruiting teams to pivot to other projects, assist other internal teams, or focus on new initiatives.

      Related: How to Improve Job Security During an Economic Downturn: Career Advice for Recruiters

      There are ways to use this time to start strategic projects that positively impact business with your insight and skill set, even when you are not hiring. Here are the top 8 things you can do to drive business impact and set yourself up for success after a hiring freeze is lifted.

      1. Keep your existing pipeline warm

      If a hiring freeze was unexpected, you might have candidates in your interviewing pipeline you need to notify. Sharing your hiring status (and the status of their application and candidacy) will require a balance of transparency and empathy. Let candidates in your pipeline know a hiring freeze is taking place. Offer a tentative timeline of when your team foresees hiring to pick up again. Assure them that you or your team will follow up with updates. Those are the best ways to retain your candidate pipeline while keeping the conversation and their interest warm.

      2. Engage internal employees

      During a hiring freeze, recruiters can work closely with the People Team to engage internal employees. Turnover is an aspect of people management that HR teams work to estimate, prevent, or lower. HR partners with talent acquisition teams to incorporate turnover into recruiting goals. Despite a hiring pause, turnover typically continues as expected or might even increase depending on the state of the business and company morale.

      By partnering with the larger People Ops Team, recruiting can support at-risk employees the team identifies and engage different populations to help retain and re-spark their passion for the company. In addition, working closely with company executives to be transparent about business strategy moving forward is especially crucial during this time as a means of supporting your team.

      3. Get involved with other business initiatives

      Lend your time and expertise to more teams and get creative with how to advocate for the company in new ways. Need some inspo?

      Hired’s Senior Internal Recruiter, Jules Grondin, pivoted to immerse herself in launching new initiatives. To support fellow recruiters and individuals in Talent Acquisition, Jules helped establish Hired’s Tech Recruitment Collective. Recognizing that Talent Acquisition is at the heart of building great teams, the collective connects these professionals with Hired’s extensive network of companies actively hiring TA talent.

      Another recent initiative is Hired’s Candidate Credit Program. To address a candidate supply and demand imbalance, Hired offered companies the opportunity to refer candidates in their ATS to Hired in exchange for credits to use on future Hired services and solutions.

      Brainstorm new ways to involve yourself in other aspects of the business. Reach out to other teams or colleagues to collaborate!

      4. Focus on employer branding

      A hiring freeze might create a negative perception of how the business is doing. To remain proactive, consider refreshing your employer brand strategy as a lever toward getting ahead of any negative misconceptions and attracting top talent when you open roles and resume interviewing. A company’s brand can be aspirational. Positioning your employer brand through thought leadership, company initiatives, and values helps build a relatable narrative that your company should be known for.

      Despite a hiring freeze, don’t hit the brakes on sharing your company’s forward momentum. For distributed teams, a great example would be to amplify ways your team creatively adapted to remote work, approached collaboration, and remained diligent about fostering company culture to maintain a healthy work-life balance.  

      Also, consider encouraging happy and engaged employees on your team to become promoters of the business. This supports a spirit of pride, ownership, and advocacy for the great work your company is doing! Aligning your employees with company and employer branding can turn your team into brand ambassadors to their network. This offers interested candidates a view of your company that goes beyond corporate branding and marketing but a more personal look into the employee experience from a peer.

      5. Optimize recruiting process

      Taking a step back from the ins and outs of your recruiting process will help you see areas to revise and make more efficient. Recruiting teams can take the time to evaluate many areas of their process from application to offer acceptance. This goes not just for efficiency but to assure the process promotes an excellent candidate experience. For instance, going through the application for an open role from a candidate’s perspective could flag hurdles in the process that candidates would experience. This includes complications with your ATS, resume upload issues, or LinkedIn profile integration errors.

      Beyond this, there are various areas of the recruiting process that teams can evaluate, including:

      Streamlining processes in your ATS to increase data cleanliness

      Evaluating your application to improve completion rates

      Updating the careers page and job descriptions to align with talent branding

      Evaluating the recruiting funnel for biases and exclusive language

      Diving into recruiting metrics, including outreach to lead conversion rates, rejection reasons, time to offer, time to hire, etc.

      Evaluating recruiting or sourcing tools

      Related: How to Secure Approval for New Tech Tools (Free Template)

      6. Invest in training hiring team members

      Having downtime from sourcing and interviewing offers the opportunity to evaluate your process and train your interviewers. For recruiting and talent acquisition team members, training or taking certification courses can advance the team’s recruiting strategy and overall professional development. In addition, training hiring managers (and other team members who participate in interviews) around efficiencies your team has made in your recruiting process aligns everyone to best represent the company when conducting interviews.

      7. Ensure your recruiting process is inclusive 

      Now more than ever, companies are being examined for their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion beyond public statements and surface-level efforts. The public and their workforce evaluate them based on their executive leadership team and how they conduct business day-to-day. As it relates to hiring, take the time to ensure your recruiting process is inclusive to all candidates who may apply and interview in the future. Consider everything from the verbiage in job descriptions to the logistics of how to best conduct an interview.

      This is also a great opportunity for teams to undergo unconscious bias training. This ensures recruiters and interviewers accurately represent company values during interviews and champion an inclusive hiring process.

      Related: Diversity features on Hired

      Unconscious biases may present themselves at any point, even with something as simple as seeing the full name of a candidate on their resume. For example, a person’s name can implicate their sex, ethnicity, and fluency and literacy in English. This can lead to a member of the interviewing team building stereotypes around the candidate without having met or spoken with them. Evaluate your recruitment and interview processes from beginning to end with potential biases in mind. It can help eliminate additional and unnecessary barriers to entry for qualified talent.

      8. Develop a recruiting plan

      As your team anticipates when a hiring freeze could lift, having a recruiting plan will ensure the team is ready to begin sourcing and interviewing again. Connect with your hiring managers to identify and prioritize roles that are an immediate need post-freeze. As the time gets closer, preliminary sourcing and pipelining quality candidates is a proactive way to get a preview into the active candidate market for these high-priority positions.

      In addition, you can begin to review organic applicants and put your feelers out to your existing pipeline to reignite that interest. Lastly, consider working closely with leadership. Establish a tentative timeline so the team can effectively plan their work and OKRs for the coming months. 

      Regardless of the hiring pace, skilled talent professionals drive impact throughout the organization

      Hiring freezes illicit thoughts of uncertainty for many people within a company and for those who are applying. Despite that, a freeze in hiring doesn’t mean that business strategy and talent teams are on a freeze too. Recruiting and talent acquisition teams offer value to the business beyond sourcing and interviewing. When times call for their main priorities to pause, it offers an opportunity to grow together and invest in team members. Talent professionals are incredible partners to drive impact while building a strong company. More

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      Re-engineering Your 2023 Tech Hiring Strategy (Watch VIDEO on Demand)

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      If you are in the market to hire qualified software engineers, you need to modify your 2023 hiring strategy. But how exactly do your recruitment and hiring strategies need to evolve? Watch this on-demand webinar to hear experts discuss key findings and data from Hired’s 2023 State of Software Engineers report. They share advice for re-engineering your strategy and getting top tech positions filled quickly with skilled, high-value talent. 

      Moderated by Founder of Marketing by Maya, Maya Avitan, hear from:

      CTO, Hired, Dave Walters

      VP of Engineering, Greenhouse, Andy Lister

      CEO & Co-Founder, SheTO, Nidhi Gupta

      Read an excerpt of the conversation and access the full webinar video on demand. 

      Maya Avitan, Founder, Marketing by Maya

      Though Hired’s culture is remote-first, there are still major companies placing a heavy focus on bringing talent back into physical locations. However, based on the findings of the report there is a higher demand for remote work options from talent in all major cities including New York, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC. 

      There is a disconnect between organizations that are searching for location-specific top tech talent that is seeking remote-first roles.

      What do you think about this disconnect and how are companies managing this demand from a hiring perspective?

      Dave Walters, CTO, Hired

      We are seeing a growing percentage of employers pushing for return to office, although the demand for remote engineering talent still remains very high. Remote roles command higher salaries than local roles especially in smaller markets. Enterprise companies are shifting fast in their demand for in-office employees, although a majority of the total positions do remain open to remote. 

      Meanwhile, we’ve continued to see the proportion of jobseekers only seeking remote roles versus in-person or hybrid grow. This shouldn’t be surprising as this demand for remote work started well before the pandemic and the pandemic only further fueled that in recent years. As a tech leader, I know the challenge we’ve all been facing in finding top talent with the right skill sets in past years. That challenge isn’t going to go away anytime soon. 

      Ultimately, despite the high-profile layoffs we’ve heard about in the news, unemployment for tech talent remains low. You have to cast a wider net in your search to be as competitive as possible and an opportune way to do that is by remaining flexible for remote talent around the country. 

      The bottom line is that remote work and flexibility continue to be some of the highest priorities for jobseekers. Promoting remote policies or benefits that allow for flexibility are going to be key strategies for attracting qualified, top tech talent.

      Watch the full collaborative panel discussion to discover: 

      More on how companies are managing the demand for remote-first work 

      Why talent leaders should take candidates from non-traditional educational backgrounds seriously

      The most in-demand software engineering skills are and how they’ve impacted the job market More

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      Top 3 Strategies to Nurture Your Tech & Sales Candidate Pipeline

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      In the wake of the economic downturn and slow labor market, companies are focusing on talent engagement and outreach by developing talent pipelines and employer branding. According to Gem’s survey, anticipating the challenge of ‘uncompetitive offers,’ 71% of talent leaders plan to invest in employer brands. A strong brand can make up for a less competitive compensation or benefits package. 

      Engaging candidates in your talent pipeline must be strategic. Nurturing candidates in your talent pool is the litmus test of your overall talent acquisition strategy. Because candidates’ chances of dropping out are high at this stage, organizations must develop reliable methods to engage and nurture their candidates.

      How to engage and nurture your talent pipeline

      Remember the strategies should be relevant to the present market and the candidate’s wants and needs. While talking to candidates, take time to understand their expectations and needs, so you can incorporate those into your strategy. Also, talent acquisition is sometimes a long process, so identifying sustainable, adaptable, and efficient methods will go a long way. 

      1. Optimize your employer brand 

      It’s the candidate’s market, and how they perceive you impacts your overall employer brand and brand awareness profoundly. Despite that, there’s still a lot you can do to boost your employer brand. 

      Companies across the globe use employer branding to highlight their vision, values, company culture, and benefits. By highlighting in-demand policies and perks, companies place themselves as employers of choice, in turn attracting quality talent. It also helps convey authenticity and purpose, creating shared meaning and promoting employee engagement. So, how should you promote your employer brand?

      Tell a story 

      At the heart of great employer branding is the simplistic and authentic way of conveying your organizational story to your target audience. Keep it simple – with an influx of information from all channels, complicated messaging will leave your audience confused. Use your values as the north star to guide you in your storytelling journey. 

      Personalize your message

      Employer branding borrows its concepts from the world of marketing. Marketing campaigns use audience segmentation to personalize content and identify and segment target groups. Customize your messaging and content based on each group to deliver quality content that resonates. 

      Highlight your leaders 

      In organizations, change often trickles down from the top. For your messaging to be truly effective, it has to be owned and shared from the top. Having company leaders convey important messages is a great exercise in cultivating accountability and trust. 

      Related: 3 Ways You Should Use C-Suite to Recruit Tech Talent (+ Free Templates)

      Update your website

      The candidate experience begins at the first interaction, usually through your website. Emphasize creating a meaningful and easy-to-navigate website and careers page to tell the story about your organization. 

      Related: Learn what talent leaders have to say about strengthening the employer brand: 8 Ways to Hire Faster & Build a Better Employer Brand.

      2. Upgrade your tech stack

      It is impossible to imagine recruitment and talent acquisition without technology or data insights. With the emergence of recruiting tools, talent management platforms, and communication software, talent acquisition has become extremely data-driven.

      This is a welcome change, as the data-driven approach tackles bias, keeps the process objective, and predicts returns in advance. Simultaneously, tools like ATS, CRM, and more can automate administrative tasks, customize candidate communication, and provide real-time insights. 

      If you are planning your talent acquisition strategy, don’t forget to upgrade your tech stack. Here are some essential technologies you should include in your talent acquisition ecosystem. 

      AI-powered and Machine Learning tools 

      Artificial intelligence and machine learning are a powerful part of talent acquisition technology. Tools supported by AI and machine learning undertake a variety of functions including:

      Screening and shortlisting candidates

      Parsing through resumes

      Matching candidates to roles based on skills and keywords

      Removing identifying information to ensure fair screenings

      Evaluating candidate assessments

      Simulating conversations through chatbots

      Providing analytics, metrics, and trends about the recruiting process

      AI-powered tools perform manually cumbersome tasks like resume screenings and candidate assessments within a fraction of time, helping to reduce time-to-hire. 

      ATS or CRM tools

      An Applicant Tracking System allows you to monitor a candidate throughout the hiring process from a centralized application. It also provides information about candidate dropouts and problems in the hiring process. An ATS can perform additional tasks like resume screening or assessments, interviewing, scheduling, and shortlisting candidates.

      Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) tools allow you to navigate candidate relationships by automating personalization and scheduling content. 

      Candidate assessments 

      For tech candidates, technical skills assessments are central to the hiring process, but they are also time-consuming as engineers have to design, conduct, and evaluate them. With technical assessment tools, AI will create, distribute, and even score the evaluation as well as shortlist candidates to move them ahead in the pipeline. 

      You can also conduct screening measures to identify relevant candidates from within the pipeline. 

      3. Ramp up remote hiring 

      According to Hired, 93% of candidates indicated a preference for remote work. In another survey, Gartner found 52% of employees said flexible work policies will affect their decision to stay at their organizations in 2023.

      These trends point to the obvious: a digital hiring process is essential. The ability to publish jobs online, interview candidates remotely, and exchange digital documents safely will keep your organization and processes modernized. 

      When onboarding new talent, it is essential to provide a smooth experience. Ensuring you have the right technology to support employee onboarding should be a top priority when implementing a remote hiring process. 

      Related: How to Onboard Tech Engineers onto Your Team (Free 30/60/90 Template) 

      In addition, investing in technologies and programs to enable remote learning and training help to manage larger-scale remote teams. They’re also useful in aiding in the skill development process for your talent pipeline.

      Beyond hiring, your remote teams should be able to collaborate and work together regularly. You might consider teaming up with companies like Microsoft, Zoom, or Cisco to support video interviewing and remote teamwork. 

      Want to keep your talent pipeline engaged? 

      Overlooking your talent pipeline may lead to dropouts and a poor employer brand, while consistent engagement will improve hiring performance and help you meet your hiring goals. Highlight organizational values to tell your brand story, involve your leaders, and leverage social media to get your message out there. Lastly, updating your tech stack to promote efficiency and collaboration as well as focusing on remote hiring can help keep candidates engaged. 

      Hired’s range of features and services enables you to drive brand awareness and expand your talent pipeline. Get in touch with our team about hosting custom events to target relevant candidates. More

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      Navigating Layoffs, Leveraging Strengths, & More: Talk Talent to Me January ’23 Recap

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      Catch up on the January 2023 episodes of Hired’s Talk Talent to Me podcast featuring recruiting and talent acquisition leadership who share strategies, techniques, and trends shaping the recruitment industry. 

      Layoffs and the importance of networking with Jason Walker & Rey Ramirez, Co-Founders of Thrive HR Consulting 

      Individuals’ greatest strengths with Dr. Scott Whiteford, Director of Leadership Analytics at Talent Plus 

      The value of talent acquisition with Rahul Yodh, VP of TA at New Western

      1. Jason Walker & Rey Ramirez, Co-Founders of Thrive HR Consulting 

      Given the current economic climate, employers and employees around the world are becoming better acquainted with the reality of layoffs each day. Guests discuss the ins and outs of layoffs, including the factors affecting them, the typical process, who’s most at risk, and how to mitigate that risk. They also provide insight into the current hiring (and firing) landscape and the push and pull of navigating remote work post-pandemic. 

      Related: How to Improve Job Security During an Economic Downturn: Career Advice for Recruiters

      “You’ve got to treat employees respectfully because the same people you’re laying off today are the ones you’re going to be trying to re-recruit in nine months.”

      Listen to the full episode.

      2. Dr. Scott Whiteford, Director of Leadership Analytics at Talent Plus 

      Dr. Whiteford delves into what it means to focus on strengths over weaknesses, the importance of self-reflection, and how to become increasingly specialized throughout your career. He also shares advice for young people on how to discover their strengths, the importance of looking at the whole person when you want to hire successfully, and how to form a constructive partnership with a hiring manager.

      “Understand what parts of your job you like, what parts you don’t like, where you’re good, where you’re not so good. The better prepared you are to have that conversation with your leader, the more likely you’re going to see a strong outcome.” 

      Listen to the full episode.

      3. Rahul Yodh, VP of TA at New Western

      Without a specific revenue amount associated with it, talent acquisition is often viewed as a cost center. However, Rahul explains there is a direct positive revenue impact to each hire a business makes and how important it is for TA leaders to make others aware of this. He also shares advice on how to change the way talent acquisition is viewed in organizations, his philosophy on interviews, and the importance of building cross-departmental relationships.

      “As a TA leader, you’ve got to think like a revenue org leader, like a COO, like a chief marketing officer, chief sales officer. You’ve got to really sharpen your business IQ and be able to demonstrate quantifiable terms that your team is providing.”

      Listen to the full episode.

      Want more insights into recruiting tips and trends?

      Tune into Hired’s podcast, Talk Talent to Me, to learn about the strategies, techniques, and trends shaping the recruitment industry—straight from top experts themselves. More

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      Hiring Tech Talent is Tough. Here’s Why (and What to Do About it)

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      Pandemics change things. They are the cultural equivalent of an apocalypse, and while we can rebuild and recover, the process of adapting to a whole new landscape can be labor intensive and painful. 

      We’re still in the midst of the shifts created by Covid-19 and the ensuing lockdowns. Many of them are showing themselves in labor markets, hiring tools, and overall attitudes towards work. Economic uncertainty over the course of 2023 will only continue to shift the ground under our feet. 

      A 98% chance of a global recession in 2023, as reported by Ned Davis Research, has alarmed experts worldwide. Even with continued efforts to control inflation, 90% of CEOs expect to see a significant rise in cost within the next 12 months. Moreover, 50% of HR leaders expect increased talent competition over the next six months.

      These trends present challenges for the tech industry’s recruitment and talent acquisition landscape. Despite this, software engineer and developer roles continue to be in demand. 

      According to Hired, software engineers received twice the amount of interview requests last year than in 2020. However, reduced hiring will probably continue with the anticipated recession, as well as tech hiring freezes and potential layoffs.

      Related: Cost of Vacancy: Making the Case for Hiring During a Downturn

      How did tech recruiting become even more challenging?

      The technology industry is rife with competition, an overwhelming skills gap, and a shortage of seasoned professionals—a true catch-22 situation. Specific skill-set requirements, high demand for developers, and long hiring processes even lead recruiters to lose candidates to competitors.

      In a nutshell, things have become complex. Entirely new challenges, along with others that were idling in the background for years, are shifting rapidly into high gear.

      1. Remote work sparks a tech boom

      With lockdowns and remote work policies, organizations underwent rapid digitization to support work-from-home. Team meetings, organizational development, and everything in between, forced companies to change tech and revamp policies, which increased demand for tech experts as a whole.

      Related eBook: How Smart Companies are Solving Post-Lockdown Working (4 New Trends)

      2. Tech talent crisis: the skills gap

      Technologies like cloud computing, data science, and machine learning—once esoteric and mostly discussed at the university level—are now ubiquitous. The speed with which this tech has delivered results has been geometric, thus creating increased demand. New roles offering great opportunities for people with the right skill-sets are multiplying, but those skills are often in short supply. 

      Meanwhile, industries and roles that were once mainstream are rapidly becoming obsolete. This is leaving the workforce trained for jobs that either no longer exist or look far different than they did just a few years ago.

      Now, as technology evolves to meet these demands, organizations and jobseekers are struggling to keep up, leaving many tech roles vacant and in need of urgent hire.

      3. Shrinking tech talent pools

      The skills gap problem is compounded by a limited pool of tech talent. Datapeople’s Tech Hiring report found that while job posts doubled in 2021, the talent pool shrank by 25%. According to a survey by Gartner, Inc, businesses cited the talent shortage as one of the main barriers to emerging tech adoption and modernization. 

      In addition, 93% of candidates show a preference for remote or hybrid jobs. While companies are more open to interviewing candidates from different markets, Hired data indicates many still limit their search to two time zones, leading to smaller talent pools and causing searches to fall short in a growing market. 

      Navigating the hiring landscape: what’s next?

      It’s true that overcoming these challenges will require consistent time and effort. While various strategies help you efficiently hire tech talent, it’s imperative to start with the fundamentals. 

      Here’s what you need to know.

      Tech talent will prevail

      Economic downturn or not, tech is here to stay. The demand for skilled talent will remain heavy across industries as companies adopt new technologies. Keeping an eye on upcoming market changes allows you to maximize your hiring efforts. 

      Trends to Watch:

      Current skills shortages and in-demand skills

      Popular technologies, tools, and software in use 

      Industry-specific issues like employee turnover and retention

      What employers are doing to meet candidate needs and demands 

      How your competitors attract and retain their talent

      Where to look for tech candidates

      Trends in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)

      Use insights from these trends to develop a robust talent acquisition strategy that allows you to attract your key candidates, stay connected over downtime, and begin onboarding when you are ready.

      Related eBook: 10 Things You Can Do to Reach DEI Goals

      Keep it coming

      Talent sustainability is defined as an organization’s ability to continuously attract, develop, and retain candidates with the skills and qualities required for current and future roles, allowing the company to align business and talent goals as they adapt to a swiftly changing market. 

      A sustainable talent strategy ensures that you hire mindfully by evaluating organizational skill gaps and needs, then building a pipeline of qualified candidates as you rise to meet your long-term goals. 

      In addition, a talent acquisition process that incorporates core values can help strengthen your employer brand. If you need help in this area, we’ve created resources for both startups and larger enterprise companies.

      Always one step ahead

      With the surge in digitization, data science, and artificial intelligence (AI), there is a widespread need for tech experts. However, the skills gap has created a scenario where companies struggle to find skilled talent, and employees struggle to learn new skills. 

      Throwing in an upcoming recession will significantly impact hiring in the tech industry. All these issues will define the forthcoming talent trends and challenges, which will no doubt lead to limited talent pools and labor shortages.

      If you haven’t already adopted a more vigorous and intentional stance to your talent strategy, we can help you get started. Book a demo with Hired today! More

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      in Talent Acquisition

      6 Common FAQs from Jobseekers: Answers to Help You Prepare for & Dive Into the Job Search

      by

      How Hired Helps: Ask Me Anything: Pathrise

      Jobseekers asked and we answered! Hired teamed up with partner, Pathrise, an online program for tech professionals, to bring jobseekers an AMA-style discussion that addressed their FAQs about the job search. Hired’s Sophia Koehl from the Partnerships Team and Nate Becker from the Candidate Experience Team joined Morgan Beatty, a Pathrise Career Mentor to share their expert advice. 

      Keep reading for answers to questions you may have as a jobseeker. Scroll down to watch the full discussion. 

      FAQ #1: When is the best time to look for a new job opportunity?

      Nate

      If you have a Hired account, submit your profile and go live to companies approximately 30 days before your desired start date. This is quite optimistic but it is an ideal scenario. Following this, make sure your resume and LinkedIn profile are uploaded and up-to-date. 

      FAQ #2: How do I get started networking on LinkedIn? Do I need to be more active before starting? 

      Morgan

      While you don’t have to be very active before starting, we recommend you have at least 100 connections. You want to give the impression that you know people. If you’re looking for people to connect with, start with your university, previous employers, and family and friends. They will be able to help you in your network and your search before you start posting. 

      Is it good to be active? Most definitely. Do you have to start from scratch and write your own post? No, you can simply re-share articles relevant to your industry. This will showcase your passion for joining that industry. Don’t forget to follow companies you admire so you can keep up with the content you’re interested in. 

      Nate

      You can also set your profile status to “open to work” to show you are actively exploring opportunities.

      Connect your LinkedIn to your Hired profile to show you are intentionally looking and are ready to start a new role. This also makes it easier for companies to corroborate your experience. They love to do that! 

      Note: The Hired platform is a closed, curated marketplace in contrast to a public platform like LinkedIn. On Hired you cannot browse roles, search companies, or apply to positions. We work the other way around. Once your Hired profile goes live, we match you to available roles and suggest you for good fits. Then, our companies reach out to you to request an interview. From here, you can accept or decline based on your feelings toward the company, location, pay, etc.

      FAQ #4: How do I know if I’m taking the right approach for the role I am seeking?

      Nate

      Be mindful of the role you are seeking. Lay out a story of yourself you can frame on paper. If you are a Software Engineer, highlight your hard skills, technical skills, and tech stack as opposed to the soft skills. Keep a finger on the pulse of where your industry is going by considering:

      What are the hot skills? What are the trends?What are you seeing when you look at job descriptions?What can you add to your skillset to be more competitive? What certifications would benefit you? What skills do others in the industry have? 

      Related: Discover the latest trends and most in-demand skills for Software Engineers in Hired’s State of Software Engineers report.

      Morgan

      Remember, don’t just chase skills because they are popular. Cross reference it with what you have a genuine interest in. Find the sweet spot and then upskill based on that. Your skills are not just for show — it is far more meaningful to develop what you need. 

      FAQ #5: Should I apply for a job when I only meet part of the requirements listed? 

      Morgan

      We’ve probably all asked ourselves this as jobseekers, right? Millennials, especially, face imposter syndrome but don’t let it hit you here. If you meet at least 50% of the requirements, apply!

      When you reach the interview phase, the hiring manager wants to see if you can do the work. If you can get your skills and stories connected to that, who’s to say they would not hire you? Don’t doubt yourself. This is an especially important question to address because great candidates often don’t apply because of self doubt. 

      Nate

      If there are requirements you don’t meet, you can address them and point to transferable skills. You can say, “I accomplished this in the past and that would work here” or “I also do this —  have you considered how that could be beneficial to the role?” 

      This is also an opportunity to upskill again. If the requirements you don’t meet involve something you are interested in, explore ways to get certified or trained in those areas. At Hired, we have partnerships with organizations that specialize in helping jobseekers upskill and develop hard skills. Take advantage of these resources to broaden expertise, especially when you repeatedly come across a job skill in your search. That’s your cue to take action and look to our partners for some help.

      Related: 

      FAQ #6: Should I wait until I’m in the country I want to work in to apply to positions in my field?

      Morgan

      The most important aspect when thinking about location is being prepared to speak about the sponsorship. This includes knowing what you need to live and work in that country. Know specifically what you need before you begin your application process. Then, you will know what to say when a recruiter or hiring manager calls you. 

      Nate

      If you are prepared to speak on this, it’s crucial to act quickly — don’t wait. On your Hired profile, you can indicate your current location in addition to cities you’re interested in working in. 

      Even if you are seeking remote work, you would list your current location but be able to indicate you are searching for remote work in a particular time zone. With this, you can target companies looking to hire remote workers in another country and time zone. When we match you on the platform, companies are aware of this.

      Go in understanding you will probably receive less interest than you would after you relocating. It’s important to not wait just in case you’re missing out on a great company that can support your needs and can work with you before you move. 

      Sophia

      The Hired platform is effective for getting candidates hired both locally and globally. Take advantage of the features that allow you to list out (in order) the cities you are willing to relocate to, and your preferred working hours and time zone.

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

      How to increase the chances of getting your Hired profile approved and showcasing your skills to employers

      Nate

      On Hired we see mid-level and senior-level talent achieving the most success based on the demand right now, as opposed to entry-level candidates. The platform caters to what active employers are looking for, meaning a smaller pool of skill sets are in demand on Hired as opposed to a public platform like LinkedIn. You’ll notice a more curated list of career path options to select from when you create your Hired profile. 

      When a particular area is not listed there and you find yourself having to click “other,” you will not go live on the platform. This means we currently don’t offer that skill set.

      We are focused on Software Engineers, Product Managers, DevOps, and QA as we see high demand for these areas. Be mindful that Software Engineering has the highest demand — it is like our bread and butter. 

      If you didn’t go live and you selected Data Analytics or QA, for example, there may simply be less demand for those skill sets at the moment. Resubmit your profile every 2 to 3 months to check if demand increased.

      A helpful tip is to focus your profile. We see a lot of folks list any employment they have ever had. However, if you’re targeting a specific field, keep it exclusive to full-time roles in that skillset. Hired does not support hybrid profiles so tailor your profile around a specific focus.

      For entry-level job seekers, you may fall below the two-year threshold that the platform accommodates. Make sure to keep your profile up-to-date with new opportunities or explore one of our partnerships, like a General Assembly to develop your experience. General Assembly graduates do go live on the Hired platform with less experience but still earn attention from employers.

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

      Watch the full discussion here.  More