Chris Allaire, Author at Averity

Every month, employers around the country are advertising thousands of new jobs in the tech sector. That means more competition for the same pool of applicants.

“The already tight labor market just became even tighter as competition for tech talent reaches near-record levels,” said Tim Herbert, chief research officer at the nonprofit Computing Technology Industry Association. “For any employer relying on the old hiring playbook, it’s time to rethink approaches to recruiting.”

Hiring is more challenging than ever. That’s why the team here at Averity has put together this checklist of the steps for getting from the job description to the offer letter. Presenting: The Hiring Manager Playbook.

Read the full playbook and feel empowered to start hiring the perfect candidates today.

The end of the year is a time of reflection to evaluate where we’ve been and where we’re going. We would be remiss to discuss the tech hiring trends of 2022, without mentioning the extremely unique events of the previous two years. 2020 and the pandemic was a black swan occurrence. By necessity, companies transitioned to a remote-first culture and hiring, funding and growth slowed dramatically. The sudden pause on hiring created a recruiting backlog in technology.

In 2021, the world was calmer as we began to emerge from the pandemic. Companies noticed their employees were more productive working remotely than they were in the office. Due to forward-thinking leadership and advances in technology, people moved from big cities and were able to keep their positions. And then came the Boom…

With the hiring freeze lifted and the end of the pandemic on the horizon, companies began recruiting with an urgency we hadn’t seen in years. The market refreshed and funding and growth started to explode. This shifted the position of talent into the driver’s seat in the job market and changed the quality of hiring packages.

During Q1 and Q2 of 2022, the hiring frenzy continued. There was a steep demand for engineering candidates with the number of open positions significantly outpacing the talent pool. To combat competition, offers were enhanced with a salary increase by typically 20-30%, unlimited PTO and a commitment to remote-work. Candidates who weren’t even unhappy in their positions tested the job market knowing their value had skyrocketed and they could command more from their employers. Technical talent were securing higher paying jobs with more amenable conditions within one to two weeks of resigning from their previous positions.

Top-tier engineers have always known their worth. However, during these months mid to senior-level engineers began to see how valuable they are to prospective employees. It gave them the space to consider if their values aligned with the companies they worked for. If it wasn’t a match, they no longer had to stay, just to remain employed. They had the flexibility to ask the questions, “Am I looking for a mission-driven company?” “Do I want to live in a different state than my employer?” “Do I even want to still work in big tech?” “Perhaps now is the time to learn a new industry?” The possibilities were endless and it created a talent centric market.

Despite evidence that working remotely was a successful model, companies started abandoning the concept and requiring their employees to return to the office. Leases, teamwork and CEO mandates spurred the change, despite pushback from employees. Most candidates were required to work in the office three to four days a week and only a small segment remained completely virtual. Talent has mixed emotions over this change. Some have expressed enthusiasm to once again be in a collaborative environment. They’re eager to be face-to-face with clients and colleagues in a professional environment. While others say it’s no longer conducive after making major life changes, such as a permanent move.

With the steady rise of inflation, war in the Ukraine, uncertain political divides and volatility of the crypto market by the beginning of Q3, hiring began to slow down. Companies were only recruiting for critical roles or backfilling roles where they had lost talent to another company who had yet to move to a more conservative hiring approach. Offers were reduced by 10-20% from just a few months prior, funding decreased dramatically and there was a larger influx of talent. Thus candidates reconsidered their positions and were far less eager to make a transition. This shifted the hiring market back from candidate driven to company driven.

Due to over-hiring for the past two years, tension in many environments and pressure on the global economy, companies reacted sharply with massive layoffs, hiring freezes and a pause on spending by the beginning of Q4. From startups to Fortune 50 companies, we have seen a significant change. With rumblings of an impending recession, we have returned to uncertain times.

With layoffs at some of the top organizations in the world, premier engineering talent has become available. The type of talent everyone wants to hire. Many organizations simply can not hire right now. The ones who can, have a major advantage with today’s exceptional talent pool. As candidates evaluate new offers, they are focusing on stability vs. high salaries.

Will this be a shallow recession? We certainly hope so. Key indicators are reflecting that it shouldn’t last terribly long, with prosperity naturally following it. When technology is core to your business, you can only afford to go so long without bringing in new talent before it starts to affect your product development and the business overall. So will we get out of this time of uncertainty? Of course! We always do. 2022 has been truly a roller coaster ride for us all. We wish you and yours a healthy and prosperous 2023! We look forward to connecting once again in the new year.

Knowing when it’s finally time to leave a company can be confusing to decipher. How can you truly know it is the end and there is no turning back? You ask yourself…Is it your outlook that has shifted? Can you make some adjustments to make it all better? We speak to people all day long about their interest in making a job transition. A few themes resurface time and time again. So we’re sharing the top four signs to make a job change now.

You feel negative emotions about work including boredom, exhaustion and frustration.

Do you wake up in the morning with a pit in your stomach at the thought of spending your day at work? If a sense of dread permeates you because you are so disengaged with your current work environment, this is a loud signal prompting you to move on. Several factors can cause such a reaction, including an abusive boss or coworkers, apathy from years of executing the same tasks and a lack of sense of purpose. Are you dragging yourself through projects you were once inspired by and feel yourself fading during meetings? A more subtle feeling of fatigue throughout the day is also a sign your position is no longer the right fit for you. When discussing living without passion, people will often say Life is too short. Very true. At the same time, life can also be very long to waste months or even years feeling bad about a correctable situation, such as a job transition.

Flashback to when you accepted the position and all the ambition you felt about what you wanted to achieve in your new role. Fast forward a few years and you have attained everything you initially wanted. Perhaps you were striving for a particular title or a certain level of compensation or even gaining specialized experience leading a project…you’ve checked all the boxes. You have accomplished everything you set out to do and now you are ready for the next challenge. Before resigning, we encourage you to have a conversation with your manager or HR about new options internally. There may be a solution on the horizon you are unaware of. If you’ve already exhausted all your opportunities at your current company, it’s time to look ahead and make a change.

Humans need progress to feel a sense of purpose. You may be stellar in your role and compensated handsomely for it. You can be well-liked and respected amongst your peers and superiors. All of this may be true and yet you still feel stagnant because you are no longer evolving as an employee. You’ve taken all the training offered and maximize your potential with the scope of the position. Once again, we recommend having conversations internally about securing a new role. Even if it is a position on the same level, however you’re acquiring new experience, it may be worth exploring to round out your skill set. However, if you’ve initiated the conversation and your needs have not been met, it is time to update your resume and make a move.

Reactions and performance while working in a toxic environment can vary dramatically amongst employees. Additionally, how we define toxic in 2022 can have multiple interpretations. Your ethics could be compromised because of unscrupulous business practices. The team you work with could be dishonest or divisive. Your superiors can be demeaning and affect your self-confidence. Once you feel your workplace is unhealthy, don’t hesitate, make a swift exit. The longer anyone works in an adverse situation, the more damaging the long-term effects can be on your career and your health.

So you’ve decided to leave your position. Now what? With the conclusion of any chapter of your life, there can be feelings of loss. A job transition is no different…it can be quite emotional and overwhelming. Reach out to Averity and you will not be alone. We’re in your corner! Our team is here to partner with you as you take the next step in your career. We’ll review your resume, your preferences for your next role, interview prep and salary negotiation. If you’re considering a job change and want to talk before taking the leap, contact us…we’re here to help.

With an increasing demand for filling positions and a short supply of qualified candidates, companies are closely examining all aspects of their recruiting strategies. Employer branding is an essential element of attracting and hiring premium talent. Many people default to thinking of consumer branding, the narrative surrounding your products and services. Although your products/services may be stellar, it doesn’t tell a candidate why they want to work for your firm. Employer branding encompasses the full employment experience and answers the question, “Why Join Us?”

According to LinkedIn, 75% of job seekers consider an employer’s brand before even applying for a job. So start by asking the question, “How do potential hires see your company?” To gain insight, discuss with recruiters feedback about your firm from candidates. Closely examine exit interviews for recurring themes amongst former employees. Also, monitor trending comments on social media platforms, including Glassdoor.

Once you have a clear understanding of your placement in the market, you can set a vision for the standing you want to establish in the future. Generate a survey to employees and meet with senior leadership to discuss, What makes your organization unique? What are your corporate values & behaviors? What is your company mission?

The responses to this exercise will lay the foundation of the principles of your Employee Value Proposition (EVP), which will serve as the cornerstone of your employer brand.

Your EVP can address topics such as work-life balance, growth philosophy, inclusion and well-being. The values candidates are emphasizing as priorities have shifted post-pandemic.

Also consider segmenting your messaging based on the role you are recruiting for. What is important to a Senior Engineer may differ from what is appealing to a Director of Software Engineering. So be mindful of which points of your EVP to accentuate in communications surrounding specific positions.

Now that your EVP and Employer Brand Story is finalized, blogs, videos, photos and case studies are powerful ways to share it. Strive for a consistent tone and voice across all platforms including your website, external job portals, social media and HR correspondence. Additionally, it is crucial that your messaging be aligned from senior leadership down. Your employees can be your best company advocates!

After you’ve spent all this time and energy to hire the best and brightest talent, their initial experience as an employee is critical. By establishing a smooth transition and welcoming environment, you will confirm your firm’s reputation is accurate, immediately gain a certain degree of trust and inspire their best efforts. We recommend your recruiting team be an active part of the process.

Consistent and honest communication with your recruiters can benefit your branding efforts. Our team sees the importance of sharing candidate feedback with the companies we partner with. It shines a light on an outsider’s perspective when interacting with your company and provides information about your reputation in the marketplace. We are here to support all the firms we work with and encourage open communication on a regular basis. Let’s discuss how we can help and connect with us here.

Winning the top candidate for an open position at your company mirrors the delicate dance of courtship. Timing, communication and creating an overall smooth experience are contributing factors if there will be an ideal match. If you are about to begin the hiring process, we recommend focusing on the following areas of concentration:

From composing the job description through the onboarding, concise communication is paramount. When drafting the job post, be sure to address the following points:

A thorough recruiting listing embodying the values of your company and the requirements for the position will maximize your chances of finding the optimal candidate.

Once the candidate has applied, be sure to connect throughout the entire process. Send an automatic notification once their application has been received and promptly schedule an interview within 48 hours. Throughout the series of interviews be transparent about the process and how many rounds of interviews there will be. Top candidates don’t want to muddle through a lot of information to figure out where they stand or chase down people for next steps.

Can a candidate easily apply to the job posting? If the application is lengthy and arduous, elite applicants will immediately be disenchanted and abandon their submission. If your application page has poor user interface or is lacking mobile friendly design, this will make the user experience negative and ultimately be a turn-off…especially for candidates applying in the tech sector! Your posting should not have a ton of pre-screening questions or other obstacles that will turn off top tier candidates. We recommend a 1-click application to ensure the experience is simple for candidates. Submitting their information with ease is the first positive interaction the applicant will have with your company.

As a candidate, particularly a technologist, preparation is everything! Does the candidate know who they will be interviewing with? Which topics should the candidate discuss with each interviewer? What does the candidate need to demonstrate to the interviewer to have a successful interview? Also, it’s helpful to include Linkedin profiles on meeting invites. Candidates will appreciate the additional information. Extra attention to such details will differentiate your company from your competitors.

Candidates will voice frustration when they don’t receive any feedback at the conclusion of an interview. This lack of communication will circulate quickly throughout tech circles. Even if a candidate had a terrible interview, we suggest politely and empathetically letting the candidate know they’re not the right fit for the job. You can share as much specific information as you like, but a simple yes or no, will go a long way. You never know when your paths will cross again in the future.

Finally, the onboarding process is a crucial part of the progression from candidate to employee. A well-defined path of form submission and credential verification (along with time frames on each) should be outlined as soon as the applicant receives their offer. A frustrating experience getting started sets a negative tone before the new recruit has even begun their first day of work. Establishing a friendly rapport and showcasing the efficiency of the processes within your company will demonstrate the high standards of your team. This will set the stage for an enthusiastic start and illustrate the excellent opportunity your leading recruit is about to embark on.

We always recommend during the time between resignation and start date, the hiring manager and future employee meet for a physical or virtual cup of coffee. This provides an opportunity to discuss expectations and review research for upcoming projects and impending timelines. This initial meeting is the first step to building a connection.

We deliver a concierge-style service experience with everyone we interact with a focus on your needs first.

During the qualification period, we dig deep into the interest and experience of the candidates. We also take the time to truly understand your company’s needs for the role and conduct our own research into your organization to properly pair you together.

This level of connection is maintained during interview coordination as well. Both the applicant and organization are well-prepped as to who they are meeting with. Throughout the interview rounds, both parties are kept up-to-date about offers and expectations. Such transparency keeps the guesswork (and ultimately frustration and anxiety) out of the experience for both sides.

Lastly, we remain present throughout the onboarding process to ensure it is effortless and establishes a solid foundation for the new working relationship.

Talent acquisition in the tech industry can be challenging. As a technical recruiting agency, Averity’s recruitment technology can help you focus on your core business while getting top tech talent.

Some uncertain market conditions are upon us, we’re still living with the residual effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and strong opinions about workplaces and work culture and the return to office rumors are looming everywhere. People are exhausted, afraid and nervous about the future. For some this has resulted in poor business practices. Primarily concerned with their quarterly bottom line, companies are cutting corners and skimping on client support.

According to NBC, 78% of consumers have contacted a company multiple times to address a single concern.

People are fatigued with businesses using Covid as an excuse for low-level performance. In a post-pandemic world, people have higher standards than ever before. They expect more from brands, especially when it comes to client service. They desire support on their time and expect companies to anticipate their needs. To keep pace with demand, companies are turning to self-service.

We’re seeing an increase in customer engagement via artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Much of the personalized, human touch has been eliminated from customer service with the rise of chatbots via messaging, text, or even speech. By 2024, consumer retail spend via chatbots worldwide will reach $142 billion—up from just $2.8 billion in 2019, according to Juniper Research.

This focus on improved client service by enhancing AI may not work across all industries. Clients want to partner with companies who treat them like humans and understand their core values and principles. 50% of consumers say the pandemic caused them to rethink their purpose and priorities according to Accenture. This applies not only to the companies where they spend their money, but where they make their money as well.

Poor service is leaving people feeling frustrated, hopeless and uninspired, particularly when it comes to work. The Great Resignation reflects how people are placing a great emphasis on a positive employee experience and are willing to make major life changes when they don’t get it.

When job seekers post on LinkedIn and work with some recruiters, they get listings spam emails, and keyword-based pitches that are not in-line with their experience or what they are looking to do next. Sometimes just to fill a position, recruiters will misplace applicants…essentially putting a square peg in a round hole. This leaves applicants feeling like they are not being heard and are partnering with someone who just wants to get the hire. It wastes the time of the candidate, company, and everyone involved in a stressful situation of hiring or looking for their next job. This doesn’t have to be the standard.

Averity is a people first organization. Our goal is to work with candidates to help them build a career, not just take a job. We take the time to understand their vision, skills, abilities and desired compensation at the beginning of the search. Throughout the interviewing process, we keep the lines of communication open and transparent. Time is valuable and we want to make sure efforts are well placed and no hours are wasted on a fruitless pursuit.

The Averity culture is one based on service…not algorithms. Humans need to speak to other humans to gather genuine feedback and evaluate interest. A friendly tone and a face-with-a-name makes a remarkable difference when creating a connection with applicants and companies alike.

An established rapport is a contributing factor throughout the offer process. As the intermediary between candidates and companies, an authentic relationship can make a significant difference in the subtle nuances of a successful negotiation.

“Something that is extremely important to everyone at Averity is to understand the people we interact with as human beings as well as their tech skills,” said Alex Dubovoy Executive Vice President. “We take the time to understand what’s important to them (and that is different for everyone) and work together to match those key factors when we discuss their next career move. Changing jobs is stressful enough. We are dedicated to making things as stress-free as possible. That is a core value for the Averity Team”

Collaboration is at the core of everything we do. Our team is diverse, supportive and respectful of each other and everyone we work with. By joining efforts we can see different perspectives, which leads to a premium experience for both our organization and our clients. People hire people, and relationships are much more important than transactions.

When Jenny Wong talks about her last job, she calls it her “previous life.” Her academic research was gratifying and taught her a lot, but she felt a little isolated working in the lab. She wanted to be able to leverage the technical skills she picked up in academia while interacting with people on a day-to-day basis.

She found her dream job with ActionIQ, which helps enterprise companies use data to improve their customer experience. We talked with her about her decision to change industries, how it changed the trajectory of her career, and finding a great partner with Averity.

Congratulations on your new promotion with ActionIQ! How long have you been with the company?

I started here as a field engineer a little over two years ago and have since moved into a management role.

I started off looking by myself. I focused my efforts on opportunities where I could make a connection either with someone on the team or someone on the hiring side. Then I met Stephanie Grosso, who has been my main point of contact at Averity. She took me through the whole process, identifying a job that might be a good fit based off of the conversation that we had.

The process was even better than I had anticipated. I told Stephanie that my experience was on the technical side of things, but that I knew that I liked the customer-facing aspects as well. She found a position that was a bit of both. I have nothing but good things to say about my experience.

Yes! She’s been a sounding board for me. If I had anything to talk about, either during the application process or even after I was starting off in the new job, she made it very clear that I could reach out to her. It was a pleasant surprise that she would offer her help even after I secured the position.

Stephanie really goes above and beyond. She’s always been there for me, even when I applied for the manager role at my current company. She has been such an important part of my journey. I think of her as a career mentor.

Stacey Ustian admits that she struggled to land her first job in the tech sector. She had left her previous job so that she could teach herself the skills she needed to become a data engineer. Feeling like she was finally ready, she jumped into the job market.

“All I did for nine months straight was apply and interview for jobs,” she said. “You go into these interviews and they want people with experience. Of course, I didn’t have it because I was changing careers. I wasn’t having great success.”

On LinkedIn, Stacey started getting messages from recruiters who obviously didn’t have a clue about her career goals.

“Once you mark yourself as ‘open to work’ on LinkedIn, you get all sorts of things from recruiters,” she said. “I would get these messages about the roles that they were recruiting for, and they were totally irrelevant.”

Then Stacey connected with the team here at Averity, and everything changed. Within a couple of weeks she had interviews with three companies eager to make her an offer, including the place she decided on, ActionIQ.

I love telling people this story because it emphasizes the fact that when it comes to finding a job in the tech field, you shouldn’t go at it alone. Finding the right job is a challenge even when the economy is humming along. At a time like today, with so much economic uncertainty, it’s much tougher.

We’ve been talking with a lot of people in the tech industry who landed their current job with Averity. They all agreed with Stacey that having the right recruiter makes the job search easier. But they also mentioned several other reasons that they will always use a recruiter.

Are you nervous about the interview process? Maybe, like Stacey, you’re changing careers. Or maybe, like engineer Eleanor Schlechter, you haven’t sat face-to-face with a hiring manager for a while.

“I hadn’t gone through the interview process in a very long time,” she said. “I didn’t really know what to expect, especially because I was in a later stage of my career.”

When Eleanor partnered with Averity, we walked her through the entire process. We let her know exactly who she would be interviewing with, what the process would be like, what she needed to demonstrate to have a successful interview, and when she was likely to hear back from the company.

Something very important after you take the time to do either one interview or 5 interviews is feedback. We’ve heard so many stories of candidates doing anywhere between one round to four rounds of interviews, and never hearing about how they did and any specifics. How should a job seeker ever improve their interviewing skills if they don’t receive constructive feedback about their previous interview? This is a very important step that often gets overlooked. “Averity was definitely helpful in prepping me for interviews, but also calling me immediately afterward and asking how it went and offering me feedback,” Eleanor said. “I wasn’t sitting alone in my room wondering what I should do next.”

One of the most stressful parts on interviewing is negotiating things like salary and benefits. Data scientist Shawn Squire said that working with Averity made that part of the process a breeze.

“They handled most of the back and forth with the company,” he said. “And they negotiated for me and I was extremely happy with the result”

When she was looking for a job, field engineering manager Jenny Wong knew she wanted someone who would serve as a sounding board. She said she found that in Averity’s Stephanie Grosso.

“If I had anything to talk about, either during the application process or even after I was starting off in the new job, she made it very clear that I could reach out to her,” she said. “It was a pleasant surprise that she would offer her help even after I secured the position. Stephanie really goes above and beyond.”

One mistake that many job seekers make is only looking for positions at their current level. A recruiter can evaluate your skills and let you know what other types of jobs you should consider. They can also encourage you to think outside the box.

Data analyst James Falasca said that because he had spent so many years in healthcare, he never would have considered another field. Averity’s Mark Howland encouraged him to think about a job in media.

“He approached me about some of the openings at NBCUniversal,” James said. “I told him that I didn’t know if I had the right skills. He said, ‘James, just put your resume in and let’s see what happens. The worst thing they can say is no.’ So without him encouraging me, I would have never thought to apply, especially to a company like NBCUniversal.”

At Averity, we aren’t just trying to help people find a job. We’re helping them build a career. That’s why our focus is on building connections with them that last a lifetime.

Engineer Eleanor Schlechter knew what she wanted in a new job. But more importantly, she knew what she didn’t want. She considers herself a “jack of all trades,” and being stuck in a job with a narrow set of responsibilities wasn’t appealing.

With the help of Averity, Schlechter found the perfect fit at a private equity firm called Insight Partners. We talked with her about her job search, why she went with a recruiter, and the benefits of a “collaborative” process.

Congrats on the new job! You’ve been at Insight Partners just a couple of weeks, right?

Yeah, I think I’m on week four. It’s been absolutely amazing. I couldn’t have asked for a better fit.

It’s been awesome because there are no limits on what I can do. There are no guardrails, really. I can work on data science stuff, but I can also do data engineering backend work as well.

I had been working there for about five or six years. I could see that they were making changes across all their business units that had people bucketed to specific tasks. I had jumped around trying to avoid being touched by it, but finally it spread across the entire firm. So it was time for me to look elsewhere.

I knew I was looking for this unicorn role. There aren’t many jobs out there that give you the flexibility I wanted. I was very pleased and impressed that Averity was able to find one.

I had started looking around to see what was out there, but I hadn’t made any moves to start interviewing anywhere. Stephanie Grosso at Averity is the one who reached out to me and got the ball rolling.

Most recruiters will start with something vague like, “We have a perfect opportunity for you.” At Averity, they were more direct, telling me exactly what the opportunity was and what I could expect. Any questions that I had, they were very quick to answer. That’s why I chose to move forward with Averity.

They were a great sounding board. I hadn’t gone through the interview process in a very long time. I didn’t really know what to expect, especially because I was in a later stage of my career. They were definitely helpful in prepping me for interviews, but also calling me immediately afterward and asking how it went and offering me feedback. I wasn’t sitting alone in my room wondering what I should do next.

When I told Stephanie that I was looking for this very specific type of job, she talked about it with a few different people on the Averity team. Jennifer Magley brought up the position with Insight Partners. After that, it was always the three of us on the call. It was a very collaborative process.

Averity says that “people hire people.” Is that how this process felt to you?

They definitely were there for me. I felt like I was talking to my best friend about a job. It was definitely very personal and very easy.

There are thousands of jobs and hundreds of companies that might match your ideal position to varying degrees. Today, that number is exponentially higher than ever before with the option to work remotely. Your job search used to start with where you live or where you want to live but now it’s no longer limited to your location!

At Averity we want to make your job search easier and to do that you have to make it more meaningful. We present: The Job Hunter’s Playbook.

Your job search starts with you. The first play begins with looking at yourself and what story you want to tell. Divided into five sections we give you the rundown on what to do before, during and after your interview.

Don’t get overwhelmed with the vast job market in front of you. Break it down, take it step by step and by the end you’ll feel more confident in your search, in your interview, and eventually in your job choice.

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