This talent market is crazy...
Discover more from Golden Gate Recruits
This talent market is crazy...
Tips on the hiring process for startups and candidates, plus some exciting news
Hey folks!
Hard to believe it’s September already—where did the summer go?
As some of you may know, since our last newsletter, we have a new addition to the GGR family...literally! 👶
I became a dad this summer 🥰 and took some much-needed time off for paternity leave. Now I’m back, and we’re cruising into fall with some reflections on the year and a bunch of awesome roles we’re working on.
As ever, if you’re interested or know anyone who might be, shoot us a message!
❤️ Phil and the Golden Gate team
Thoughts from Nick:
It’s been almost a year since I joined GGR, and the first half of 2021 has been a busy period of startup hiring, so I thought I'd share a few musings about my foray into the complex and rewarding world of people and talent.
Dear startups,
tldr: the talent market is crazy! Candidates have lots of options and a slow interview process is the most common reason for losing candidates.
Highest priority things you can do to increase candidate conversion + interest:
Move high priority candidates through quickly. We're seeing more and more candidates get 'swiped' late by other companies when processes stall.
Focus on building rapport the entire way (not just in final stages). This means introducing them to executive leaders, investors, and peers to give them a sense of the team and culture.
Expect to sell. Candidates are shopping around. You still need to evaluate the candidates—but simultaneously need to demonstrate that you are the right fit for them.
Why is this? Startup funding is BOOMING like never before with over $150 billion in funding in North America alone during the first half of 2021. With more companies hiring—who have more money than ever to pay for talent—and with everyone looking to hire from the same pool of great candidates, competition is high. This means that compensation is going up (stay tuned for our 2021 compensation survey…) and companies need to fight for the candidates that they love.
Dear candidates,
tldr: Prepare for interviews ahead of time. The top reason that companies decline candidates is that they aren’t convinced the candidate has shown interest and prepared well.
Founders can quickly sniff out weak answers to simple questions like “What interests you in our company?” Before diving into an interview, think about both what you can bring to the company, why you want them, and why they should want you.
A few tips to help you prep:
Click through their website as if you were a prospective customer.
Look on LinkedIn at the backgrounds of CEO, hiring manager, and executive team.
Check out Crunchbase for how much money they’ve raised (if they’re public, look at their latest 10Q).
Prepare a few specific questions to ask about how their business model works and what their growth plans are.
Open Roles
Here are a handful of the roles we’re working on, but we’ve got even more to check out on our Openings Page.
Attentive [eCommerce Solution]: Chief of Staff
Replit [Collaborative Software]: Head of BizOps
Searchlight [Hiring Software]: Head of Ops
Contentful [Digital Content Platform]: BizOps & Strategy
Homeward [Prop Tech]: BizOps
Cedar [Health Tech Communications]: Client Strategy Director
Volunteer Opportunity
We saw this cool volunteer opportunity and wanted to share it…
HBCU 20x20 is a nonprofit working to increase career development opps and job access for Black students and are looking for companies to join their Mock Interview Program, which starts in October.