Talent acquisition professionals are some of the most discerning job candidates in tech. Managing recruitment, telling a company’s story and connecting with candidates is their bread and butter, after all. So when a recruiter takes the leap with a new employer, you know that company must be doing something right.
So what do recruiting professionals look for in a potential employer? According to recently hired talent acquisition leaders at Everly Health, Fabric and Earnest, it’s a combination of a company’s mission, a demonstrated commitment to DEI and an interviewing process that demonstrates a level of care for the experience of candidates — and therefore, employees.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Read on to learn more about how to attract and retain top talent, according to three recently hired talent acquisition leaders.
How to create core values that will inspire your workforce.
Background: Through healthtech subsidiaries like Everlywell, Everly Health Solutions and EverlyDx, virtual diagnostics-driven care company Everly Health provides at-home testing services for everything from fertility to food sensitivity, Lyme disease, HIV and more. Demand for the Austin company’s services exploded during the pandemic, prompting a $175 million funding round and two acquisitions.
As a talent acquisition professional, you’ve probably seen every move in the book. What part of your new company’s interviewing and hiring processes stood out to you?
A few things stand out to me about our process. First, our commitment to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. DEI is very important to us at Everly Health, and we want to continue building on that commitment. We ensure each interview panel is built with a diverse panel and interview pipeline to support that goal. Second, we have a project round interview as part of our interviewing process. Project-based interviews set us apart as we give candidates a chance to showcase their skills and abilities while giving them a real-life example of things they will have the opportunity to work on at Everly Health and its subsidiary brands, such as Everlywell and Everly Health Solutions. Lastly, we want everyone to have an outstanding candidate experience. We know how tough getting top talent is so we take the candidate experience very seriously. Whether they join our family or not, we want everyone to leave with a positive experience.
“Over the last two years, we have grown from 90 employees to nearly 600.”
What do you look for in a potential employer?
I personally look at the company’s mission and values. Being in talent acquisition, I find that it is really important to be on the same page as the company you want to work for. If you are attracting top talent to join you, you can hear the difference if you are passionate and educated about the company’s mission, culture and roadmap.
I also look for a company that values its employees and invests in them, both personally and professionally. I am a very career-driven person and appreciate when I have the opportunity to continue developing myself and my career.
What are your team’s goals over the next 12 months, and how do you differentiate yourself from competitors in the hiring space?
My team’s goal is to hire even more talent acquisition partners so we can continue to grow the rest of the Everly Health, Everlywell and Everly Health Solutions teams. Over the last two years, we have grown from 90 employees to nearly 600, and in order to support the growth of the Everly Health team, we need even more incredible recruiters. I truly believe we differentiate ourselves from competitors in the hiring space by staying true to our company values.
Background: Fabric helps mid-sized brands compete with the world’s largest e-commerce companies. The company offers a modular “headless” platform, which means businesses can use the entire Fabric stack or choose the most relevant tools for its needs. Fabric raised $100 million in July, with a reported valuation of $850 million.
What part of your new company’s interviewing and hiring processes stood out to you?
A big differential for me was the personal way in which my interviews were conducted. My interviewers made a connection with me quickly and focused on opening the conversation for a two-way dialogue. They listened intently and asked questions not only about my experience but also made the bridge to what the biggest opportunities are at Fabric and where my skill set would help them grow. The approach allowed me to start to envision how I could have a positive impact at Fabric and gave me confirmation that my experience would benefit the company’s growth story.
“I want to know that I will be able to have an impact and that my views, experience and perspectives will be welcomed and encouraged.”
What do you look for in a potential employer?
There are a few things I look for in a potential employer. First is whether I believe I will be challenged. Each role I’ve taken — some outside of my comfort zone — I have done so for the opportunity to learn, grow and push myself to be better. I am a big believer in being a lifelong learner — even a bit of a risk-taker — and I focus on approaching opportunities with a growth mindset.
Second, I look for organizations that value HR as a true partner. I want to know that I will be able to have an impact and that my views, experience and perspectives will be welcomed and encouraged. Many companies say they want HR at the table, but then fall short when it’s game time. I look for examples through my conversations to help me assess whether the organizational leaders truly value diverse perspectives and to ensure I won’t have to go through a process to earn the right to share my opinion. I also want to have an impact in transforming from where they are today to where they want to be in the future. Those opportunities thrill me.
What are your team’s goals over the next 12 months, and how do you differentiate yourself from competitors in the hiring space?
We have a very big vision for what we want to contribute to Fabric. Given our startup status, there is certainly a balance between bringing in the right infrastructure at the right time to support our growth. This company is simply on fire, moving from seed round to A and B in a year’s time. With that growth comes the need to become a bit more structured in how we do things. And I’m a huge fan of leveraging technology wherever possible when it makes sense, so we have a compelling roadmap to bring in technology to support the core HR operations. We are also reviewing leveling, compensation, benefits, learning and development, talent management and onboarding. It is a ton of work and a ton of fun building and creating an experience that applicants and employees love, and I know the stellar people team we have now is up for the challenge.
Background: Earnest provides student loans, with the goal of making a college education attainable for everyone regardless of their financial circumstances. In doing so, the company takes multiple factors into account beyond the credit score — which tends to dominate considerations at established financial institutions — like savings, education and even earning potential.
What part of your new company’s interviewing and hiring processes stood out to you?
One of the many things that stood out to me during our hiring process was our emphasis on the candidate experience. They were consistently checking in on how I was feeling, making accommodations to my schedule and even added in an interview panel when I had a few more questions. The other thing that really stood out was each candidate does an interview with someone on a cross-functional team and an executive. This is a great opportunity to meet others you may be working with and get a high-level perspective on where the company is headed. I found these two interview panels to be the most insightful.
“We are rapidly growing to accommodate our growing client base and vision, and we need strong TA members to support that!”
What do you look for in a potential employer?
For my next move, I was looking for a company that had two main focus areas. The first was: is it a mission focused organization? Earnest's mission of making college affordable in the time it takes to earn your degree is one I instantly wanted to be a part of since it affects so many of us. I was also looking for a company that had a strong culture and supported its employees. Earnest’s cultural values — which include a strong focus on DEI efforts— really align with my own.
What are your team’s goals over the next 12 months, and how do you differentiate yourself from competitors in the hiring space?
Our goals are aggressive over the next 12 months. We are rapidly growing to accommodate our growing client base and vision, and we need strong TA members to support that! We differentiate ourselves as a company in the fact that we are fully remote and mission-driven, and we differentiate ourselves as TA professionals in that we really care about our candidates and strive to offer a high-touch candidate experience.
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