Top Tech Sectors to Watch in 2023

In 2022, talks of a possible recession and layoffs dominated headlines. But companies are now pivoting by reducing or realigning their workforce as the tech industry readjusts to new technologies (and new opportunities) for growth.

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Bolstered by a growing demand for cloud-based technology, machine learning tools, blockchain technology (and more), we predict that the following 7 tech sectors will dominate over the next 12 months:


Hottest Tech Sectors to Watch in 2023

1. Cybersecurity is a Safe Bet

The threat of online security breaches and the hacking of personal information continues to influence the tech sector as cybersecurity is expected to grow globally by 14% before 2029 (Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd.).

As many organizations move away from network-centric security towards a multi-cloud strategy, the need for more secure networks is fueling a greater demand for cloud-based data security. And the job market can’t keep up: 43% of organizations globally are struggling to find top talent, leading to an even greater reliance on automation and managed security tools.

“43% of organizations globally are struggling to find top talent, leading to an even greater reliance on automation and managed security tools.”

2. A Blockchain Boost

Cryptocurrency has traditionally dominated the blockchain space. Due to the mass adoption of Web3.0, experts predict that blockchain will add $6.097 trillion to the global economy by 2030, a big part of which is decentralized finance.

This technology is also infiltrating retail, media, and entertainment. Analysts predict that decentralized finance will become more prominent within traditional banking, financial services, and the insurance sector.

3. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Gets Real

As machine learning and automation become increasingly more integral to service-based industries, AI software sales are booming. According to data compiled by Gartner, the AI software market increased by 21% since 2021, and workers with AI experience—especially in senior or leadership roles—are in high demand.

Many companies are utilizing AI to increase productivity and profits. Some 92% of large companies utilizing AI reported high returns on their AI investments. AI has the power to ease the stress felt by workers by eliminating menial tasks, freeing them up to focus on more thoughtful areas of their jobs.

4. AR/VR Become a Common Source of Connection

While the Metaverse still appears to be a distant reality, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) look set to get further ingrained into our everyday lives. This is especially true for remote workers who will rely on AR and VR to help them connect with their teams.

5. Vitals Remain Strong in HealthTech

The HealthcareTech sector saw better overall improvement than most this year. Not surprising considering HealthTech companies proved critical value during the pandemic. This will likely translate into more success in 2023.

Additionally, the current workforce is accustomed to mental health checkups from home, and they expect this perk to continue as companies insist they return to the office. Preventative healthcare was also a highlight, buoyed by innovations that assisted with detecting and managing chronic diseases.

6. Sustainability Tech Maintains Momentum

ClimateTech remains a popular category among young tech talent. Though comparatively less capital flowed into the sector overall last year, median valuation grew 41%. The Inflation Reduction Act pledged $370B to combat climate change which should help the sector remain strong in 2023.

Globally, people are deeply focused on the environment. Tech companies are responding with environmentally friendly products and processes popular with both consumers and talent.

7. EdTech Teaches Us a New Way To Learn

EducationTech got a significant pandemic bump. That momentum continues in 2023 as educators and families adapt to a generation of children familiar with remote learning. More than 70% of colleges launched new online undergrad programs in the past few years, and nearly 2/3 of teachers in the U.S. use digital tools daily. Industry growth is projected to be $100B by 2025.


Suffice it to say, the tech sector is poised for new expansion and dynamic growth in 2023—even in the midst of economic uncertainty and layoff headlines.

About the Author

Vince Dorazio has 20+ years of experience in the recruiting and tech industry. He is currently the Founder & CEO of UpRecruit, a recruiting platform that intelligently matches tech talent to innovative companies. He has a passion for the start-up community and serves as a mentor, advisor, and board member to multiple SaaS companies and non-profits.

Q1 ’23 Hiring Outlook: Steady Growth Ahead

As 2022 began, employers were optimistic about the expanding workforce. Monster’s Future of Work Report shared that 93% of companies planned to hire in 2022, up 11% from the prior year. As offices reopened, supply chain bottlenecks dissipated, and hiring commenced.

Employment reached pre-2020 levels by July 2022, and the unemployment rate dropped to 3.5%. Despite people returning to work, however, their wallets (and careers) took a hit. We saw consumer prices rise 8.5% YoY, resulting in 80% of the US workforce reporting inflation was impacting their lives and their career decisions.

With a recession on peoples’ collective minds, we’ve compiled a forecast of labor market (and recruiting) trends to watch as we close out Q4 and look ahead to 2023.


The State of The Labor Market

  1. It’s Still a Candidate’s Market
    Today, candidates have a myriad of employment suitors. Companies need to be prepared to tempt talent with generous compensation and benefits packages, as well as company culture and personal incentives.

  2. Upskilling/Reskilling Your Existing Workforce
    If you’re not in a position to hire, consider grooming up your existing team. According to a recent survey, 72% of US employees said that they were likely or very likely to stay with their current employer should reskilling/upskilling be offered (Randstad 2022 Employer Brand Research).

  3. Surprisingly, People Still Want to Change Jobs
    Even with recession fears, 40% of US workers said they plan on leaving their job in the coming months (McKinsey’s 2022 Great Attrition Survey). To combat this, ensure you are offering every available advantage to your current workforce, and check in with them periodically to gauge employee satisfaction.

“Even with recession fears, 40% of US workers said they plan on leaving their job in the coming months.”

Keeping Talent Happy

The workforce has made their disdain loud and clear. In 2022 unions formed at Amazon, Starbucks, and Apple to empower workers to ask collectively for higher pay, benefits, and better working conditions. Additionally, ‘quiet quitting’ has become the latest workforce trend—where employees put in the bare minimum effort in their place of work due to unmanageable workloads, unclear input from managers, lack of support, or unreasonable expectations.

Monster economist Giacomo Santangelo says, “Companies need to create opportunities for people to feel like they belong, where they feel [empowered to] do their best work and have clear opportunities for career progression.” Employers must prioritize employee mental health and find ways to address these issues. Gutz’s advice: “…create a culture of appreciation for work-life balance with solutions for people who are struggling.”

 

“Companies need to create opportunities for people to feel like they belong, where they feel [empowered to] do their best work and have clear opportunities for career progression.”

– Monster economist, Giacomo Santangelo

6 Job Market Industries to Watch in 2023

Given the current economic climate, here are the six industries we expect to boom in 2023:

  1. Professional/Business Services
    A trend expected to continue well into 2023, the professional and business services sector is currently up almost one million workers above its pre-2020 levels.

  2. Healthcare
    With an aging Baby Boomer population and the loss of nurses who started new careers, the healthcare industry faces a serious nursing shortage.

  3. Trucking
    Last year’s shortage of more than 80,000 drivers was an all-time high that could double by 2030. The American Trucking Association plans to recruit a million new drivers by 2032.

  4. Warehouse and Delivery
    By early 2023, global e-commerce sales are expected to increase to $5.4 trillion (and $6 trillion in 2024) so demand for warehouse workers and delivery drivers should increase.

  5. Air Transportation
    Airline staffing shortages are projected to last through 2023, as current data shows high demand for airline-related positions.

  6. Construction
    Jobs in the construction industry rose in 2022 with 82,000 more jobs than in February 2020, and this number is only expected to go up.

Conclusion: 2023 is going to be a roller coaster year due to economic/recession-related stress, labor market challenges, and general national unease. Stay tuned for ongoing resources from UpRecruit to help you stay informed and make proactive—and effective—hiring decisions.

About the Author

Vince Dorazio has 20+ years of experience in the recruiting and tech industry. He is currently the Founder & CEO of UpRecruit, a recruiting platform that intelligently matches tech talent to innovative companies. He has a passion for the start-up community and serves as a mentor, advisor, and board member to multiple SaaS companies and non-profits.

A Guide to Conducting Effective Tech Interviews

Technical job interviews are an important part of the hiring process for managers in the technology, computer science, and engineering fields. These interviews include assessments and technical questions that test a candidate’s role-related skills and can be particularly useful when niche tech roles are on the line.

No one knows this better than Neil Roseman, the former Technology VP for Amazon and Zynga. Niel has interviewed hundreds of tech candidates and has shared 4 insightful tips on how he evaluates technical talent:


1. Change Your Approach

Many recruiters make hiring decisions based on basic credentials, Ivy League college educations, GPAs, or high-level questions. Niel states that while these are good benchmarks, hiring a candidate involves a much deeper dive into who they are, what they have accomplished, and what they have to offer.

Roseman states recruiters should, “…carefully curate each step in the interview process to elicit detailed information on skill sets, actual accomplishments, cultural fit, and leadership potential.” This encourages candidates to have open dialogue about their job experiences and give the interviewer a better idea of their overall fit.

2. Dig Deeper Than the Resume

When screening resumes, Roseman looks for areas where he can push candidates to expand on existing skill sets. “I always look for how they measure their success, especially if they make comparisons or use percentages like ‘I grew revenue by 50% or I decreased downtime by 30%.’”

Instead of taking things at face value, find out what the applicant did in previous roles. Roseman notes that sometimes when high-level assertions like these appear on resumes, the person hasn’t actually done them or was only a participant and knew very little about the process. Top applicants can always explain and back up their statements, regardless of how deep your inquiries go.

3. Craft Smart Questions

Niel stresses that drafting curated technical interview questions is vital.

Your team should start by evaluating the job description and high-level skills required for the job, then research interview content on platforms like Glassdoor™ and Quora™ for inspiration. You can borrow questions from these sources and customize them to your organization.

Your team can then drill down into what granular questions to ask and what the ideal answers are. Roseman loves questioning engineering applicants on product design, saying “…great engineers should be more than order takers; they should be actively involved in product creation.”

Additionally, design questions that can help you learn how a candidate thinks. Niel suggests drilling applicants on specific previous products they’ve worked on or asking them to create a short portfolio presentation to determine their competency.

4. Assemble Your Hiring Team

Your hiring team helps you determine the quality of the individuals you hire. Every candidate necessitates careful consideration, so leaders must train interviewers and examine their decision-making processes. The feedback given by a hiring team should be concise and conclusive.

It’s vital to keep this statement in mind when training your hiring team:

  • Don’t waste your time, the company’s time, and the candidate’s time by not offering detailed feedback. If, after the end of an interview, all you can say is “I kind of liked them, I think they’d be good,” everyone’s time has been wasted.

Generic answers to interview questions lead to ambiguity among team members, so be precise about what you like and don’t like about a prospect.


Here’s a distilled list of hiring rules to consider:

  • Scrub the candidate’s résumé beforehand to understand their experience

  • Alleviate everyone’s nerves by starting with proper introductions

  • Have predetermined questions to help your hiring team recognize excellent responses right away

  • Give plenty of time to complete any hands-on assessments (if applicable)

  • Make a high-level inquiry. Examine how people think about the ‘big picture’ especially when it comes to tech projects

Modern recruiters should always take a holistic approach by evaluating a tech candidate’s talent, culture fit, and future growth potential. That said, the technical interview is by far the most efficient way to determine individual skill fit per role. With the 4 guidelines outlined above, you’re on the right track to finding the best fit for your next open tech role.

About the Author

Vince Dorazio has 20+ years of experience in the recruiting and tech industry. He is currently the Founder & CEO of UpRecruit, a recruiting platform that intelligently matches tech talent to innovative companies. He has a passion for the start-up community and serves as a mentor, advisor, and board member to multiple SaaS companies and non-profits.

What is Product-Market Fit?

Whether service-based or product-focused, every new startup strives to achieve Product-Market Fit (or PMF). PMF is defined as the market demand for your product/service demonstrated by people buying it, using it, and telling others about it.

EXPLAINING PRODUCT-MARKET FIT

Product-Market fit is a term used by businesses to describe the alignment between their product’s value proposition and the needs of their target customers. There are different ways to measure PMF, but you’ll know you’ve achieved it when customers are enthusiastically buying, using, and sharing your deliverable.

Investor and Netscape co-founder Marc Andreessen popularized the term in a 2007 blog post where he stated “Product-market fit means being in a good market with a product that can satisfy market demand. You can always feel product-market fit when it’s happening. The customers are buying the product as fast as you can make it—or usage is growing as fast as you can add more servers. Money from customers is piling up in your checking account.”

 

“Product-market fit means being in a good market with a product that can satisfy that market.”

– Marc Andreessen, Investor and Netscape Co-founder

There are numerous ways to determine if a deliverable has PMF, but understanding why a product is even a good fit for your market is the first step.


The Importance of PMF

Venture capitalists often want evidence of PMF before investment. Marc Andreessen categorizes startups in two ways: before product-market fit and after. So, finding PMF creates opportunities for company growth as well as a chance to upsell to existing customers.

Achieving a Product-Market Fit

Finding PMF may look different depending on the product, service, or industry. Data mining from questionnaires can lead to valuable insight:

  • Establish Your Target Customer
    Identify your primary or core audience and discern what motivates them to buy or act

  • Identify Underserved Needs
    Ask what consumers are unhappy with, then position your company to address those needs

  • Define Value Proposition
    This is essentially understanding how your product can be better than competitors’ products

  • Minimum Viable Product Feature Set
    Every product needs to have a baseline of features before it’s released

  • Create a Beta
    Gain consumer feedback that can be applied to the next iteration of your product

  • Test With Customers
    Getting feedback from consumers is a crucial step to achieving product-market fit

Once responses to your questionnaires have been gathered, you can look for insight by which to determine PMF.

GAUGING PRODUCT-MARKET FIT

A common metric for determining whether you’ve achieved product-market fit is The Net Promoter Score (or NPS). This score is an indication of how likely a user is to recommend your product to others. On a scale of 1-10, those who rate your offering a six (6) or lower are called ‘detractors,’ those who give you a seven (7) or eight (8) are called ‘passives,’ and respondents who rate you a nine (9) or 10 are ‘promoters.’ These responses are then plugged into a formula for a score.

Mike Mason, a product manager at online grocery/delivery company Mercato, uses NPS to diagnose service gaps and PMF:

“We’ve never really seen a huge increase in the NPS just based on a feature we added,” Mason said. “It can be misleading, too, because you might have exceptional customer service but not a great product, or vice versa. It doesn’t tell the full story.”

Additionally, according to Alex Willen, a 10-year project management veteran of early-stage enterprise SaaS startups:

“People giving feedback may not be your end users; that is to say some respondents may not be the people paying for your service.”

While the NPS may not confirm PMF, it’s a useful measure of a company’s customer experience and perceived ethos.


So, whether you’re a startup or a mature enterprise innovating on an existing product, gauging product-market fit is essential for capturing viability and scaling your product or service.

About the Author

Vince Dorazio has 20+ years of experience in the recruiting and tech industry. He is currently the Founder & CEO of UpRecruit, a recruiting platform that intelligently matches tech talent to innovative companies. He has a passion for the start-up community and serves as a mentor, advisor, and board member to multiple SaaS companies and non-profits.

There’s No Recession in Hiring

If you’re looking for a new gig, be prepared to roll up those sleeves and do some homework. You might find yourself being more than a little confused by the current economy. Today’s job seekers, particularly those in tech, are in one of the most economically convoluted and confusing marketplaces we’ve seen in recent years.

To date, there are over 11.3 million job openings which, according to ComputerWorld, declares nearly two jobs for every person searching for work—equating to roughly 3.98 million tech industry opportunities alone.

So how did we get here?

Traditionally, companies have enacted hiring freezes and workforce cutbacks during times of economic uncertainty, and most workers stay put. However, as of March 2022, 8.6 million people quit their jobs. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number is close to the record pace set in 2021, a 20-year high (where nearly 48 million quit their jobs last year alone).

This is not normal recession behavior.

In fact, employers have been doing a lot to try to hang on to their existing workers by increasing wages, adding perks, and keeping layoffs at historic lows. If a recession is near, it’s one where employment doesn’t seem to be affected.

”There’s no recession in hiring.” – Marc Cenedella, CEO of Leet Resumes

 

If a recession is coming, why are there so many job openings?

Job openings remain high partly because companies have struggled to remain fully staffed amid the Great Resignation. Right now, it’s very difficult to hire and retain employees. And employers don’t want a repeat of 2020—when companies laid off scores of workers only to struggle to rehire them.

“There is a tendency not to overcorrect, especially given the challenges organizations have had around hiring in just the last year,” Lexi Clarke, head of people at compensation data company Payscale™, said. “This is a time to be proactive and think about the long-term impact of [hiring] decisions related to talent.”

There’s also been a cultural shift that’s made quitting more palatable, as people now search for more personal perks like work-life balance, workplace amenities, meaning, and purpose.

Can employees use the hiring shortfall to get more money or better benefits?

It seems so. Not only are employers still hiring, but they’re also offering higher pay, perks, and signing/retention bonuses. ManpowerGroup’s clients, which include Fortune 500 companies, offer tuition reimbursement, remote work, gas subsidies, and four-day work weeks. This affects every industry, from tech to retail, and includes everything from health care to PTO.

The Society for Human Resource Management’s recent Employee Benefits Survey found that employers said every type of benefit (health benefits, retirement savings, paid leave, and flexibility) are more important today than before 2020. So, now is as good a time as any for workers to ask for better pay and benefits from an existing employer—or from a new one.

To quit or not to quit

An employee’s viability depends on their industry, qualifications, savings, and tolerance for uncertainty. So, it’s not a bad time to be looking for a new job.

Business-focused think tank The Conference Board discovered that while many company executives predict a recession by the end of 2023, they also say that attracting (and retaining) talent is part of their top long-term growth strategy.

So, while the high-profile layoffs, hiring freezes, and slowdowns at tech companies like Meta, Coinbase, Netflix, and Tesla are pivoting to deal with setbacks, these aren’t necessarily reasons to worry, since those only make up a tiny fraction of jobs in the economy.

According to Sean R. Gallagher, executive director at Northeastern University’s Center for the Future of Higher Education and Talent Strategy, “There are sectors that are just continuing to grow and structurally are going to need more workers.”

 

“There are sectors that are just continuing to grow and structurally are going to need more workers.”

– Sean R. Gallagher, executive director at Northeastern University’s Center for the Future of Higher Education and Talent Strategy

When do we get back to normal, whatever that means?

A lot of the recent weirdness about the current employment climate isn’t so much that the economy is tanking as it’s simply not growing as fast as it was, two drastically different metrics.

“For a lot of people, this slowdown, or return to normal, can feel more painful than the data suggests, just because we’d been at this breakneck speed of economic growth in 2021,” said Luke Pardue, an economist at payroll, HR, and benefits software company Gusto.

Trouble will arise if demand slows so much that companies are no longer selling enough to be able to continue employing people.

So far, that’s not quite happening.

About the Author

Vince Dorazio has 20+ years of experience in the recruiting and tech industry. He is currently the Founder & CEO of UpRecruit, a recruiting platform that intelligently matches tech talent to innovative companies. He has a passion for the start-up community and serves as a mentor, advisor, and board member to multiple SaaS companies and non-profits.

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5 Factors of Productivity: Remote Work Edition

Employee productivity is the lifeblood of any business—without it, a company is destined to fail. And these days, with the remote model holding steady, many employers are wondering what the impact on their business will be. Emerging research sheds further light on some compelling factors concerning workplace vs. remote productivity.

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Every worker in any organization shares common habits, concerns, expectations, and inclinations. A recent survey of over 2,400 U.S. professionals revealed five key productivity trends that have manifested since the global shift to a remote work model.

Five Key Factors Driving Workforce Productivity

  1. A case for the Mondays. Whether at home or in the office, studies confirm employees get the most done on Monday and Tuesday. This aligns with the findings of a similar survey conducted in 2019, before the explosive rise of remote and hybrid work.

  2. Power hours. Universally, the average employee is most productive during late morning (9 a.m. to 12 p.m.) and early-to-mid afternoon (1 p.m. to 4 p.m.). Regardless of where they sit, it’s unlikely for anyone to tackle their to-do’s during lunch or the evening hours.
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Source: Robert Half
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Source: Robert Half
  1. The meeting quandary. When employees were asked what most stifles workplace productivity, the top responses were unnecessary calls and meetings (35%) followed by conversations with colleagues (25%).

  2. Home run for work-at-home. While 1-in-5 professionals (21%) said they’re equally productive from either home or the office, 35% reported accomplishing more at home. Those commuting to the office perform best in a private space (43%) versus an open, collaborative one (16%).

  3. Work contribution > location. Two-thirds of employees (66%) feel their boss cares more about their contributions to the company than when and where they work. Separate research from employment giant Robert Half unveiled that 27% of managers don’t mind if their direct reports put in fewer than 40 hours a week, if the work is getting done.

“Two-thirds of employees (66%) feel their boss cares more about their contributions to the company than when and where they work.”


Cracking the Work-From-Home Code

A recent study by Owl Labs (2021) found that only 36% of workers believe the office is best suited for individual work. This helps define a state of mind for many who work from home. Several key factors are different in a home setting, potentially contributing to the stat above:


  • No Commute = Less Stress: Whether a commute is 10 minutes or takes more than an hour, the saved time equates to less stress and greater work productivity. Employees can start their workday more refreshed and with less wear-and-tear than office commuting permits.

    Australian mobile workforce company Airtasker reports that, on average, remote workers had 8.5 hours a week of free time by not commuting to work (408 hours annually).

  • Less Distractions. There are lots of distractions in the workplace that are reduced (or eliminated) when working from home. According to Inc.com, it takes an average of 25 minutes to return to and focus on the original task following a workplace disruption. When working remotely, these diversions are drastically reduced.

  • More Exercise. The lack of commuting and less socializing allows remote workers to have extra time to exercise. Regular exercise does wonders for mental and physical health and is a great stress reliever. Those who work from home report exercising 30 minutes more during the workweek.

  • Lone Wolf Productivity. A recent Ask.com study found that 86% of employees prefer to work by themselves when they are trying to be as productive as possible.

Employees now expect flexibility, not only in where they work, but when. To note, nearly 1 in 2 people (48%) said they would start looking for another job that offered more day-to-day flexibility if they couldn’t work remotely.

“Employees now expect flexibility, not only in where they work, but when.”

As a sidebar, men declared they would quit nearly 60% more than women when it came to having to return to the office rather than being part of a hybrid or remote work environment.

The New Normal

The rise of the remote workplace has forced many organizations to reconsider daily operations. Thus, the physical office space takes on a new identity. An office used to be a place where employees would gather daily to do individual work, group work, and socialize. Now it’s a dedicated corner of a home, apartment, a kitchen table, or even a bedroom.

To clarify, there is still a need for physical office spaces. In fact, for employees that regularly attend a physical office, 78% say that they feel more included when there. Today though, the reason people go to the office and how they will use it has changed—so the use of that physical space is changing as well.

Collaboration has always been at the center of work, but with hybrid workforces, the tools and spaces employees use to collaborate are evolving. According to video-meeting company Owl Labs, only 38% of employers have upgraded their video technology to support hybrid collaboration. In truth, if an office space isn’t wired for hybrid collaboration, it’s now an antiquated relic of the last century.

‘…if an office space isn’t wired for hybrid collaboration, it’s now an antiquated relic of the last century.”

Productivity has increased, and the new remote workforce models have emerged as the dominant new standard. Furthermore, it’s clear that seamless connectivity and collaboration is key for those both in and out of the office so that each employee can feel empowered to do their best work, wherever they are located. This isn’t just good for employees, it’s good for business.

About the Author

Vince Dorazio has 20+ years of experience in the recruiting and tech industry. He is currently the Founder & CEO of UpRecruit, a recruiting platform that intelligently matches tech talent to innovative companies. He has a passion for the start-up community and serves as a mentor, advisor, and board member to multiple SaaS companies and non-profits.

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How Technology is Impacting the Recruiting Game

In 2021, the global economy was turned on its ear when tens of millions of workers stood up and declared in one unified voice; “I’m out.” On that day, one of the largest worker migrations in modern history was on; and the SOPs of recruiting, human resource management, and staffing changed forever.

Nowhere was this more evident than in the tech recruiting sector.

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Resignations, Great & Small

From Beijing to Boston to Brussels, the impact of the “great resignation” on global markets, companies of every size, supply chains, and countless industries was unmistakable. The largest session of musical chairs for the modern workforce had left tech recruiters scrambling to rehire, backfill, and restaff huge turnovers. Something that occurred seemingly overnight, all to disruptive and potentially devastating effect.


What followed became one of the industry’s most sweeping technological overhauls in recent memory. Recruiters and HR professionals have been stretched thin ever since. To meet the demand of an ever-evolving workforce and the changing paradigms within tech recruiting, the industry accelerated innovation—essentially embracing new tech for tech staffing (something many believe was long overdue).


Today, candidates deliberate longer than ever due to multiple opportunities and legitimate job offers. They want to know they’re choosing their next career move wisely. Meanwhile, employers are scrambling because talent teams lack enough recruiters and staffing resources to fill numerous open positions.ate in the tech recruiting industry.


The Changing Face of Recruitment Tech

With so many people changing jobs and rethinking careers, recruiters must harness innovative new technology and tactics to address new demands. These include AI, machine learning, automation, and candidate management software platforms like UpRecruit (in addition to the old standbys like video conferencing, LinkedIn outreach, and comprehensive email exchanges).

Talent acquisition has become a primary focus as talent leaders, D&I managers, and HR executives advocate for “people-first” work cultures. Even the largest companies seem to be scrambling to prove to candidates they are the “the one”, making sourcing, unique branding, and employee experience top priorities for recruiting top personnel.

 

“First, AI-based sourcing tools are proving [to be] incredibly useful and bringing great efficiencies. Second is the implementation of easy-to-use recruiting tools on mobile devices. It’ll be a critical capability for recruiters moving into the future. Third is an integration with social media marketing and brand, an area of focus for us.”

– Ron Storn, Chief People Officer at Booster™

More sophisticated teams are tasked with trying to reach diversity staffing goals as well as hiring goals. Merging in diversity hiring considerations further confirms the need to automate the hiring process. These are some profound indicators that inform us that recruitment has changed dramatically.

Recruiters now struggle to find qualified candidates who will even take a Zoom call or answer an email because they want to know an employer is excited about them while wanting to be assured that the role matches the next desired step in their career. These days, even giants in the tech space like Google and Facebook have resorted to paying prospects just to show up to an interview.


Technology to the Rescue (well, sort of)

We live in an age where employers don’t just want to hire someone—they want to hire the right someone. It now takes a multi-faceted outreach strategy for recruiters to get the engagement they need to achieve their hiring goals. Complex campaign strategies have become critical—and so has a sizable budget.

In addition to the expenses for traditional email programs and LinkedIn tools, employers are investing in company branding, social footprints and campaigns, and third-party sourcing tools.

Technology has made an unmistakable impact. Sure, person-to-person meetings remain essential to the hiring journey, but staying competitive now requires the use of modern technology, data, and analytics.

Talent professionals and hiring managers agree that data helps drive new recruitment trends that influence how companies recruit new employees and acquire talent. That’s why companies like Nielsen, JetBlue, and Novartis are already leveraging data to help them attract, source, nurture, and manage skilled new talent.

 

“In the post-pandemic, extremely competitive, and remote talent landscape we’re in today, we look to technology to help us find untapped talent across the globe and to help us make better hiring decisions, faster. We’re also leveraging technology to help us hire a more diverse workforce and expanding the definition of diversity beyond the common factors.”

– Crystal Boysen, Chief People Officer for Vimeo

Today, talent is attracted by a mix of company values, corporate culture, perks, and an opportunity to be hired as the “missing link” to round out a team.

Of course, none of this needs to be part of every talent acquisition playbook. Just know, there are consequences to not keeping pace with modern tech recruiting tactics. Ignoring these details could make the difference between getting the people you want and getting the people who are left.

About the Author

Vince Dorazio has 20+ years of experience in the recruiting and tech industry. He is currently the Founder & CEO of UpRecruit, a recruiting platform that intelligently matches tech talent to innovative companies. He has a passion for the start-up community and serves as a mentor, advisor, and board member to multiple SaaS companies and non-profits.

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Flexibility vs. Autonomy in the Modern Workforce

We are now fully entrenched in the age of workplace flexibility. The term “hybrid work schedule” dominates conversations (and hiring outcomes) between prospects and employers like it never has before. And for organizations looking to remain competitive, enabling and empowering employee autonomy will be the single most important catalyst of workplace flexibility and employee contentment.

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New flexibility for a New Kind of Workplace

Workplace flexibility means ensuring workers can connect to the company network and get work done remotely via a mutually agreed upon schedule.

Flexibility is often not the goal for many employers who tend to want to control the workplace narrative. Furthermore, while flexibility is great, what employees appear to really want is autonomy. In this context, autonomy is when workers have the ability to decide how, where, and when they do their work with little to-no company oversight. This is a hot button debate in the tech recruiting industry.


Flexibility by Way of Autonomy

In a recent study, over 5,000 “knowledge workers” (including those who work in data, tech, and digital automation) around the world were asked what the ideal work arrangement looks like. 59% reported flexibility is more important than salary or benefits, and 77% said they’d prefer to work for companies that offer the ability to work from anywhere rather than mandating work in a corporate office setting.

“Mandates feel like a violation of autonomy, [which can trigger] important drivers of threat and reward in the brain,” says David Rock and Christy Pruitt-Haynes, authors of a recent article entitled “Why Mandates make us feel threatened.”

When post-pandemic back-to-office mandates started cropping up, data showed employees reacted with an extremely strong degree of aversion. Now, 59% of workers say they wouldn’t work for a company that requires going into a physical office five (5) days a week.

“59% of workers say they would not work for a company that requires going into a physical office five (5) days a week.”

Apple recently told employees they were expected back at the office at least three (3) days a week, which reportedly led to multiple resignations. The sentiment was that Apple employees felt “…not just unheard, but actively ignored” causing them to send a letter to management outlining their discontent.

This data paints a picture of the future based on flexibility by way of autonomy, suggesting hybrid work strategies are now a critical talking point of the modern workplace.


Unpacking Employee Autonomy

Autonomy is more than just a popular trend with new hires—it makes a lot of competitive sense for employers. According to psychologists Richard Ryan and Edward Deci, self-determination is made up of three (3) components: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Autonomy was embraced as “…the desire to be the causal agent of one’s own life.”

When employers offer their workers greater autonomy, employees experience higher degrees of satisfaction, fulfillment, and engagement at work.


The Relationship Between Autonomy and Flexibility

Working from both home and office, with a mandated number of days per week in the office, is fast becoming the most common work schedule model. It’s reinforced with a high level of advocacy by many large organizations like Adobe, Citigroup, American Airlines, and Google.

The easiest way to distinguish hybrid work models from one another is not just mandating where or when employees work, but by the amount of autonomy they’re given to decide this on their own.


Autonomy Hierarchy Scenarios:

  • Low autonomy, low flexibility:
    full time in-office mandate (increasingly less popular with employees)

  • Low autonomy, medium flexibility:
    a mix of work from both the home and office, but the organization tells workers when to be where

  • Medium autonomy, medium flexibility:
    workers can work from multiple locations, but with a minimum number of days required in the office

  • Medium autonomy, high flexibility:
    employees can work remotely full time

  • High autonomy, high flexibility:
    employees can work wherever, whenever, with full access to the organization’s office space

Employees are generally more content when granted greater access to workplace flexibility. The same cannot be said for employees granted a low degree of autonomy by their organization.

Data shows employees want flexibility by way of autonomy and are likely to seek employment elsewhere to get it. Maximizing employee autonomy is becoming less of a workplace benefit and more of a necessity for employers to remain competitive and relevant.

“Employees are generally more content when granted greater access to workplace flexibility.”

Three Steps to Enabling Autonomy

Let’s see how businesses can empower employees with the necessary autonomy for mutual benefit:


  1. Establish Principles, not Policies
    Policy-driven mandates on where and when to work are often rejected by employees based on their inherent disregard to autonomy.

  2. Invest in Competence and Relatedness
    Self-determination is made up of three (3) parts: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. All three are highly intertwined and must all be present for humans to be motivated and fulfilled.

  3. Give Employees the Tools to Work Autonomously
    The tools needed in industrial times brought workers to a physical workplace. Today, the location-specific way of working we still abide by has largely become outdated along with other ideas like the nine-to-five workday.

Technology enables us to work from almost anywhere at any time, a byproduct of changes necessitated by the 2020 pandemic. 71% of the global workforce now sees the physical office space as a social amenity and not mandatory for work. Studies show productivity increased 30% during the quarantine as workers were more effective working from home.

“71% of the global workforce now sees the physical office space as a social amenity and not mandatory for work.”

In closing, 52% of survey respondents say they’d prefer to work from home but are concerned their career would suffer long-term. To reignite a sense of togetherness, leaders must focus on building a remote-first (not remote-only) organizational culture, so employees have a clear line of sight to their role within the organization, regardless of their physical location.

Lastly, for those organizations whose employees have expressed a desire for increased flexibility, building a remote-friendly organizational culture will be critical to morale and productivity.

Giving employees the autonomy to determine where they work, as well as supporting them with the right principles, training, and tools will result in a more flexible, motivated, and higher performing workforce.

About the Author

Vince Dorazio has 20+ years of experience in the recruiting and tech industry. He is currently the Founder & CEO of UpRecruit, a recruiting platform that intelligently matches tech talent to innovative companies. He has a passion for the start-up community and serves as a mentor, advisor, and board member to multiple SaaS companies and non-profits.

10 LinkedIn Tips for Tech Professionals

Today, over 600 million professionals have a LinkedIn profile connecting them with a nearly unlimited network of business professionals and career opportunities. But many users treat their LinkedIn profile as an afterthought—updating it only when they’re on the job hunt—while others simply view it as another social media platform like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

*Source: Kinsta | Oberlo

Why Every Tech Pro Needs a LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn offers a platform for tech professionals to create peer connections, track industry trends and events, and discover career opportunities. Here are some of the main reasons every tech pro should be on LinkedIn:

  • Career Opportunities: LinkedIn is a powerful tool for those on the job hunt because hiring managers and recruiters are actively looking for talent on the platform every day. A whopping 90% of recruiters from 30 million companies regularly use LinkedIn.

  • Building and Maintaining Connections: The platform promotes staying connected to colleagues, clients, classmates, mentors, and industry experts. You can join groups to share and gain expertise, become a mentor, or find someone to mentor you. A single connection can open doors to new opportunities.

  • Keeping Track of Industry Trends: Industry peers and experts from all genres are active on LinkedIn. You can review endless publications on a wide variety of topics that provide industry-specific insights, trends to watch, or tips to help you solve daily challenges.

  • Managing Your Personal Brand: 57% of the 645 million users on LinkedIn search for people before they communicate, meet, or do business with them. LinkedIn provides an opportunity to make a solid first impression.

10 Ways to Improve Your LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn is an essential and powerful tool for any technology professional—from seeking a new job to maintaining a personal brand. (The free price tag is a bonus too!) Tech pros must have an active and polished profile if they want to achieve the full benefit of LinkedIn.

#1 – Make Your Profile Public

Check your account settings, and make sure that your profile visibility is set to “public.” This simple change will ensure that your profile appears in searches.


#2 – Improve Your Headline

The headline is your opportunity to impress potential connections—don’t waste this valuable space! Most professionals list their current title or position, but don’t stop there. Add at least one other attribute, skill, or accomplishment to help you stand out.

Use this real estate to emphasize your current job, the things you excel at, or topics you have a professional interest in. If you are on the job hunt, use this space to describe what you are looking for in your next role.


#3 – Be Strategic About Your Endorsed Skills

Do you have endorsements for many ordinary skills that are entirely unrelated or just not valuable to your personal brand? (i.e. Google Docs, Microsoft Office.) If so, they’re cluttering up and detracting from the skills you want to be known for having. Skills are another way to add keywords to your LinkedIn profile, which increases the chance that you’ll be found when others are looking for an expert.

Follow these steps for cleaning up your endorsed skills section on LinkedIn:

  • Delete Meaningless Skills: You shouldn’t list a skill unless you’re prepared with key examples or a portfolio of work to prove your expertise.

  • Add Key Skills: Include skills that are key for someone in your industry and role. PRO TIP: Do a search for others in your position, and look at the skills listed for the top people.

  • Reorder the List: Always put your most important skills on the top. This is for more than just visibility. When people go to endorse you, they will almost always gravitate to the top skills first, helping you build your credibility in these ideal areas.

#4 – Customize Your URL

A simple fix, but a custom URL makes it so much easier to send people to your profile (plus it looks cleaner and more professional). This LinkedIn help article provides easy instructions for customizing your URL.


#5 – Add a Profile and Background Image

This LinkedIn feature is the opportunity to express more about who you are and what you do in a highly memorable format. People remember visual imagery more than they retain written information. It is essential to have a background image if you want your LinkedIn profile to standout.

  • Profile Image: According to LinkedIn, profiles with headshots are 21x more likely to be viewed than those without a profile picture. Your headshot should be clear, professional, and only include you. The rule of thumb is: if you wouldn’t look like that for an interview, don’t use it as your profile photo.

  • Background Image: Think about what people instantly associate with what you do (developer-code, blogger-computer, etc.), or choose from any of these free, professional options you can find here.

#6 – Add (or Update) Contact Information

On your profile, be sure to include your email, phone number (optional), website, GitHub, portfolio, and other social media platforms you use professionally. LinkedIn is about making connections, and you want people to be able to contact you as a subject matter expert.


#7 – Delete Jargon

Are you a passionate, results-driven team player? Guess what, so is everyone else on LinkedIn. Overused buzzwords don’t really say anything, and they make you blend in with everyone else. Instead, remember the classic advice to “show, not tell” by discussing your accomplishments and including recommendations where others vouch for you.

Here’s a list of the most overused words on LinkedIn and more information on strategies to craft a profile without them.


#8 – Maximize Experience Real Estate

The experience section of the LinkedIn profile is the biggest miss for many users. Don’t make the common mistake of copying and pasting what it says on your resume. Instead, you should talk about your achievements, milestones you’ve delivered for the company, and the skills you’ve mastered.

Unless you’re working for a company that is a household name, there’s a high likelihood that someone reading your profile won’t know any of the companies listed. Instead of the physical location, put the URL for the website. Try adding the company boilerplate to the end of your experience too.


#9 – Request Recommendations

Similar to the value of a 5-star product review, testimonials on a LinkedIn profile can go a long way. Don’t be afraid to ask your current or past colleagues, supervisors, or former classmates for recommendations. If you are customer-facing, don’t hesitate to ask your favorite clients. Here’s a handy template you can use to start asking.


#10 – Look Active

Once you’ve updated your profile, your work isn’t over—but there’s no need to spend all day every day updating your page either. Aim to take one action, once per day, Monday through Friday. Even the smallest effort will keep your profile clean, searchable, and geared for results.

About the Author

Vince Dorazio has 20+ years of experience in the recruiting and tech industry. He is currently the Founder & CEO of UpRecruit, a recruiting platform that intelligently matches tech talent to innovative companies. He has a passion for the start-up community and serves as a mentor, advisor, and board member to multiple SaaS companies and non-profits.

Arizona Tech Hiring Strong Despite Pandemic

The Arizona tech industry is one of the largest and fastest-growing economic drivers for the state. Technology companies such as Axon, Carvana, and GoDaddy have all headquartered in Arizona, helping bring top-level tech talent into this new desert hub. The startup community continues to multiply due to the abundance of resources such as co-working spaces (like Galvanize and The Department), and an increase in available investment capital. Additionally, large universities such as Arizona State University and the University of Arizona provide companies with easy access to hiring entry-level tech talent. Bottom line—Arizona has proven itself a force to watch as it competes with the nation’s leading technology hubs.

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*Source: Technology Impact Report Arizona Technology Council (Q1), Gregslist Phoenix

Arizona Hiring Jumps Despite Pandemic Challenges

The COVID-19 pandemic presented considerable challenges across the nation, but the tech industry in Arizona remained resilient. The latest quarterly report from the Arizona Technology Council, the Technology Industry Impact Report, reveals demand for hiring with 3.45 percent growth in technology sector employment.

“While some companies are experiencing a downturn in business due to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Arizona’s technology sector has become well-diversified,” said Steve Zylstra, president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council. “This will allow the technology industry sector to remain resilient and recover quickly. Most manufacturers have continued to operate all through the pandemic. Most other technology companies pivoted quickly and successfully to working from home.”

Key Advantages that Attribute to Arizona’s Resiliency

Arizona’s continued growth only confirms the strength of the state’s positive momentum before the pandemic. Multiple factors contribute to this success and continue to slingshot Arizona as a prominent player in the tech industry.

Increased Demand

As businesses adjusted to rapid change brought on by the pandemic, the demand for technology tools and services to empower telecommuting and e-commerce spiked. As a result, cybersecurity and systems engineers became the most sought-after professionals.

  • Cybersecurity Engineers: Technical experts were in high demand as businesses moved to virtual and e-commerce, and the number of cyberattacks and scams increased.
  • Systems Engineers: The prioritization of IT infrastructure and support became paramount as large numbers of employees began to work from home daily.

Vibrant Talent Pool

Arizona has shown remarkable success in recruiting tech companies such as Amazon, Gainsight, Opendoor, Waymo, and Yelp to the greater Phoenix metro area. This increased Phoenix’s awareness footprint among Millennials (the generation born between 1981 and 1997) as a desirable, career-friendly destination. Phoenix earned the No. 20 spot on CBRE’s Tech Talent Scorecard, part of its annual Scoring Tech Talent Report, which ranks 50 U.S. and Canadian markets according to their ability to attract and grow tech talent.

“As the Phoenix tech ecosystem continues to grow, tech companies will have an ample supply of talent to choose from given Phoenix’s fast-growing millennial population and a large supply of well-educated tech graduates being produced by Arizona’s higher education institutions like Arizona State University, the University of Arizona and Grand Canyon University,” said Kevin Calihan, Executive Vice President with CBRE.

Arizona Technology Council reported in their recent Technology Industry Impact Report that an impressive 29 percent of the tech graduates in Arizona stay within the local workforce after graduation. The perfect atmosphere has been created for job seekers and hiring organizations that show no signs of slowing.


Practical for Living and Doing Business

Arizona’s Phoenix-metro not only boasts diverse opportunities for recreation, entertainment, culture, dining, and shopping, but also for its affordable real estate and low cost of living (the rent-to-tech wage ratio is 15 percent). The average apartment’s rent for a year in 2019 was $13,242 ($1,104/month), and the average annual tech wage is $86,303. Compare that to the most expensive market, New York (Manhattan), NY, whose numbers are $49,445 ($4,120/month) and $113,500, (a rent-to-wage ratio of 43.6 percent) respectively.

Phoenix, AZManhattan, NY
Average Apartment Rent (Annual)$13,242 ($1,104/month)$49,445 ($4,120/month)
Average Tech Wage$86,303$113,500

Venture Capital Acceleration

Arizona’s focus on economic acceleration is attractive to VCs and entrepreneurs. In just the past two years, Arizona has set records for venture dollars investing in Arizona-based tech startups. According to Crunchbase, $723 million in funding across 114 deals went to startups based in Arizona in 2019. The year previously (2018) set records as the highest dollar amount for the past decade, with $800 million in venture capital across 133 deals.

While VC investment deal numbers dropped in 2020 as COVID-19 set in and challenged the economy, bigger deals pushed the total deal value even higher than the first quarter. Notable investments include:

  • Paradox Raises $40 Million Series B to Help Companies Embrace the Future of Work with Conversational AI
  • AI Cyber Attack Prediction Platform CYR3CON Secures $8.2 Million Financing
  • CampusLogic Raises $120 Million To Expand Its Student Financial Platform

Arizona’s Tech Hub Rocket Ship Has Taken Off

Arizona has taken the lead in several technology sectors, including autonomous and electric vehicles, edtech, fintech, and aerospace. There has never been more persuasive evidence that Arizona is racing to become one of the nation’s top technology hubs—and doing it despite the challenges of COVID-19. Arizona’s tech sector will be the first industry to recover from the pandemic and is ready for continued success as we approach 2021.

About the Author

Vince Dorazio has 20+ years of experience in the recruiting and tech industry. He is currently the Founder & CEO of UpRecruit, a recruiting platform that intelligently matches tech talent to innovative companies. He has a passion for the start-up community and serves as a mentor, advisor, and board member to multiple SaaS companies and non-profits.