Hiring in 2022 looks a lot different than it did a year or even six months ago. With so many organizations gearing up for expansions and growth, and hiring trends continuing to lean in favor of applicants, organizations are paying close attention to what attracts (and retains) top talent.
In addition to a competitive salary and benefits like 401k matching, company values and opportunities for professional development are topping “must-have” lists. 2021 has marked an important shift in what defines a fulfilling job, and doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon.
These nine local leaders shared what attracted them to their current role and how their experience has changed since the new-hire days. We also got some insider knowledge on what they look for in applicants. If you’re scoping out a new role, one of their open positions just might be for you.
What they do: Tilled allows B2B software companies to enjoy all the benefits of becoming a payment facilitator (PayFac) without any upfront investment or ongoing overhead.
Why did you first apply to join Tilled, and how has your experience changed over time?
Since I joined Tilled, I’ve been even more impressed by the aspects of this company that first drew me to apply. I’d reached a point in my career where, after working for two of the largest payments corporations, I was hoping for a more personal and direct connection to my employer. I wanted to move forward with an innovative company that was focused on customer experience, and the transparency and fairness that is central to Tilled’s culture immediately stood out. You don’t see that very often in the payments industry. Having the opportunity to join a company that holds those values and being able to nurture them within my own team continually gets me excited.
When you’re looking to grow your team, what’s a quality that you look for in candidates, and why is it important at Tilled?
As I work to grow my team at Tilled, I’m looking for dedication — not just toward completing tasks, but also toward personal and professional growth. In order for me to help my team develop and achieve our goals, I need to know that every team member is all-in on their own growth and objectives too. We need team players who are willing to see it through when things get hard, and work together for the greater good. I plan to build a climate of individual accountability and leadership at all levels of our department, and build trust and respect through example. It can be difficult to know it until I see it, but the candidates we are looking for will show more than just one powerful, individual accomplishment, and demonstrate a certain level of selfless service. Once the job is done, I definitely want team members who can also have some fun afterward.
What they do: Vertafore is a provider of software for the insurance industry. Their solutions aim to boost productivity, lower costs and help agents and carriers grow their businesses.
Why did you first apply to join Vertafore, and how has your experience changed over time?
What initially drew me to Vertafore was the culture. So many companies put their culture bullets on their websites and internal collateral, but the day-to-day is anything but. Everyone I had the chance to speak with boasted about the culture of collaboration, engagement and investment in their employees. This drew me to the company, and I have recognized this daily since I started as an employee.
When you’re looking to grow your team, what’s a quality that you look for in candidates, and why is it important at Vertafore?
I look for competitiveness, curiosity and a constant willingness to learn. Competitiveness kind of goes without saying (in sales, you have to be competitive to succeed and grow), but I find curiosity and continuous learning to be so important because we never truly hit a ceiling of knowledge. Whether you have been in sales for one month or several decades, it always behooves you to ask questions, expand your knowledge base and grow as a sales professional. Being able to navigate different levels of leadership and engage with various personality types takes time, and the willingness to try, fail, learn and try again is foundational to success. We are truly surrounded by the best, who all are engaged, curious and willing to learn to perfect their crafts.
What they do: Checkr is a technology company in the background check industry that connects companies to more diverse pools of qualified talent and helps them reduce bias throughout their hiring process.
Why did you first apply to join Checkr, and how has your experience changed over time?
I joined Checkr in May 2016 as the corporate controller. Back then, Checkr had about 40 people in a warehouse in Potrero Hill and our main concern was bringing the bookkeeping in-house from an outsourced firm. Our business has grown dramatically since then. We now have more than 650 employees globally with a large, diverse set of customers. Our business has also become more complex, with business combinations, new products and new types of revenue all creating additional challenges for our team. Working with our business leaders to help scale the business and support their functions has been incredible. It’s exciting to come to work every day and know that as we continue to grow there are going to be new problems to solve and new challenges for our team to meet.
What’s your most interesting or exciting work-related challenge right now, and how are you overcoming it?
The ability to scale our team and processes to support Checkr globally. Understanding the requirements and realities of operating in new countries is a big task, especially when trying to move quickly. I’m proud of how our team has jumped in so enthusiastically to work with our business partners and support their growth while still operating efficiently and in compliance with local rules. It’s definitely been a challenge re-architecting our processes internally to support a global organization, but one that has made our team better.
What they do: Toastmasters International is an educational non-profit that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs.
Why did you first apply to join Toastmasters, and how has your experience changed over time?
I was a member of Toastmasters in my late twenties when my former boss recommended it. I was up for a promotion and needed to present in front of large groups in my next role. Several years later, I saw a job posting for a role at Toastmasters International World Headquarters. I was excited to apply for it to be a part of the team that makes a difference in so many lives, like it had done for my career. My experience with the company since then has been great! In the last five years, the company moved from California to Colorado and my role has expanded. I am very lucky to have built a fantastic team that I get to create, collaborate, strategize, lead and have fun with five days a week. The dedication this organization has to its members is amazing and the dedication our members have to improving themselves is inspiring.
When you’re looking to grow your team, what’s a quality that you look for in candidates, and why is it important at Toastmasters?
The most important qualities I look for are a strong work ethic and high-quality standards. Marketing skills and experience are important too, but if you don’t have the right work ethic or standards, that experience will not shine through. My parents instilled in me the importance of work ethic from a young age. I lead my team with that example. Our members are not remaining stagnant or complacent in their lives and careers, so why should we? We give the organization and our members the best we have.
What they do: Fivetran is a software company that improves the accuracy of data-driven decisions by continuously synchronizing data from source applications to any destination, allowing analysts to work with the freshest possible data.
Why did you first apply to join Fivetran, and how has your experience changed over time?
I first applied to Fivetran after reading a post on LinkedIn about the Modern Data Stack Conference. Upon researching, I fell in love with the product, mission, culture and especially, the values: integrity, initiative and “one team, one dream.” Since I’ve joined, Fivetran has exceeded my expectations — starting with the HVR acquisition and $565 million in Series D funding announcements! The people are so welcoming, there’s an authentic and purposeful focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, and we celebrate wins of all sizes to create an environment with endless possibilities for success.
When you’re looking to grow your team, what’s a quality that you look for in candidates, and why is it important at Fivetran?
I’m looking for teammates who love building relationships, solving problems, helping people, learning and getting out of their comfort zone to try new, creative approaches. Without recruiting, we can’t hire the people to carry out our mission to make access to data as simple and reliable as electricity. The people are our culture. We are expected to be our authentic selves every day, so we look to our company values when growing the team.
What they do: Maxwell aims to help America’s local mortgage lenders stay ahead by improving borrowers’ workflow and margins.
Why did you first apply to join Maxwell, and how has your experience changed over time?
I missed the “let’s go!” attitude of a startup — and Maxwell has “let’s go!” in spades, with a culture designed to hold that attitude firmly in place. Rigor, ownership, curiosity, kindness and “straight-up” communication are the company’s cultural foundation. The better question might be, “Why didn’t I apply to join Maxwell sooner?” I’m not sure I’d have a good answer to that.
When you’re looking to grow your team, what’s a quality that you look for in candidates, and why is it important at Maxwell?
I’m hiring 13 people for our product team over the next few months, and I’m looking for ownership in every single candidate. Clever and talented folks come from any number of backgrounds and industries: ownership is how they’ll make a lasting impact at Maxwell. I need people who will join our team and show us how we can be better. I want folks who will push and pull on our processes, find where they’re starting to fray and create stronger connections that will allow us to grow even further.
What they do: Freshworks builds and delivers software-as-a-service that’s affordable, quick to implement and designed for the end-user.
Why did you first apply to join Freshworks, and how has your experience changed over time?
Freshworks actually recruited me. At the time, I was on a break from work during the pandemic to focus on my family and re-evaluate what my priorities were for my next job. I had worked for a few different SaaS companies, but a common theme for most of them was that I did not identify with the culture. I had a strong desire to be a part of an organization that strove for authenticity, empathy and teamwork.
I found that with Freshworks. After meeting several of my now co-workers, I knew this was where I wanted to be. My experience over time has remained consistent. The people here care about this company, our customers and each other.
When you’re looking to grow your team, what’s a quality that you look for in candidates, and why is it important at Freshworks?
Ultimately, we look for someone who fits our culture code. People who take pride in their work, are problem solvers and are generally intellectually curious will do well here. My team has a variety of backgrounds, but all of them exhibit intellectual curiosity in their day-to-day jobs. This means they are always asking “why,” they get into the core of customer issues, and they want to fix processes (or create them whole cloth) internally when needed.
What they do: Granicus provides technology and services that empowers government organizations to create digital experiences for the people they serve.
Why did you first apply to join Granicus, and how has your experience changed over time?
I applied to work for Granicus’ customer support team because I was looking to transfer my customer-facing skills gained in restaurants and retail into the software industry. Granicus’ prioritization on teaching the technical skills needed for the role allowed me to learn on the job, and I soon found I loved the technical problem solving the customer support role required. I eventually found my perfect fit when I moved into my current quality engineer role.
What’s your most interesting or exciting work-related challenge right now, and how are you overcoming it?
As a quality engineer, I get to test software improvements, new features and bug fixes before they are released. I love the mix of following steps to perform tasks in the way that they should be performed, and then thinking creatively to run tests to see what happens when all the steps aren’t followed perfectly. Thinking linearly then shifting to thinking creatively keeps my brain active and challenged every day!
What they do: Duda is a web design platform for all companies that offer web design services to small businesses, including freelance web professionals and digital agencies, SAAS platforms and online publishers.
Why did you first apply to join Duda, and how has your experience changed over time?
I applied to join Duda for three main reasons: the people, the company lifecycle and the growth opportunity. I had great introductory conversations with folks from across the business, and found everyone to be incredibly bright, genuinely curious and humble. Duda was also small enough where I felt I could make a real impact and my voice would be heard, but established enough where I felt I would have the support and resources to be successful. I was also incredibly excited about Duda’s position in the market and its vision for the future. The company was already in growth mode, and I was inspired by the aspirational thinking. Where there is growth, there is opportunity, and I believed I could thrive and grow in a dynamic environment like Duda’s.
When you’re looking to grow your team, what’s a quality that you look for in candidates, and why is it important at Duda?
There are a few candidate characteristics that I believe make a great colleague, partner or employee, no matter the role: curiosity, humility and critical thinking. With curiosity comes a desire to learn, to dig in, to understand deeply. This is important, especially in growth companies. Humility brings an ability to ask for help, admit mistakes and see failures as learning opportunities. We grow as individuals and as teams when we can look in the mirror, be real with ourselves and then have the courage to keep moving forward and improving. Critical thinking allows us to thrive in messy, unpredictable situations, and gives us the ability to identify systems and patterns, connect ideas and work with others to find and solve complex problems.
