From building and maintaining a healthy remote culture to getting comfortable hiring a person you\u2019ve never actually met face to face, the present pandemic is pushing founders in new directions.<\/p>\n
Chief among these is hiring. How will hiring now take place? Can you migrate your interview process to be remote – and still align with your values? Will founders assess candidates differently? Are there other qualities that will rise in importance as more talent becomes available on the market?<\/p>\n
Costanoa Ventures Operating Partner Martina Lauchengco has been talking to founders regularly since the crisis began. Here\u2019s the inside scoop on what they\u2019ve been discussing – and what it means for candidates.<\/p>\n
Expect more questions in interviews to understand how you\u2019ll operate in an unusually unsteady environment. \u201cIt takes a certain amount of optimism and risk tolerance to hold steady in a time of market and demand uncertainty,\u201d remarked Lauchengco. \u201cFounders are going to look for people who can convey their ability to adapt and adjust because they have confidence in their own value and in the goal they\u2019re moving toward.\u201d<\/p>\n
References have always been important, of course, but now you can be sure hiring managers are going to be very, very thorough. They\u2019ll probe on how you handle uncertainty, perhaps see if you skew more toward pessimism than optimism, and try to understand how you handle direct confrontation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen times are more challenging, founders become incredibly judicious about hiring,\u201d Lauchengco said. \u201cFinding and onboarding talent is difficult, time consuming and expensive. They\u2019re going to take the time to make sure you\u2019re really the right fit.\u201d<\/p>\n
The genius jerk trope is on its way out, says Lauchengco. Founders are starting to recognize that one A+ player who is difficult but technically amazing may still not be as good as a bunch of solid B players with incredible collaboration skills. They\u2019re more dedicated, easier to work with, and happy to push hard for the good of the team.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is definitely a time where founders are ultra high on collaboration skills,\u201d she noted. \u201cThese might manifest even in small, simple ways as consistently logging in Jira or being super communicative on Slack.\u201d
\nCandidates should spend time in advance of an interview thinking of clear-cut examples that unequivocally underscore their ability to be collaborative.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s true the near-term economic picture isn\u2019t a rosy one. But whether they\u2019re new roles or simple backfills of critical positions, many companies still have to hire. Many founders will be looking for the fastest path to finding real quality – and that can mean poaching the friend they\u2019ve always wanted to work with or tapping their employees to ask for referrals. Candidates can try to inject themselves into this process by closely examining their networks, seeing what companies sound interesting, and asking their contacts for warm intros.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne thing to note is that your past work is the clearest signal you can send about the type of employee you\u2019d be,\u201d said Lauchengco. \u201cPractically, it\u2019s going to be pretty challenging to switch industries for that reason. You may want to stick closely with your experience base for awhile.\u201d<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s say you do want to expand your skills or switch careers. Lauchengco says a bootcamp or short-term technical program is still a viable option. \u201cYou will want to be highly selective as you choose the right option for you,\u201d she said. \u201cLook for a program that has a professional mentor and where you can do real work for real companies as part of the commitment. Hold that bootcamp up to a high bar.\u201d<\/p>\n
She advised prioritizing those programs that offer a 100 percent job guarantee at the end because they\u2019re confident they can deliver.<\/p>\n
Recovery is ultimately down the road. But until then, candidates will need to double down on showcasing their optimism, collaboration and flexibility to stand out in an uncertain time. If they do that, Lauchengco notes, the chances for hiring success improve significantly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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