Empathy and data run the show at Noom.<\/p>\n
While other companies might enforce a staggering amount of do\u2019s and don\u2019ts, the popular psychology-based behavior change app currently focused on weight loss is about principles, not regulations; mission, not money; and altruistic experimentation, said Marco Tabini, Vice President of Engineering, and Mark Horton, Vice President, Head of Talent.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re looking for a good match between what we\u2019re doing as a company and what candidates want to achieve in their career,\u201d said Tabini. \u201cThis is an industry that requires a lot of passion and mission dedication. We know the people we hire will ultimately change the culture in subtle ways – and we want that change to be good for them and us.\u201d<\/p>\n
So how do technical candidates stand out? What does the interview process at Noom look like? And – most importantly – are they still hiring? (Spoiler alert on that last question: they are).<\/p>\n
\u201cAt Noom, the only people who are focused on money are the finance team because that\u2019s their job,\u201d said Tabini. \u201cOn the technical side, our only metric of success is an aggregated one that tells us if people are taking meaningful action in the app, like if they\u2019re tracking weight or logging a meal. We are relentlessly optimizing to improve that number because it\u2019s about using technology to positively affect lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
That focus extends to team dynamics, which are refreshingly devoid of internal politics and jockeying for position. \u201cThere\u2019s a real practice of altruism,\u201d said Horton. \u201cWe\u2019re very focused on maintaining an experimental mindset and collegial environment at Noom. There\u2019s a powerful sense that finding the best way to produce the best health outcome for the user is the most important thing we each do. It\u2019s not having your idea win over others.\u201d<\/p>\n
Your drive to experiment matters, but so do your soft skills
\nExperimentation is at the heart of the Noom approach – and failure isn\u2019t perceived as a big deal.<\/p>\n
\u201cI very much like people who like to experiment because it\u2019s really the core of who we are,\u201d Tabini said. \u201cPeople who are very curious, who aren\u2019t afraid of failing, who look at failure as learning – there\u2019s a very good chance they\u2019ll be a great fit here. We need people who want to take agency and try things because no one tells you what to do here.\u201d<\/p>\n
The company prioritizes being a good egg, however. Being respectful and empathetic are non-negotiables for Tabini. \u201cWe spend so much time together that we don\u2019t have any patience for people who aren\u2019t nice to each other,\u201d he observed.<\/p>\n
But what happens when conflict inevitably arises? Tabini said it goes back to experimentation and empathy, not ego.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe disagree all the time,\u201d said Tabini. \u201cBut everything we do is based on data so when that happens, we say \u2018Fine, let\u2019s run an experiment.\u2019 If it works out, that\u2019s the direction we head. If not, we go the other way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sometimes companies lose sight of this truth: an interview is also an opportunity for candidates to assess the business and team. Noom emphasizes a respectful, empathetic interview process designed to surface the right signals for both the candidate and the company.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want the process to be meaningful for everyone involved and to feel useful,\u201d said Tabini. \u201cI frankly couldn\u2019t tell you how to reverse a blue tree and red tree from memory. The point isn\u2019t to know algorithms by heart but to understand how to experiment and solve problems. That\u2019s why the problems we pose are versions of the issues we\u2019re trying to address every day.\u201d<\/p>\n
The team – which was always mostly remote – has now migrated its hiring process to be fully remote in response to COVID-19. \u201cWe always try to achieve a white-glove experience and showcase the welcoming nature of our team,\u201d said Horton. \u201cNow, we\u2019re adjusting the process to this new reality while still delivering that. For example, we\u2019re breaking those longer interviews we used to have into shorter, more tactical buckets of time because that\u2019s easier on everyone over video.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tabini added, \u201cAs candidates approach the finish line, we\u2019re doing more social meetings over Zoom. We have coffee and shoot the breeze. There\u2019s no set agenda – we just want them to get to know us as people and vice versa.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not just people who are experienced in healthcare and wellness who should apply, Horton noted. \u201cI spent my entire career in finance, which couldn\u2019t be more different,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are a lot of attributes that can make someone very successful at Noom but the singular point is being driven to create healthy outcomes for users.<\/p>\n
That is so embedded in the core of every person at this company.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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