StartupTalky

Tag: hiring

  • How to Hire CTO – Finding The Right CTO For Your Startup

    This article was contributed by Roopa Kumar, Co-founder Purple Quarter.

    It wasn’t that long back when top-rated companies were vying with each other to hire the best CEO. Fast forward to the present economy where technology dominates, and one in which the CTO (Chief Technical Officer) has taken the center stage. Finding the right talent can be nothing short of an unending odyssey in a country like India. The demand for a CTO is a recent phenomenon in the Indian job market and when there does seem to be an avenue of opportunity, companies and recruiting bodies hit a dead end when it comes to finding the right talent. Companies often face limitations due to a dearth of experience and leadership capabilities.

    Getting matched with the ideal CTO is as tough as discovering a rare pearl in an oyster. But, if you do, then there’s nothing that can hinder your firm from shuttling towards success. There are several reasons for this, of course. Thought leaders and industry experts across the globe agree on the fact that CTOs are the connecting factor between firms and their customers. As a C-level executive in the upper echelon of a company’s organization, on par with the Chief Commercial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Financial Officer, the CTO is majorly responsible for spearheading a company’s innovation and technology growth story.

    “I think the CTO can be the glue between technology implementation and product strategy, and can sort of make things really come together and come to life in a way that you don’t see in a lot of organizations today”, said by Matt Mead, CTO of Chicago-based digital consultancy company SPR

    As the years progress with new and innovative technologies consistently entering the market, the CTO’s role calls for constant updates and improvements. A symbiotic relationship exists between the CTO and technology which needs to evolve accordingly. In today’s digital age, CTOs aren’t just tech administrators who handle the backend of a business’s functioning; they are tech gurus on the front lines, envisioning, and spearheading newer and improved technological processes to help write a company’s success story.

    Why CTOs becoming more important than CEOs?
    Four Steps to Finding a CTO for Your Startup

    Why CTOs becoming more important than CEOs?

    The CTO (Chief Technical Officer) and understands technology but expresses it through the language of business. The CEO (Chief Executive Officer) is the face of the company and the CTO lends a helping hand to him/her when it comes to the technical aspects of the organization. Unless the technical strengths of a company could be understood by all, it simply goes down the drain. Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs were both essential to the success of Apple, but Wozniak was smart enough to realize that he was not the front man for the company; he was the genius behind the products. Every company needs a strong technological edifice, and for that, one needs stalwart CTOs.
    The CTO is primarily responsible for transforming big ideas into sound strategies and products that can be easily used by customers.

    How to Hire CTO
    How to Hire CTO

    The CTO, the person who is in charge of a company’s technology strategy, will evolve into the CEO of tomorrow.

    As companies become tech savvy, the CEO will inevitably perform the role of a CTO as well. The CTO needs to align technology with the business strategy and bridge any gap between the two. In future, CEOs—like the CTOs of today—will have to understand how technology is going to affect their business and the broader scope of it in general. CEOs have to be business-focused. They need to expertise in productivity, strategy, revenue growth and security. It’s no surprise that present generation CTOs already have these skills imbibed in them.

    CTO must possess both technical and business skills, which are necessary in leading organisations further into the digital economy.

    The Chief Technology Officer’s role is the highest position of responsibility within a company that leads the technology or engineering department. He develops policies and procedures to enhance products or services focusing on the client base. The CTO also develops strategies to increase revenue and performs a cost-benefit analysis and return-on-investment analysis.

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    Four Steps to Finding a CTO for Your Startup

    Finding the right CTO isn’t a herculean task in today’s job market. We’ve listed out a four process approach to get the job done:

    1. Be specific and chart the company’s road map
      Be unabashed about the responsibilities your desired CTO will have to fulfill. If it’s going to be a demanding role, then you need to be honest and say so. Define the current position of your organization, where it needs to be, and why being a part of that journey can be a fulfilling experience professionally. Have a candid conversation about this when you interview potential candidates, or you can even state them in the job description. Trust us, this is the ideal hook to attract the right kind of candidates. Leadership capabilities are one of the most sought after skills. Your CTO will be managing the tech department of the organization. To meet this requirement, the ideal candidate should ideally have prior experience in a similar capacity. They need to be quick thinkers who can think on their feet and tackle situations with the best strategies. They must assist in actualizing the vision of the company. They need to be chameleons who can adapt to their ever changing role as per the company’s policies, vision, and business models (as and when these upscale). Efficient use of technological resources, implementing new infrastructures to scale a company’s profit margins are some of the winning qualities that define the ideal CTO.
    2. Sell the role
      Finding the right CTO is like unearthing a gem. You will face stiff competition from several companies vying for the same candidate. You need to avoid selling yourself short in this scenario. Work your salesman skills and shoo the candidate into your Firm. List out the company’s USPs during the interview process. Talk about the different opportunities and benefits that come with the job. The more perks, the better! Discuss key points like equity distribution and autonomy. Talk about all these factors and stress on what makes your company better than the rest.
    3. Cultural Fit
      Being the right cultural fit is invariably the most important factor to look out for in a CTO. Having the right technical skills is essential, but so is being able to adapt to the new company culture. This is especially important when you are recruiting a person from another country. After all, if a person can’t handle diversity and inclusion, other competencies are a waste. Moreover, no one wants to work with an unfriendly snob. In these matters, different factors come into play—issues related to dialect, having the right knowledge databank to match, emphasis on helping expand a company’s profit margins and visibility across geographies. For example, the technological requirements that a CTO needs to have in a developing economy like India may not be the same as the needs of the same in a developed nation like America. Company cultures are different, and a CTO needs to be able to fit within the same—open to adaptability.
    4. Map the key stakeholders – The Intersection between employers and potential employees
      If you are aiming at global expansion, looking for global partnerships, M&A, and looking to scale your profits big time, then hiring the right talent is the only choice you have. A key stakeholder will look for a person who is a tech whiz but who is also well versed in the business side of things. It’s important to ensure during the recruitment process that the candidate is on the same wavelength as the key stakeholders. It’s an intersection between employers and potential employees. Key stakeholders should partner the right candidates with the right role. It should be a seamless fit like a brick in the wall. You know you’ve got the hiring process done right if you manage to match the right talent with the key stakeholders’ expectations.

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    FAQs

    What is CTO?

    A chief technology officer (CTO) is the executive in charge of an organization’s technological needs as well as its research and development.

    What are the roles and responsibilities of a CTO?

    The CTO makes all executive decisions with regard to the technological interests of a company. They are responsible for outlining the company’s technological vision, implementing technology strategies, and ensuring that the technological resources are aligned with the company’s business needs.

    What skills do CTO need?

    A CTO needs to be familiar with all relevant technology trends and technological infrastructures, and be ready to deploy them within his or her company. Extensive knowledge, a fine-grained sensitivity to the human aspects of all process deployments, and a deep understanding of business considerations are also essential.

    How to find a CTO for your startup?

    1. Be clear about your requirements
    2. Go to places where you’re likely to find good technical talent
    3. Look for developers at just below the CTO level at startups similar to yours
    4. Utilise the power of the internet
    5. Pitch for the position
    6. Ensure that you have a technical advisor before a CTO

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  • Aviate Company Profile – Making College Students Job Ready

    Every student dreams of getting good grades, good college and a good life ahead. The young budding mind is curious, puzzled and still learning how the world works. The academic education and grades will only help too much, a person will need practical knowledge, certain skill set and so called “experience”. Aviate helps its Students to prepare for a job.

    A freshly graduated individual struggles in finding a path, a direction to a journey he has to cross alone. The college, peers and adults in one’s life can only help through the way of giving advice, which at often times confuses the person. What these final year graduates need is the correct training about the work and skills they will need to instill in order to enter the recruitment market with the confidence and competence. As such, Aviate will guide their students in the right direction and also help them develop important and necessary skills to get a job.

    Almost all the companies coming to the placement cells for recruitment are looking for students who have good communication skills and are fast learners. Why? Because they will be trained after the competitive range of interviews, GDs and tests of all sorts. Aviate provides the very same stage – a program with a vision to change the hiring market by training job-seekers on a very role-specific and organization/industry-specific that is designed in collaboration with the employers and geared to inculcate the operational as well as the soft competencies that an employer seeks for a particular job profile.

    Aviate – Company Highlights

    Startup Name Aviate
    Headquarter Bangalore
    Founder Rishi Raj Rahul & Kundan Kumar
    Sector Edtech cum Recruitment
    Founded 2019
    Parent Organization Aviate Education Private Limited

    About Aviate
    Founders of Aviate and Team
    How was Aviate Started
    Aviate – Name and Logo
    Aviate – Business Model and How it works
    Aviate – User Acquisition
    Aviate – Funding and Investors
    Aviate – Startup Challenges
    Aviate – Competitors
    Aviate – Advisors and Mentors
    Aviate – Hiring Partners
    Aviate – Future Plans
    Aviate – FAQs

    About Aviate

    Aviate is a platform for employability-enhancement and placement services for fresh college graduates and final year college students. Aviate’s long-term vision is to disrupt the hiring market for entry-mid level roles. Aviate’s objective is to create a world where companies recruit via a train and hire model instead of the current norm of hiring people and then training them to be job-ready.

    Aviate’s strategy is to train job-seekers on a very role-specific and organization/industry-specific courses that are designed in collaboration with the employers and geared to inculcate the operational as well as the soft competencies that an employer seeks for a particular job profile.

    Post the training, job-seekers are thoroughly assessed (the assessments are also approved by the employers and designed to gauge a candidate-profile fit) and only the ones that make the cut are sent for interviews.

    Aviate also has a retention cum mentorship programme wherein the alumni are paid a retention bonus after they complete a year with their organization. In exchange, the alumni conduct screening and mentorship sessions for incoming batch of job-seekers targeting the Alumni’s industry or profile. This also helps the alumni by granting them a sizeable supplementary income and provides the best possible mentorship to candidates aspiring for a particular role or an industry.

    The advantages of the ‘train and hire’ approach for employers are-

    1. Reduce employer’s TAT for hiring because of curation of eligible candidates made by Aviate.
    2. Reduce the training costs and unlock a lot of opportunity costs as the candidates are job-ready.
    3. Reduce attrition rates via its retention cum mentorship programme.

    The advantages for job-seekers are-

    1. Guaranteed Jobs for successful candidates
    2. Successful candidates get a job offer within 24-96 hours
    3. Employability – Enhancement by inculcation of core operational and soft skills
    4. Supplementary income via our retention cum mentorship programme
    5. No upfront training fee
    6. Pan-India access to multiple job profiles and employers

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    Founders of Aviate and Team

    Rishi Raj Rahul is the founder and CEO of Aviate.

    Rishi is an Engineer from MIT Manipal and he also attended MBA course at MDI Gurgaon for an year before dropping Out. Previously, he worked with LetsTransport as National Sales Manager, where he scaled revenue to $10Million ARR. He also spearheaded strategic partnerships with Porsche and JW Marriot during his stint at Bidsvilla.

    Kundan Kumar, an alumnus of IIT BHU (CSE) has joined Aviate as a Co-founder and CTO. Kundan is experienced in full-stack development. Kundan had Co-founded a company called Medaboss in the healthtech space and has also worked as tech lead with many organisations in the past.

    “I talked to Kundan on LinkedIn when he pinged me as he was itching to work in this space as he had a very similar idea a few years ago. So I remember having several very late-night conversations with him and when we realized that our vision for the product and the business were aligned, he flew down to meet us and before long, he had put in his papers and would be joining us full-time in August as a co-founder and CTO”, Rishi informed.

    In addition to the founders, Abhishek Singh is a core team member and heads the operations and online supply acquisition. Abhishek is an alumnus of IIT Dhanbad. Aviate has also made another addition in the form of Malika Bhutani to the core team as the head of community relations wherein she would lead the supply acquisition efforts.

    How was Aviate Started

    Rishi had faced the problem of hiring good frontline sales reps for a few organizations that he had been a part of and he used to wonder why that was the case and then one thing led to another and he started researching about the problem.

    Rishi spoke to the Talent acquisition teams at several prominent BFSI, FMCG and retail companies that typically employ a large sales and operations workforce. He realized that a lot of their hiring for frontline roles is outsourced to recruitment agencies and they don’t really have a good curation mechanism.

    “What I realized were three problems on the side of employers, the time taken to hire was protracted owing to a lack of good curation, the candidates needed training post-employment and weren’t job-ready and the attrition rates for these profiles was pretty high.”, said Rishi.

    Rishi also spoke to a lot of placement officers across colleges in the country, students that had recently graduated or were about to in order to understand the problems at their end. Rishi also discussed it with a few friends that are entrepreneurs and some that work with a VC fund to get a sense of what they thought of the idea. By the end of last year, Rishi put in his papers at LT and decided to take a plunge and try to solve these problems.

    “We just brainstormed on a couple of ideas for the name  and when we zeroed in on Aviate” says Rishi.

    The founder (Rishi) himself created the company’s logo.

    Aviate Logo
    Aviate Logo

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    Aviate – Business Model and How it works

    Aviate is a pioneer in the ‘train and hire’ model. Aviate trains job-seekers on very role-specific and organization/industry-specific courses that are designed in collaboration with the employers. Post training the trainees are assessed and only those perform well are sent for interviews. To reduce attrition, Aviate also provides incentives to those alumni who complete minimum an year with an organization.

    The advantages of this ‘train and hire’ model are-

    • Effective curation of employees. Employers can recruit from a candidate pool that is pre-trained.
    • Candidates are job ready even before getting hired. So the companies can skip the need for in-house training.
    • Reduced attrition. The alumni receive retention bonus on completion of minimum one year of job with a company, which reduces the attrition rate.
    • Role specific training and assessments designed in collaboration of the employers bridges skill gaps.

    Aviate – User Acquisitions

    Aviate’s client acquisition strategy has mostly been about identifying industries and sectors where they feel the model of hiring can create a dent and then reaching out to relevant stakeholders in the organizations to take the conversations ahead. Aviate is currently focusing on community building through campus ambassador network, internship platform and promotional events. The company is also taking help of digital marketing to reach out to potential customers.

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    Aviate – Funding and Investors

    Aviate raised a total funding of $45K in Feb, 2019.

    Date Stage Amount Investor
    Feb 22, 2019 Angel $45K Sanchit Saraf, Abhimanyu Dhamija, Ravish Naresh, Pushkar Singh along with some other angels

    Aviate – Startup Challenges

    A major challenge for Aviate has been to build a good mechanism for offline supply acquisition. They initially started by reaching out to colleges for supply acquisition but soon realized that most colleges could care less about the placements and outcomes for their students.

    “It’s so sad it isn’t even funny. Some colleges are responsive but the overwhelming majority couldn’t care less about outcomes as long as their seats are getting filled and they’re making money”, says Rishi.

    Now their focus in terms of offline supply acquisition is to build a network of campus ambassadors to evangelize the cause. They also plan to launch an internship platform in order to try and get a lock-in on the supply side right from the first year of college.

    Aviate – Competitors

    Aviate’s model is different from the other players in this space like Manipal pro-learn or times learning etc. Rishi, is fairly sure that some great companies would emerge in this space. However, he thinks what Lambda has achieved is quite remarkable and investors and entrepreneurs alike have shown quite an interest in creating an Indian clone of Lambda. They will be watching this space with great interest specially to see if and how the Income sharing Agreement model works in India.

    However, there are several companies and entrepreneurs that Rishi finds inspirational like Larry Ellison (oracle), Divyank Turakhia (directi, Media.net), Nithin Kamath (Zerodha), Ashish Kashyap (Goibibo, INDwealth) among several others.

    “Tech-enabled/tech-based recruitment has seen a few interesting companies but none have managed to solve the problem at scale except Naukri. It is a little odd that none of the startups founded post 2010 have made a dent in the market in terms of the scale that naukri enjoys. In terms of skill development, the market has tinkered with a train and hire model however we feel that no one has really created a model that hinges on incentive-alignment of all stakeholders. We do think a lot of interesting plays will emerge in the broader recruitment and skill-development space.”, says Rishi.

    Aviate – Advisors and Mentors

    Aviate is being mentored by Pushkar Singh (Co-founder Let’s Transport) and Ravish Naresh (Co-founder Khatabook and housing).

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    Aviate – Hiring Partners

    Unacademy, Toppr, KhataBook, White Hat Jr., CampK12, Lido, GoMechanic, Jaro Education, Travel Triangle, Vidyakul, Proctur, Jodo, CollegeDoors, Enguru, Scholr, Sutherland, LetsTransport, and many more are the hiring partners of Aviate.

    Aviate – Future Plans

    Aviate has signed up clients and has commenced training and hiring for them. The immediate focus for the next years is to create a wide array of content that enables them to create a broader base of profiles and roles as they feel this will trigger a positive feedback loop with tremendous network effects.

    Depth and breadth of content and job-types would lead to a better supply and a better supply would lead to better demand from clients. Kick-starting and optimizing this feedback loop is their immediate focus.

    Aviate – FAQs

    What is Aviate?

    The Aviate platform provides college graduates and final-year students with employability-enhancing and placement services.

    Who are the founders of Aviate?

    Rishi Raj Rahul is the founder and CEO of Aviate and Kundan Kumar is the co-founder and CTO.

    Where is the headquarters of Aviate?

    Bomanhalli, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560068, India.

    What is the total Funding and who are the investors of Aviate?

    Total funding is – $45K in Feb, 2019. Invested by Angel investors – Sanchit Saraf, Abhimanyu Dhamija, Ravish Naresh, Pushkar Singh along with some other angels.

  • How To Get A Job At Google | Hiring Strategy Of Google

    Google is a part of our daily lives. Every child in today’s generation knows the phrase “Ask Google”. Google is a multidimensional diverse company. Google is widely popular and admired as one of the best employers. It is Google’s mission to “arrange all available information and make it universally available and beneficial.”

    Every professional’s dream is to work for Google once in a lifetime. But the question is.

    How? How to achieve that feat? How to get a job at Google?

    In this article, you will find everything you need to know to get a job at Google. We look at self-reflection to salary negotiation. So, read on and implement!

    Self-Reflection: Know Yourself First Before Starting Out
    Search and Apply at Google: The Suitable Job
    Sending Google Resume and Cover Letter: Tailored to Fit
    Let Us Meet: Interview(s) by Google
    Decision and Offer: Let’s Negotiate with Google
    Keep Your Google Dreams Alive
    FAQ’s
    Conclusion

    Google won Glassdoor Award for 12 years
    Google has won Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work Award for 12 years

    Self-Reflection: Know Yourself First Before Starting Out

    Before you delve into the depths of your hunt, focus on yourself. Learn about your strengths and weaknesses, your passions. Think about the best, most successful instances of your experience, and paint a picture of your career to date and how do you want to further shape it. But remember, It is always difficult to build a career on something you are not passionate about.

    Ask yourself:

    • Which skill once mastered made everything easy after it
    • How have you produced the best results: on your own or working with a team?
    • Which of your job roles to date you consider most rewarding and why?
    • What was your best teamwork and why was it remarkable?
    • Why do you want to get a job at Google?

    This exercise will allow you to focus on yourself, understand your skills, interests, your goals. And how does this align with Google’s mission and vision?

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    Search and Apply at Google: The Suitable Job

    The first step is to learn about Google, so you have enough information to choose the right jobs. There is a lot of information available especially on the company pages, employee opinions, team sites, blogs, YouTube channels. Research and understand the company, the aim here is for your ambition or wish for a certain type of job/work environment should mold with the company.

    You will get some answers to your initial question “how do you get hired in Google”? You should now be able to fathom the company culture and pinpoint the part of the company and role that feels like the best match for your goals and future.

    You will find open jobs in the career section of the company website or other websites dedicated to prospective employees. Following its time-honored tradition, Google encourages applicants to “match your skills and interests to jobs you’re excited about and the problems you want to solve,” according to its website.

    Though it is recommended to apply only for the best-suited role, if you feel other jobs match your skill sets, then apply for those. But be careful not to apply too many as this may have a detrimental effect on your applications(s).

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    Sending Google Resume and Cover Letter: Tailored to Fit

    The advice given on Google’s website is to start from scratch, if you apply for more than one role, then design a resume separately for each. Google has an inclination for energetic, inventive, modes, and eager to learn candidates. Does your resume highlight these qualities?

    So in your quest of “how to get a job in Google”, keep mind while building a resume:

    • Match your skills and experience with the job role details. Include examples and data of work done.
    • Talk about projects you have been part of, successes and lessons learned, how achievement was measured, etc.
    • Highlight your leadership style, the team you managed, challenges, and scope of work.
    • But also, be precise and concise. An ideal resume generally does not exceed 2 pages, make each word count. Keep it short.

    You may or may not include a cover letter, if you have submitted s strong resume then a cover letter can be missed. If you want to include one, keep the same points as resume building in mind. For example, tailor it to the job you’re applying for, talk about what will you bring to the table, and provide practical instances. You may express your personality more through the letter. Quality, not quantity, is the focus.

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    Let Us Meet: Interview(s) by Google

    Google's Hiring Process
    Google’s Hiring Process

    The recruitment team will get your application at this stage and deem if you might be a good match for the role. Then the hiring process begins

    This may vary depending on roles, location, teams but the basic lines remain similar. Let us look at some of the ways you may be assessed for an interview:

    Online assessments: A common starting process for many organizations, a brief online assessment like writing a code or reasoning or quiz, etc. may start the process.

    Short informal chats: Before the more formal interview, an informal chat over the telephone or video may be scheduled. These usually take place with the staffing team before your conversation with the hiring manager.

    Project work: Sometimes, instead of an online assessment or along with it, a small project is assigned to you. These test your technical ability you shouldn’t be scared of them. These are designed to understand your thought process and problem-solving skills.

    Formal interviews: the next stage will be formal interviews to assess your fit with the company and profile you have applied for. Google wants the best as the company is only as good as the people working in it. It is designed to be friendly, warm but rigorous, and through, up to 3-4 interviews in a day.

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    Above all, it is you’re your demonstrable skill that is assessed, and how you fit the vacancy is discussed. So, you will be appraised under the following guiding lights:

    • Structured interview: The same explicit set of criteria is used to adjudge every candidate. The perspective for everyone remains even, so your uniqueness can emerge.
    • Open-ended questions: Open-ended questions allow you the room to have your say, express yourself, and provide solutions or examples of your work. to learn how you solve problems. Your hiring manager needs to know how your mind works, how you fit in the team, and what your strengths are.

    You also get a chance to ask questions to learn about your work environment. Keep in mind to ask relevant things. A few are like these:

    • Day-day responsibilities
    • Company values and characteristics the ideal candidate
    • Experience of the interviewer with google
    • Opportunities for professional development
    • Challenging aspect of this job

    Decision and Offer: Let’s Negotiate with Google

    The process comes full circle with the hiring team reviewing everything from application to interview. All the perspectives play an important role, if you meet all the criteria, the recruiter will reach out to you. And then you get that most awaited offer to join the team.

    You will be informed about the terms and conditions of the offer. You may want to go through these in detail and negotiate if you feel there is room for that. Once both parties agree, you have landed your dream job with Google.

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    Keep Your Google Dreams Alive

    It is important to be yourself during the entire process because Google will look not only at your skills but you as a person and how you fit in the team. There are a lot of brilliant minds working to make Google but there is always room for average, hard, and diligent workers as well. You have to have the skill to perform the job.

    Google though a huge ensemble, still retains the feel of a small company. There is always an opportunity around the corner especially in technical fields with advances every day. The environment is conducive for personal and professional and development. Even if you don’t make it on the first attempt, learn from it and try again when the time is right.

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    FAQ’s

    How do I get a job at Google?

    • Get professional experience.
    • Build up your coding skills (if you’re applying for an engineering job).
    • It’s better not to apply externally through the company website (instead focus on internships, campus recruiting, and referrals).
    • Directly reach out to a Google recruiter.

    What jobs can you do at Google?

    Find your role.

    • Engineering & Technology. Develop the products and tools of the future for billions of users.
    • Sales, Service & Support. Equip businesses with the right tools to help them grow.
    • Marketing & Communications. Connect users to the product magic.
    • Design.
    • Business Strategy.
    • Finance.
    • Legal.
    • People.

    Can I do a job in Google?

    One can apply for jobs at Google directly through the Google website. It’s simple—enter the field of your preference, add your location, and finally add the skills and experience relevant to the job you’re looking for. Google will filter jobs according to your set preferences; all you have to do is apply.

    Are Google employees happy?

    Google Ranks #1 out of the CareerBliss 50 Happiest Companies for 2020. Unlike any other award, CareerBliss honors the top companies that are succeeding in building a happy culture and positive workplace for employees. This year moving up from its position at No. 4 is Google ranking No. 1.

    Is it hard to get a job at Google?

    People have reported that the interview at Google is difficult. The interview process takes about a week. People have rated the overall interview experience as favorable.

    Is working at Google stressful?

    The work is tough, projects can change drastically and a pivot can hide behind every corner. It’s stressful to work at companies like Apple, Google and Amazon. One area the report analyzes is stress levels—which companies are making their employees feel the most stress.

    Conclusion

    The hiring process at Google is a very crucial and important part of the company’s culture. People working at Google care deeply about their teams and the people who make them up. The company also care about building a more representative and inclusive workplace, and that starts with hiring the suitable and deserving candidate. In order to truly build for everyone, the company is looking for candidates that have a wide diversity of perspectives and experiences, and a fair hiring process is the first step in getting there. Keep trying and keep applying for jobs at Google. There is a lot of competition in this process as a lot of candidates apply at Google. But in the end, it will be worth it and all effort put into the process will be fruitful.

  • Checklist for Hiring Remote Employees – Everything that you need to do

    The rise of the global pandemic and the lockdowns implemented around the world had forced every organization to implement work from home culture. Even though the situations are becoming normal, most of the organizations are continuing work from home for the safety of their employees.

    Hiring a remote employee can be quite a tedious task and would require the employer to understand certain skillsets and the mindset of the candidates.

    Here is a checklist you should consider while hiring remote employees.

    Quick responses
    Communication skills
    Showing results
    Time management
    Being independent
    Giving a test project
    Prior experience
    FAQ

    Quick responses

    Keep an eye on how quickly the candidate responds to the mail and follow up regarding the selection rounds. If he takes some days to respond to the emails or if you find that the candidate hasn’t followed up regarding the job, it shows that he is not much interested in the work profile.

    If the Candidate is motivated and loves the job profile, the candidate would be waiting for the emails and would check their email on a regular basis.

    If the email hasn’t been received the candidate would follow up regarding the process to know the results. This would show how interested they are to work for the company and job profile and how motivated they are.

    Communication skills

    A remote employee will have to communicate with other members of the team. Unlike the normal employee and remote employees will have to communicate over emails or other applications which are provided by the company.

    You should make sure that the candidate has good written and oral communication skills. If the hired employee has poor communication skills there will be a problem to effectively communicate. The productivity and the quality of the work would reduce.

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    What's the biggest benefit you see working remotely?
    What’s the biggest benefit you see working remotely

    Time management

    Time management is one of the basic and most important skills necessary for a remote employee. A remote employee should be able to manage his time and make sure he’ll be able to finish the assigned work on time. The employee will have to handle his personal and professional life in a systematic way.

    You should make sure that the employee can differentiate between the personal and professional life and able to manage the time accordingly and not mix both.

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    Being independent

    You should make sure that your remote employee is independent. The employee should be able to do his research and able to complete his works at the given time.
    At times when there is a problem to communicate, the employee should be able to work on his own without depending on anyone else. An independent remote employee can be an asset to the company.

    Giving a test project

    You can give your candidates a test project according to the domains they have applied for. Apart from the technical and interpersonal skills, you can’t hire someone without knowing their skills and knowledge in the specific work domain they have applied for.

    Giving a test project also provides you with an idea of how they would be able to manage their time, keep up the deadline, the quality of their work, and a basic idea of their productivity. It would help you understand how their work would be without actually working with them.

    Giving a test would help you understand whether he meets the criteria of the remote employee you are looking for.

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    Prior experience

    Candidates with prior experience as remote employees would have the required discipline and motivation to complete the work. They will require very little training and will be able to meet all the above criteria.

    Prior experience is a sign that the candidate has the organizational skills which is required to work effectively. Depending on candidates who have prior experience would help in reducing the risks.

    Showing results

    A remote employee should be oriented in finishing his tasks. A remote employee wouldn’t have a supervisor or anyone to look over him on a daily basis. The employee should be responsible enough to make sure he performs.

    He should take action and show the results and not just log in for the work every day. You should make sure you would hire an employee who is a person who takes actions and shows results.

    During the interview, you should make sure you get to know about the employee’s past experiences and the results he has obtained from those experiences.

    FAQ

    What are the best jobs to work remotely?

    Teacher, Data Entry, Coding, Medical Billing, Web Developer, Graphic Designer and Freelance Writer are the best jobs to work remotely.

    Are remote workers less productive?

    Various studies proved that employees felt more productive and more engaged with remote work than work from the office.

    Which two tools are most useful to remote employees?

    Video Conferencing and Productivity or Project Management Tools are most useful for remote employees.

    Conclusion

    Finding the ideal remote employees can be hard. But, through the right approach and proper screening process, you will be able to find your desired employees. Even after finding the right employees, you should be able to communicate effectively and ensure that you keep them motivated.

    Providing them with the right environment, conducting frequent virtual meetings, virtual team building programme, following up regularly, ensuring that their remuneration is on time, etc. All these would make the employees stay motivated and would make them work collectively in building the company.

  • Why did Ninjacart Lay Off its 200 Employees Explained

    Ninjacart recently laid off 200 of its employees working in middle and senior management. The agritech company attributes this layoff to poor performances and unmatched expectations. While the ex employees try to stain the company’s image with stating about unethical HR practices, the management and CEO of Ninjacart are in complete denial.

    Ninjacart is an agritech startup that provides fresh fruits and vegetables to retailers directly from the farmers. It supplies over 1400 tons of fresh produce directly from the farmers to supermarkets and kirana stores. Currently, is actively moving the farm products in seven major cities- Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Pune, Bengaluru and Delhi-NCR.

    Ninjacart Latest News
    About Ninjacart
    Vision of Ninjacart
    Ninjacart Investors
    Why did Ninjacart Layoff 200 Employees
    Unresolved issues from employees
    How Ninjacart Hires
    Casual Hiring Approach
    FAQ

    Ninjacart Latest News

    23 February, 2021. Ninjacart announced that they are laying off 200 employees. Thirukumaran Nagarajan, the CEO of Ninjacart, said that the lay off was the result of issues with employee’s performance.

    About Ninjacart

    Ninjacart is India’s largest Fresh Produce Supply Chain Company. They are pioneers in solving one of the toughest supply chain problems of the world by leveraging innovative technology. They source fresh produce from farmers and deliver them to businesses within 12 hours.

    The company works with farmers in Indian villages to produce fresh farm and deliver it on a pan India platform. When they saw that farmers are exposed to various challenges such as price risk, information asymmetry in demand, delayed payments or even insufficient knowledge on distribution, they decided to intervene and provide a channel to these farmers which would bring them better returns on their harvest.

    Vision of Ninjacart

    They looked at Retailers struggling with low quality produce, unhygienic products and everyday hassle to collect the harvest and pointed to it as a major concern. They also noticed that the traditional supply chain lacks efficiency, needs more organization and has a high rate of food wastage.

    Successful businesses are those which take off with an intention to solve problems experienced on grass root levels. And Ninjacart was founded precisely for that. The founders, Sharath Loganathan, Thirukumaran Nagarajan, Vasudevan Chinnathambi, Kartheeswaran KK, Sachin Jose and Ashutosh Vikram made an impeccable team to work towards creating a better channel for the farm produce to reach the locals more efficiently.

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    Ninjacart Investors

    Backed by several venture capitalists, such as TigerGobal, Mistletoe, ACCEL, including giants like Walmart and Flipkart, Ninjacart aims to eliminate intermediaries and take control of supply chain management. It is their goal to make sure farmers are paid rightly with consistent demand and retailers are supplied with fresh and hygienic products.

    Why did Ninjacart Layoff 200 Employees

    Possible reason of Ninjacart’s layoff

    As we address the elephant in the room, we are going to talk about why a company like Ninjacart, which, as an ongoing concern, is breaking grounds to upgrade trading conditions for farmers, is laying off so many employees all of a sudden?

    Ninjacart laid off  200 employees across various functions at all employee levels. The labor cut happened across all  its key geographics- Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai and Hyderabad.

    Unresolved issues from employees

    The employees complained of being given a 15 day notice period whereas every other company provides a 30 day notice period which is bare minimum. Employees at senior levels have shown dismay as they have removed from the company by issuing fake resignations. Employees said that they don’t remember submitting any resignations and that their source was a portal used by the company’s HR department.

    The employees believe the laying off was a part of their cost-cutting drive but the company has denied all such claims. According to CEO Thirukumaran Nagarajan, “Out of the 200 employees who were sent away, the majority of them were asked to leave due to performance issues. Every employee has an internal scorecard that we maintain so that whenever the performance dips below the expected KPIs, the manager (concerned) alerts him or her. If there is no improvement seen, the manager reports this to the HR who takes the final decision.”

    “We have had cases of theft, including our own employees stealing our crates. We have found instances of several of our employees stealing crates of products and selling those in supermarkets and other offline markets. We were able to track down those employees in the past and terminate their jobs.” Thirukumaran Nagarajan further added

    Apart from the layoffs, employees have complained about their performance appraisals being put on hold. Many companies, owing to the pandemic conditions, have had similar cost saving measures in place and CEO Nagarajan claims to have paid all the said payouts.

    “We have never had cost-cutting measures, but we did make a decision to postpone payments of variable pay components of employees in April after the lockdown. We had to take this decision as we were unsure about how the business might look like after the nationwide lockdown. However, we have already paid the variable pay to all employees in 4 equal instalments in the month of September, October, November and December. The annual variable pay payout is for the period of April 2019 to March 2020,” he added.

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    How Ninjacart Hires

    Ninjacart calls upon innovators, problem solvers and executioners to be a part of their steadily growing team. It has a flexible schedule for its employees and aims to have a fun environment at work. It has hired several freshers, including some from IIM and middle and senior management level employees in the recent year and now going strong with 4000 plus employees.

    Ninjacart Hiring Process
    Ninjacart Hiring Process

    Casual Hiring Approach

    Ex employees claim that the company had a casual approach towards hiring and firing people. It hired a batch of freshers from IIM and later fired them when their performance fell below a certain matrix without batting an eyelid or even giving them a second chance to improve themselves. This led to a lot of instability and insecurity among the employees and some of them left the company themselves.

    The agritech recently caught a hiccup due to a mass lay off and alleged unethical HR practices where employee IDs were hacked by team managers to submit fake resignations. The CEO, Nagarajan commented  that senior managers do not have the final say on layoffs without communicating the decision first to the HR department.

    “The issue of a manager taking control of some employees’ official accounts to force termination only happened in a few cases, and I have already communicated to these employees to contact me personally for an appropriate resolution,” he added.

    FAQ

    How does Ninjacart make money?

    Ninjacart is an AgriTech startup which allows farmers to sell their vegetables and fruits directly to retailers and restaurants without middlemen involved.

    Who is the founder of Ninjacart?

    Thirukumaran Nagarajan, Vasudevan Chinnathambi, Ashutosh Vikram, Kartheeswaran KK, and Sharath Babu Loganathan are founders of Ninjacart.

    Why did Ninjacart lay off 200 Employees?

    Ninjacart fired at least 200 employees citing performance and integrity issues, but employees believe the laying off was a part of their cost-cutting drive.

    Conclusion

    2020 Covid-19 pandemic left no stone unturned in messing up the world economy. Meanwhile, giants who stood tall taking hits from the pandemic, start up companies have struggled to even stay afloat. As we stated earlier, labor cut is a common practice when the company is in financial crisis and we surely empathize with that but the allegations Ninjacart are serious in nature.

    HR practices form a very prominent and integral part of any organization. The preamble set by an organization’s HR practices enable a smooth run for employees from the top management to ground level employees, and hence they need to be as transparent as possible.  

  • Top 7 Tech Trends Every HR Must Look Out for in 2021

    Technology has an impact on every industry. The recruitment industry has also been influenced by various technologies in past. The industry is experiencing rapid growth as a new players are entering the market. Technology has advanced at a ridiculous pace in the last ten years. Every company should be updated about upcoming tech trends in the market. As we near the end of 2020 lets look at some Top Tech Trends Every HR Must know in 2021.

    Artificial Intelligence in The Recruitment Process
    Feedback Tools to Improve Engagement
    On the Job Training
    Employee Experience Platforms
    Data Analytics Transforming HR
    Cloud based HR
    Giving importance of the employees mental health

    Artificial Intelligence in The Recruitment Process

    HR tech trends in 2021
    HR tech trends in 2021

    One of the most well known tech trend in HR is the use of Artificial intelligence which growing exponentially in every field from health to teaching to everything. In 2021, AI will play a major role in the recruitment and hiring process. AI can save the time of recruiters to screen and shortlist candidates. The recruitment process will also speed up with the help of AI as it can answer repetitive questions through a chatbot.

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    Feedback Tools to Improve Engagement

    Every organization wants to improve workforce engagement. As an HR it is important to ensure that your employees are passionate about their jobs. Various feedback tools are available to improve the workplace environment and employee engagement tools for employees. There’s a lot of distractions in the modern workplace, especially for employees who use internet-connected devices to complete their daily tasks. These feedback tools will help management to better understand their employees. There are various Employee Engagement Software and Tools in 2021

    On the Job Training

    On the job training is an important top trends of HR that helps in the prosperous growth of the organization. Employees require continuous mentorship and skill development training to perform well in their jobs. On job training helps employees get business demands met more promptly. This also develops a great mindset of always learning in employees. Many companies have adopted Different Policies to Upskill the Employees.

    Top HR trends of 2021

    Employee Experience Platforms

    There are various platforms available to rate companies on their Employee Experience. Employees don’t hesitate to share their experience on these platforms which can affect the company’s reputation. A positive employee experience makes it easier for companies to attract top talent in this competitive market. This generation is the largest part of the workforce and it is important to join millennials in your workforce.

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    Data Analytics Transforming HR

    Many organizations employ data analytics tools in human resources to improve hiring decisions. It can also help to identify factors that have the most significant influence on the employee. Employee data can be used to create a personalized experience to engage employees. Data analytics can be presented visually in graphics or statistical reports to better understand and take action.

    Technology has advanced at a ridiculous pace in the last ten years. HR needs to identify the best workforce for their organization. The impact of technology has also enhanced the hiring experience for both the candidates and the hiring teams. Various tools and technologies are available for HR to facilitate the recruitment process.

    Cloud based HR

    The HR department is known to help key functions such as recruiting, managing the data of the employees managing the employees performance, hiring, etc. One thing they all have in common is data processing. Before the cloud based solutions like PeopleSoft, the HR managers would take care of all these details. Which is why with the introduction with cloud based HR solutions improving the process of hiring, getting an employer brand and updating information and data security.

    Giving importance of the employees mental health

    The mental health of the employees must be given importance because they are what make or break the company. For taking care of their wellbeing the HR department can hold a weekly office yoga session or a healthy Friday. Not only that the the physical, and financial health of the employees must also be given equal importance. And as such, the number one condition when it comes to getting your workforce ready for the future.

    Frequently asked questions – FAQs

    What do HR department do?

    The HR takes care of the employer branding, recruitment or selection, Onboarding, performance management, learning and development and most importantly workplace safety and culture.

    What does a HR manager do?

    The HR manager has a lot of responsibilities such as managing their internal team, stakeholder management, making new policies for recruitment etc.

    What does an HR analyst do?

    The HR analyst works on the collection, analysis, and reporting of data.

    Adding new tech trends to the HR departments in improving the HR policies, growth of organisation helps in performing the basic functions of HR  like recruiting, onboarding, training the employees, etc.

  • How to Get a Job at Facebook

    I am sure the majority of the urban population knows Facebook as our virtual reality companion. Many even spend hours on it.

    Have you ever wondered about the team behind all this technology?

    Professionals in technical and even non-technical roles dream of working with this company created by Mark Zuckerberg. It has a reputation year on year as one of the best companies to work for.

    Today we look at “how to get a job at Facebook.” What does one do to get an opportunity like that?

    The approach is a two-fold process, the things that you keep in mind while applying, and the process you follow.

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    We start with the points to remember and then discuss the process.

    Skillset takes priority over experience
    Facebook wants Problem Solvers
    Present the original you to Facebook
    Know who you are for Facebook
    Product Knowledge of Facebook
    Spot the opportunity at Facebook
    Making the Application to Facebook
    Attending Interview at Facebook
    Facebook Offer and your acceptance
    The Last Words

    Skillset takes priority over experience

    Facebook consider skillset
    Facebook consider skillset

    Facebook as an organization values the skill over the experience of the candidate. So, you stand a chance of securing the role if you have the relevant skills but no matching experience yet. Janelle Gale VP Human Resources commented in this context to CNBC “Apply if you have the relevant skills even if you don’t have the right experience because we’re looking underneath the surface for what’s really going to matter here and that’s what skills you can bring to the table.”

    So, if you think you have the knowledge, but lack experience still gives it a try.

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    Facebook wants Problem Solvers

    Gale also said that during the interview you should be able to demonstrate you are capable of solving problems. The idea is always is to go above and beyond your role and think out of the box to find solutions.

    A good way to often to illustrate this is to discuss your previous projects and work, the finding areas of improvement. This indicates that you are open to feedback, have the mindset to learn and progress. Would you hire someone who wants to be stagnant?

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    Present the original you to Facebook

    It is important to be yourself. Presenting a façade will not work, remember the hiring team is experienced at finding the true personality. And a façade can’t be continued for a long time and there are several rounds of interviews.

    You can easily connect with your interviewer, anybody for that matter when you present a true picture. Especially Facebook’s product allows people to be who they are, then how will you able to work if you hide. Thus, remember to stick to your personality.

    Know who you are for Facebook

    There are several rounds in the hiring process, at each step you should have a crystal-clear idea about your own competence. You should take time to self-reflect, peek within yourself to learn about your strength and weaknesses; Likes and dislikes, passions, and apathy.

    This will provide you with a good understanding of the skills and capabilities you can bring with you. You will be able to make the correct choice to enjoy your work, thereby delivering your best performance and exceeding expectations. Can you see the domino effect? In fact, you probably will be asked about what do you do on your best day at work, to understand what you actually like to do.

    Keep these things in mind when you become a contender and further then are called for an interview.

    Product Knowledge of Facebook

    What does Facebook do? Well, it does several things related to social media. Research and learn about the business and the company. Develop knowledge not only about the actual business i.e. social media platforms but also departments working behind the scenes.

    This will be a great asset when making your application, you will be able to show how you can be useful. Also, it is a clear indicator that you are really interested in the organization and have done your research to gain and learn about it. This works in your favour during the interview and is a positive indicator for the recruiter.

    Spot the opportunity at Facebook

    Once you have decided your goal, then be on the lookout for the correct vacancy that matches your skill, experience, and aim. You will find all the roles listed usually on the careers page of Facebook, so be a regular visitor. When you spot something, think if this is this is correct career direction for you.  

    Remember, Facebook is a technology focussed company, so most jobs may require some technical knowledge even though from different spheres like public policy marketing, etc. Thus, till the right opening comes up, you can utilize the time to upskill. Facebook values skill more than experience, so there will always be a possibility for you.

    Another important aspect is location, if you want to become part of the company then be open to relocation where the job opening comes up. Facebook has a presence in North America, Asia, Europe, Africa, The Middle East, and South America.

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    Making the Application to Facebook

    Facebook Job Application Process
    Facebook Job Application Process

    This is a crucial step in the process. And will involve quite a few intricate processes:

    • Create a Resume: Don’t just tweak the existing resume, create a fresh one catering to the job you are applying for. If you are applying for multiple vacancies, then create multiple resumes based on different job roles.
    • Match your goals with the company: Read the mission and vision statements of Facebook. Analyze and emphasize how you fit in the grand scheme of things. Discuss future prospects.
    • Highlight Skills and experience: Skills are deemed essential, so highlight yours even if you don’t have a ton of experience around it. But on the other hand, if you have some experience, don’t forget to include it. Give details of both skills and experience, even if they are college projects. Expressly avoid implying being an “expert” as there always room for improvement and upskilling.
    • Submit application: So, you are ready to take the final step. However, review thoroughly before submission to make sure all fields have been completed correctly with relevant information. Finally, submit within the deadline.

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    Attending Interview at Facebook

    You are almost there, but this is the major hurdle that you will have to cross and there will be several rounds. The initial connection is usually over the phone. The discussion will be around your resume and skills. This is the chance to introduce the recruiter to you as a person and emphasize how your skill will help in Facebook’s business plans.

    The next step would be to meet everyone face to face, here the key is confidence and being yourself. Dress formally and be well-groomed. Use the resources available in the room for demonstration, answer to the best of your ability, don’t hesitate to admit when you don’t know something. Finally, explain your conclusions with reasoning. Don’t forget to discuss how your competence will be helpful for the role and your capacity to multitask.

    Your body language will play a critical role. Always keep it open and friendly, maintain good posture. Be receptive to any feedback and accept it constructively. This will indicate you are willing to do the things you are asked.

    Facebook Offer and your acceptance

    After the interview stage, you will wait to hear back. If your competency matches the job role and the interview was good, you will have an offer from Facebook to join their team. If you are offered a different role, then understand the intricacies first. Keep in mind, your hiring member has faith in you are the correct choice. Congratulations on landing a job in your dream company!

    The Last Words

    It may be the case that unfortunately, you don’t get selected. Don’t be disheartened, there will be other vacancies, just be observant. But make sure you ask for feedback. This will allow you to address any shortcomings. You have been given a chance to correct them and try again.

    All the best!

  • HackerEarth – Crowdsourcing Solutions from the Developers’ Community!

    As it is correctly said, people who solve problems the best have suffered the most. Similarly, Sachin Gupta and Vivek Prakash being app developers themselves launched their startup HackerEarth in 2012 with the motive to build an entirely meritocratic system using a sufficiently objective measure for an app developer’s skills.

    Their initiative was driven by the fact that the number of technology employment opportunities are growing at an exponential rate. And with the advent of digitization, more and more jobs are being available to Information Technology (IT) professionals. Still, there are a bunch of app developers who do not get the job they deserve.

    HackerEarth – Company Highlights

    Startup Name HackerEarth
    Headquarter San Francisco Bay Area, West Coast, Western US
    Sector Edtech and Recruiting Platform
    Founders Sachin Gupta, Vivek Prakash
    Founded 2012
    Parent Organization HackerEarth Inc.
    Website hackerearth.com

    About HackerEarth and How it Works
    HackerEarth – USP and Innovation
    Founders of HackerEarth and team
    How was HackerEarth Started?
    HackerEarth – Startup Launch
    HackerEarth – Business Model and Revenue Model
    HackerEarth – Startup Challenges
    HackerEarth – Funding and Investors
    HackerEarth – Growth
    HackerEarth – Future Plans

    Check out this List of EdTech Startups in India | Emerging Education Startups

    About HackerEarth and How it Works

    HackerEarth mainly focuses on crowd sourcing solutions from the developers’ community. So, it ideally provides enterprise software solutions that help organizations to manage the firm with effective innovation and solve their technical recruitment needs.

    HackerEarth Logo
    HackerEarth Logo

    They also have launched a second version of the innovation management software. This new version focuses on creating a holistic innovation management unit within the company itself. This, in turn, paves the way for enhancing greater creativity and a culture of innovation in the organization. Also, the new version puts extra focus on security, customization, and verticalization of the product across various industries.

    All in all, HackerEarth’s innovation management software is a superiorly indispensable platform for enterprises that helps them to tackle various problems through internal and external audiences respectively.

    HackerEarth – USP and Innovation

    • HackerEarth holds a community of more than 2 million-plus app developers coming from more than 57 countries backed by robust platforms to swiftly drive superior innovation in the industry.
    • HackerEarth also has launched an initiative where they enable enterprises to host innovation challenges for business-related problems and the startups can participate. This initiative is called Startup Connect.
    • The startups who perform well are shortlisted and get a chance to work with enterprises to co-create creative and innovative solutions.

    Also read: Aviate – Making College Students Job Ready

    Founders of HackerEarth and team

    HackerEarth was founded by Sachin Gupta and Vivek Prakash in 2012.

    Sachin Gupta and Vivek Prakash are founders of HackerEarth
    Sachin Gupta and Vivek Prakash

    Both of the co-founders, Sachin Gupta and Vivek Prakash, are hardcore programming graduates from IIT Roorkee. And both of them at different points interned and also worked with Microsoft and Google

    Sachin Gupta, CEO, and Co-founder – Having been a startup founder for most of his professional life, Sachin Gupta is an entrepreneur by heart. He claims that he absolutely loves doing whatever it takes to build a company and is powerfully driven by things that challenge him.

    Vivek Prakash, CTO, and Co-founder – A programmer at heart, a dual degree holder in computer sciences. Vivek leads the Information Management Group at IIT Roorkee and has also been a part of Google Summer of Code program.

    Currently with 120 members, HackerEarth has close to 45 people in engineering, 15 marketers, and 25 sales representatives, with the rest in operations.

    How was HackerEarth Started?

    Like many other startups, HackerEarth also started in the dorm room. These two individual’s passion for app development was at an all-time high when they were in college. Taking the same passion forward, they thought that it’d be a great idea to build a product that cultivates the culture of coding amongst the students in India.

    And that’s how they came up with MyCareerStack. After its huge success, they again put their passion for driving seat and thought of exploiting the problems that companies face while recruiting. And to create a solution to this, they launched HackerEarth.

    Relevant read: Skillate- Solving the Complications of Recruitment Flawlessly

    HackerEarth – Startup Launch

    HackerEarth penetrated in the market with the strategy for creating programming courses to majorly serve two purposes:

    • To enable the programmers to practice and learn code.
    • And to allow the programmers to compete with other programmers through exciting and meaningful contests.

    HackerEarth has created some interesting programming challenges with certain levels of difficulty which appeal to all the developers on a global level. They are called Hackathons.

    Hackathons provide a great platform for developers to showcase their talent. These type of programs keeps the programmers engaged and allows them to practice and learn code in a fun way. At HackerEarth, the range of learning varies from basic concepts to advanced ones. The basic concepts include modules like Algorithms and Data structures and the advanced concepts include modules like Machine Learning.

    HackerEarth – Business Model and Revenue Model

    So ideally, there are two products that HackerEarth has to offer. Both the products are essentially sold as SaaS:

    • HackerEarth Sprint– It is an innovation management software that helps companies drive creativity and innovation through internal and external talent pools. This includes its global community of 2M+ developer and they work with large enterprises, SMBs, Universities, and Government entities to help them effectively solve their innovation needs.
    • HackerEarth Recruit– This is a more on the technology side. It is a technical recruitment interface that helps in optimum technical talent screening which allows its clients to build a strong and proficient team.

    HackerEarth – Startup Challenges

    The biggest challenge for HackerEarth like any other startup is to scale the programmers and keep them engaged on HackerEarth. It seems like stronger the hub, easier is the business operations. So for HackerEarth, everything stems from the hub and scaling it across the world is the biggest hurdle to toss.

    Relevant read: How Hiring is Affected due to Coronavirus Outbreak?

    HackerEarth – Funding and Investors

    HackerEarth has raised a total of $11.5M in funding over 5 rounds. Their latest funding was raised on Nov 1, 2018 from a Series B round.

    Here is a list of all the funding rounds of HackerEarth-

    Date Stage Amount Investor
    June 2013 Venture Round – –
    February 2014 Seed Round $500K Prime Venture Partners
    April 2014 Seed Round – –
    February 2017 Series A $4.5 Million DHI Group Inc
    November 2018 Series B $6.5 Million –

    HackerEarth – Growth

    • HackerEarth’s corporate client’s list is seamlessly unending. This list includes huge companies like Wipro and Adobe.
    • Since the launch to now, HackerEarth has been growing exponentially. Now, they are a team of 120+ people, are catering to more than doubled user base and grew their revenues 5X.
    • Also, HackerEarth has grown into a global community of 2+ million developers driving creativity and innovation to the field like a force.

    Also read: Colangels – Connecting you with right people

    HackerEarth – Future Plans

    • Expanding the brand presence across other countries with a prime focus on US, Europe, and SouthEast Asia is number one on the list of HackerEarth’s plans.
    • HackerEarth is aiming to be the largest platform for developers. Hence their long term plan is to add over a million more programmers to this community over the next few years.

    “This is the right time for us to look at markets overseas, when our India business is still growing, rather than a time when we are reaching saturation in this market. At present, 85 percent of our revenues come from India and 15 percent from international markets. In three years, we see this balancing out to a 50-50.”, said Sachin Gupta, co-founder of HackerEarth.

  • Ultimate Guide To Write A Perfect Job Description

    At a recent corporate meet, when asked about the biggest issue faced, one of my HR friends complained about the difficulties he faced while hiring people. He complained about irrelevant applications, unwanted crowds and all the resources wasted to handle the situation. Gradually, the complaints transformed into a discussion and two things concluded. First, the current industry is talent-driven and Second, some key particles of the hiring process require urgent attention.

    Hiring is a process performed to hire the best talent available in the market. The flow of power has changed from employer to employee and wise game plans are now more than required to manage the flow of skilled workforce and help run a successful hiring campaign. Unsuccessful hiring campaigns should be considered as lessons for tomorrow and blueprints for hiring should be produced carefully. Moreover, we cannot allow irrelevant resumes to flood our desks which would again increase our current problems.

    But how can a piece of paper help you get your desired results?

    The answer is simple. A compelling job description exhibits your job profile to the fullest and helps candidates to decide whether their profile suits your company. Mission accomplished! Now you have relevant job applications for your profile, just by adding a pinch of creative flavour to your job cuisine.

    The job description is the first point of contact for a candidate who reaches your company (through job portals, social media or your website). Moreover, it helps you to describe the specifications for your profile. So, start your homework on how to write a perfect job description and cultivate fresh job descriptions to attract the candidate you desire.

    Consider your job description as your marketing tool to have an over the edge advantage over other job descriptions. So, let us make a move towards achieving your goal by helping you to write the perfect job description you can have. A few tips to write a perfect job description and land your dream employees.

    Impress Your Candidate
    Show your previous work
    Exhibit Your Perks
    Know Your Audience
    A hashtag Can Be Helpful

    Impress Your Candidate

    Impressing the candidate is considered the most important part of writing a job description as it’s the first step towards hiring. Don’t get irrelevant CVs even after listing all your specifications. There could be a problem with your presentation of your job description. The process may demand several hours of attention to provide the best results.

    Copying a job description is not advised.

    • Copying a job description will take away originality from your JD and will make it dull and monotonous.
    • Try to be as conversational as you can and list your expectations and challenges for your candidate. For example, a software developer should have a clear picture of his responsibilities and challenges while reading your JD.
    • Hence, it will excite your candidates and keep them interested. So, a perfect job description will help you to clear out junk at the beginning. Moreover, your candidate will have a better understanding of your firm and you will be able to produce a sure shot win-win situation. Don’t forget to mention other necessary technical skills and non-technical skills.

    Show your previous work

    Showing your previous work indicates experience which helps to show your company’s work. The art of creating a perfect job description may include naming your workforce in your JD. Discover a creative way to include your star performers and they can be your USP. This will create an aura of your organization in front of your potential employees. Your workforce will be your words and it would highlight your work culture.

    Exhibit Your Perks

    Exhibiting perks 

    Exhibiting your perks helps them see your positive side. If you ask me what do you need to list, I would say anything that looks beneficial to a potential employee. It can be your medical insurance policy to weekend parties thrown to your employees. Free meals, transportation, cool office stuff, free goodies or even free crackers for snacks. Perks may even include expertise exposure

    Mention the salary or salary range offered. So, do not keep any table unturned.

    Know Your Audience

    Know your Audience

    Write your job description according to the mass you are approaching. Lay some facts and figures on your paper according to your audience.

    For example, it may sound cool for a 25-year-old college pass out to work in flexible hours and wear casual attire but a middle-aged mother may look for a family-friendly atmosphere. So make sure to talk through your JD.

    Just go with the flow. Research a lot about the nature of the forthcoming workforce to prepare job descriptions in the future. It will help you to keep ahead.

    To attract top talents, job description writers shouldn’t start with motivation and self-discipline. This way, the company can come across as unnecessary strict, and too demanding. Describe the responsibilities of the candidate, Think about the future, don’t brag about the past, Pick the right place for publishing your offer.

    Important: Always mention job location and contact information in your JD.

    Social media: The New Job Posting Arena

    It is common to see a job posting on social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. It will provide an edge over traditional job posting sites as it is easily accessible. So, embroider your job posting through the use of catchy images to make it visually attractive.

    A hashtag Can Be Helpful

    Adding hashtags has been found effective according to recent trends.

    Hashtag service helps the job seeker to quickly find the job of his dreams by using hashtags like #hotjobs, #jobopening, #careers, etc. So, create your hashtags sensibly according to your job profiles.

    Following the above points mentioned will help you to write a perfect job description.

    Don’ts for Job description

    This is an important list to follow when it comes to writing a perfect job description. Remember these points by heart and save yourself from repeating them like others.

    Never confuse your candidate
    Do Not List Too Many Things

    Never confuse your candidate

    Keep it simple when it comes to your profile names. Do not put unnecessary creativity to make it attractive. It should look professional and compelling at the same time. Some of the companies mess it up by using fancy names for job profiles. Simplicity holds the key to a perfect Job description. Hence, refer to some Job description templates and keep it low.

    Do Not List Too Many Things

    A crisp and to the point job description attracts everyone. Make sure your JD does the same thing. Stick to a maximum of seven crucial skills in the list. A long list may ruin the JD. Further, do not add a long list of must-do things to your JD.

    Conclusion

    A perfect job description helps you find a perfect candidate who is qualified and most eligible for the role. It helps in understanding the roles and responsibilities of the candidate to apply for the job. It also serves as a basis for interviewing the employee and evaluate their performance for the applied role.

  • Skillate- Solving the Complications of Recruitment Flawlessly

    Recruitment is a tough process and it’s not just today but it always has been. Intending to make recruitment Easy, Fast and Transparent, Bipul Vaibhav, Anand Baranwal, and Kumar Sambhav launched Skillate in 2016. The whole idea behind this venture is to shift the focus of recruitment teams “from the ‘how’ to the ‘who’, i.e. process automation to candidate recommendation.”

    Skilliate HighLights

    Startup Name Skilliate
    Headquarter Bangalore
    Sector HR Tech
    Founders Bipul Vaibhav, Anand Baranwal, Kumar Sambhav
    Founded 2016
    Website skillate.com

    Skilliate Details

    Skillate – About and How it works
    Skillate- USP and Innovation
    Skillate – Target Market Size
    Skillate – Founders and Team
    Skillate – How did skilliate start?
    Skillate – Startup Launch
    Skillate – Business Model and Revenue Model
    Skillate – Startup Challenges
    Skillate – Funding and Investors
    Skillate – Advisors and Mentors
    Skillate – Growth
    Skillate – Future Plans

    Skillate – About and How it works

    Skillate is an advanced decision-making engine to make hiring easy, fast, and transparent. The AI-based platform helps in optimizing the entire value chain of recruitment, beginning from creating the job requisition, to resume matching, to candidate engagement. Skillate can work as both –

    1. A standalone Application Tracking Software (ATS) that takes care of the end-to-end recruitment needs of your organizations, or
    2. As an intelligent system that integrates with your existing ATS to make your recruitment easy, fast, and transparent.

    Skillate solutions are solving the following problems:

    • Candidate sourcing: Skillate’s new-age sourcing methodology continuously expands your central database through a connected network of resources: job boards, emails, ATS, consultancies, referrals, career pages, etc. Skillate solutions help you utilize your central database better.
    • Candidate screening: Skillate Chatbot and AI-powered matching, thinks like a recruiter and provides AI-backed scores for candidates based on education, experience, and skill levels. The intelligent platform provides ‘much beyond a keyword match’, and understands patterns and context to ensure that you never miss out on a quality candidate.
    • Candidate experience: The Conversational AI of our chatbot automates communication and creates personalized candidate experiences at scale. It captures information beyond resumes (for ex.- shift and relocation readiness) and keeps the information repository fresh. Our JD assistant, on the other hand, gives real-time feedback to recruiters on their JD and helps them in writing detailed job descriptions to attract the best candidates.

    Also Read: Top 6 Ways ChatBot For Business Can Help You

    Skillate- USP and Innovation

    Skillate has trained its system with over 20 million diverse profiles and has 15+ paying clients. Working with it, the clients have achieved the following benefits:

    • Reducing hiring time by 65%
    • Cost per hire by more than 30%
    • 40% Lesser Interviews
    • 2.2x conversions

    Some other prominent USP’s are:

    • The AI-based solutions are ‘self-learning’ and provide improved results over time
    • Skillate is secured and is working with some of the biggest enterprises across sectors
    • Skillate integrates with existing ATSs like Success Factor and Taleo to help organizations with a smooth transition
    • Skillate works efficiently at scale. The platform processes 5 Lakh resumes screening in 4 seconds
    • Skillate is the official partner of SAP

    Skillate – Target Market Size

    The Recruitment Industry in India is growing at 21% per year and is approximately worth Rs. 35,000 crores as per Executive Recruiters Association and Ernst & Young. The global recruitment software market size was valued at US$ 1,753.2 Mn in 2017 and is projected to reach US$ 3,095.8 Mn by the end of 2025, exhibiting a CAGR of 7.4%, according to Fortune Business Insights.

    The technology landscape is dynamic. Currently, traditional products like Workday, SuccessFactors, etc. are used by enterprises. Even though these solutions promise end-to-end management of the recruiting process, there are gaping holes that need to be filled. Solutions that use cutting edge technology along with the power of AI to integrate with these existing platforms can solve some real pain points of the industry. New players like Skillate, Talview, HackerEarth, Leena AI, KPISoft, Xoxoday, etc. are centering themselves around a mother platform to make the entire recruitment experience seamless.

    “People Analytics” and “Offer to Joining Ratio” are two new problems of this decade. Diversity and Inclusion is one of the core agendas for all the large enterprises today, and it is a global mandate to implement this at scale. The industry has started talking about the Quality of Hire and Reduced TAT by leveraging technology. The world is expecting to see some great innovation happening in these areas. So, in general, there are exciting times ahead. In the next 5 years, the industry will talk about analytics in the HR function by leveraging tools like Tableau or Power BI the way we do it in Sales, Marketing, or Operations.

    Skillate – Founders and Team

    The founders Skillate are Bipul Vaibhav, Anand Baranwal, and Kumar Sambhav. Sambhav and Bipul are friends from their college days. Sambahv was more into technology, and Bipul always had a great sense of business. When they decided to start their venture, Anand, who was living with them as their flatmate, decided to join in. Anand was working in Tracxn then as an analyst and had developed a deep understanding of the startup ecosystem during his research.

    Bipul Vaibhav, Co-founder, and CEO, Skillate- At Skillate, Bipul is responsible for AI, Investment, and overall business growth of Skillate. Before founding Skillate, Bipul worked as a Data Scientist at DataWeave Software Pvt Ltd, where he developed a machine learning model to classify the product categories of e-commerce products. He also worked as an advanced software engineer with Burning Glass Technologies for a little less than a year. Bipul holds a B. Tech degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from IIT Guwahati. He has co-authored a paper on an autonomous river cleaning robot and a model for video classification using semantic keywords. He holds research publications in the field of Artificial Intelligence at International Forums like SPIE and IEEE. Bipul is passionate about Cricket, Reading books, and Building software products.

    Bipul Vaibhav, Co-founder, and CEO, Skillate

    Anand Baranwal, Co-founder, Skillate – As one of the co-founders of Skillate, Anand’s primary role/responsibility is to drive business and growth at Skillate. He is responsible for Business Development, Marketing, and Hiring the right talent for his company. Before co-founding Skillate, Anand has had extensive experience as an analyst with Tracxn where he engaged with the FinTech industry in the Southeast Asia region. He has also managed projects for JSW Steel Ltd. Anand graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Production and Industrial Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur. Anand’s specialization skills lie in the areas of Business Development and Operations activities. Anand’s passion is to find and meet like-minded people to learn and grow in all aspects of life.

    Kumar Sambhav, Co-founder, Skillate – Sambhav is the Co-founder at Skillate and he is responsible for strategy, roadmap, and feature definition of the product to deliver unique value to our clients. Before Skillate, Kumar was involved in software development at Capillary Technologies. He was working in the product that handles the campaign management and subscription management for the client. Sambhav holds a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from IIT Guwahati. He specializes in software design and system architecture which varies from the backend to the front part of the application. He is passionate about music and plays guitar in his spare time. He has a sports bug and plays Tennis and Table Tennis.

    Currently, the Skillate team is made up of 25+ dynamic individuals with expertise in different domains. Skillate management is flexible with working hours and doesn’t believe in micromanagement. There is just one criterion to join the Skillate team- behave like an entrepreneur while respecting the team dynamics.

    Also Read: How to Hire CTO for Your Startup

    Skillate – How did it start?

    In January 2015, Bipul was working for an analytics software company in Chennai. Unhappy with his role, Bipul contacted various organizations with openings, but to no avail. The frustrating part was not that he was getting rejected, but that often, he would simply not receive any response from the recruiters. He had no clarity on what stage his applications were getting rejected, or even if they were noticed at all!

    This got Bipul thinking about the lack of transparency prevalent in the recruitment process. He realized that even though candidates desperately want a response from the company on the stature of their candidature, large corporations often don’t have the time and bandwidth to respond to every candidate at each stage of the hiring process. With corporate firms receiving millions of applications every year, the unstructured hiring process not only keeps the candidates in the dark but also deprives organizations of the best talents.

    This led Bipul with his co-founders – Sambhav and Anand to form Skillate, an AI-based platform that makes recruitment Easy, Fast, and Transparent with its cutting edge technology.

    Skillate – Startup Launch

    In the beginning, when the co-founders had only tested the platform on LinkedIn profiles, they connected to an HR manager through a mutual connection and collected about 1600 resumes. “We tested our algorithms on these resumes and failed miserably! We were shocked. It was one of the days when we doubted if we should go ahead with our product or not.” Says Bipul Vaibhav.

    However, rather than giving up, the team went back to the drawing board and revisited the basics of the technology they had created. They understood that to truly make AI work in a complex industry like recruitment, they will need to consider the human element of resume making.

    For example, they can’t just feed the machine with names and expect that it will understand the context. Let’s say a candidate has written his address as “next to Lakshmi road”. The machine needs to understand that here ‘Lakshmi’ is the name of the street and not a person as it normally would be.

    Similarly, as they tested more and more resumes, they understood some of the different patterns of resumes. Simple elements, like mail id and contact information, are placed at different places by different candidates. And then they trained the algorithms to identify elements like that.

    After this, the first person they spoke to was Tanuj Choudhry from HomeLane and Anuj Agarwal from zyoin. They had a deep understanding of the recruitment industry and came from a rich technical background. Then the founders started with finalizing a set of target organizations and sent highly personalized emails to the decision-makers so that they can trust the product as well as them. In the early stage, founders must make themselves as credible as they want their product to be. Apart from the personalized emails, in-depth market research helped them in understanding the pain points of our customers. Word of mouth and reference from existing clients also played a crucial role in acquiring new clients since they were highly satisfied with the product.

    Skillate – Business Model and Revenue Model

    Skillate charges on a yearly subscription model, depending on the size of the company.

    Skillate – Startup Challenges

    Recruitment as an industry still plays by the old rules. Convincing the team that heads technology can make their work easier and more efficient was a challenge. Even after Skillate’s solutions convinced them, adoption in the company remained an issue. Also, it’s dashboard’s highly intuitive design, along with our committed customer success team, ensured that adopting the Skillate platform was a smooth process with little training to the recruitment team.

    Skillate – Funding and Investors

    In October 2019, Skillate raised its pre-Series A funding of $1 Million from investors like Mynavi Corporation, Incubate Fund, and Whatfix Founders, among others.

    Also Read: Top Funded Startups India

    Skillate – Advisors and Mentors

    The advisors and mentors of Skillate are:

    • Shraddhanjali Rao – Head HR – SAP, India, Partner to the business
    • Abhijit Bhaduri – ex-Chief learning Officer – Wipro.

    Skillate – Growth

    Skillate is working with some of the biggest enterprises of the country, including the likes of Yes Bank, OYO, Saint-Gobain, L&T Financial Services, Software AG, RBL Bank, Liberty Insurance, Bigbasket, etc.

    Skillate – Future Plans

    “International expansion is one of our key focus areas, especially in the US. As we expand, we are making our product multi-lingual and more scalable so that it can handle even more volume.” Concluded Bipul Vaibhav.