Working in Silicon Valley tech is much more lucrative than you think

Drive around the wine country located about an hour north of San Francisco and you might spot an eerily familiar bus that, if you look carefully enough, seems like one used by Google to shuttle its employees to and from its offices in Silicon Valley.

That’s because it is.

As tech industry cash hoards and company valuations soar, the perks dished out to employees are following close behind — and they’re getting as creative as the code behind the products and services tech companies are peddling. In the past couple of decades, the list of handouts has lengthened from free soda and coffee to free meals to commuter benefits, surprise outings, massages, and more.

Tech perks aren’t new. But it turns out they don’t just make for a nicer work environment, they’re also changing the nature of employee pay. Recruiters say that total compensation for tech employees in Silicon Valley and San Francisco is much higher than widely assumed, primarily due to all the sundry freebies they receive — everything from catered lunches and Wi-Fi-equipped buses to free laundry.

Because of that, companies in and around the tech industry are taking note. Perks across the country are beginning to expand; even a staid insurance company in the Midwest now offers free coffee and soda. But the benefits of working in Silicon Valley continue to outpace any other industry, with dry cleaning, saunas, and on-demand massages becoming not only routine but expected.

Vexed in the city: CNET looks at how San Francisco is dealing with its tech boom. James Martin/CNET

And so when companies attempt to lure tech workers away from those perk-filled jobs, potential candidates demand more money to account for what they’re leaving behind.

How much are those perks worth? The difference may be as much as 20 percent above and beyond their salary, recruiters say. That means on paper, a software engineer at Facebook, Twitter, or Google who makes about $120,000 a year actually pulls in up to an additional $24,000 — it just doesn’t show up in their paycheck, and the Internal Revenue Service doesn’t collect taxes on it either.

“They say ‘In my last job, we got free gym memberships,’” said Jill Hernstat, a recruiter at executive search firm Hernstat & Co. “It’s gotten so out of hand.”

 

It may be out of hand, but employers seem willing to play the perks game as they vie for talented tech workers.

“There is definitely an arms race,” said Mohit Lad, CEO of network technology company ThousandEyes, which has about 50 employees in its downtown San Francisco office. He tries to keep benefits costs at up to 10 percent of a given employee’s income.

In June, ThousandEyes brought employees to Lake Tahoe, a popular local vacation spot, for three days. One of those days, the company gave out coupons for fun activities like zip lines, golfing, and boating. “It’s beyond just giving free lunches, it’s having an identity,” Lad said. “We’re trying to be original in what we give to employees.”

How much these perks cost companies is difficult to ascertain. Many companies say they don’t track these expenses per employee. But investors watch closely.

When Google filed paperwork to go public a decade ago, its founders defended the company’s then unusual perks of free meals, doctors, and washing machines. “We believe it is easy to be penny wise and pound foolish with respect to benefits that can save employees considerable time and improve their health and productivity,” Google’s co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin wrote. “Expect us to add benefits rather than pare them down over time.”

Those in the tech industry say their perks aren’t just about getting pampered, though. When a company removes the need for employees to worry about food and laundry, it frees them up to focus on family and work.

 

Google’s busses have become a divisive symbol of Silicon Valley’s perks.

Some companies believe their perks help make employees more efficient. Wi-Fi-equipped buses let employees work while commuting. At Google, employees can rent out some of the shuttles over the weekend at a nominal cost, allowing them to easily organize transportation for weddings or wine weekends.

One study by the University of California, Berkeley, found 10 percent of tech employees surveyed would leave their job if the shuttle service their companies offered were discontinued.

Bringing a barber to the office also removes the need for employees to spend time waiting at a salon. Having a doctor on campus — or an onsite health clinic like the one Hewlett-Packard added to some of its sites three years ago — saves employees from cutting their workday short. Others, such as Facebook, Google, and Apple have similar programs.

Not all companies offer extensive perks. Employees at a local research lab for IBM can buy subsidized lunches, but they’re not free. Apple, too, offers subsidized lunch, though it does have free coffee, tea and, yes, apples. The Apple gym? Employees pay for that.

Not everyone plays the perks game. Parker Conrad, head of HR software startup Zenefits, said he doesn’t offer too many of the Silicon Valley staples to his employees. “We don’t want to attract employees who are just in it for the perks,” he said.

But companies like these are becoming the exception, not the rule.

Supply and demand

One reason these perks keep expanding is competition for experienced software experts and coding whizzes, the engineers considered the backbone of the industry’s current boom. To attract top-tier candidates, companies are finding they have to offer something more than just the typical benefits package of health, dental, and retirement.

 

Pool and ping-pong tables that were so common in the first dot-com boom haven’t disappeared from tech life. James Martin/CNET

“There are a limited number of people who know how to do this stuff and they’re well taken care of because they’re in demand,” said Jed Cloern, a senior consultant for Sequoia Benefits. The most crazy perk he’s heard of? A CEO offering helicopter rides as a signing bonus for new employees.

Many of these perks extend to employees’ families as well. Some companies, for example, offer money to help offset costs of an adoption. When employees do adopt or give birth to a new child, Yahoo gives them a gift basket and $500, along with up to eight weeks of paid leave. Google also gives $500 “baby bonding bucks,” with up to 22 weeks leave for biological moms (12 weeks for everyone else). Facebook gives a gift of $4,000 and about 16 weeks.

Then there’s unlimited vacation, something companies like Netflix and Twitter give employees as well. Evernote, a productivity app maker, goes a step further, offering employees a stipend of $1,000 a year to disconnect from work. FullContact, an address book management service in Colorado, offers $7,500 per year to help finance their vacation away from the grind.

TuneIn, a radio-streaming startup in downtown Palo Alto, organized a scavenger hunt in June for employees around its new offices, which were formerly occupied by Facebook. The company also gives employees free gym memberships and commuter passes to pay for train fare.

It’s part of “taking care of employees and them seeing that and feeling that,” said Sheldon Lamphier, vice president of human resources at TuneIn. And, he added, “It’s the cost of doing business in Silicon Valley.”

via Vexed in the city: Working in Silicon Valley tech is much more lucrative than you think – CNET.

Working in Silicon Valley tech is much more lucrative than you think

Your Talent Is Your Brand, So Why Do So Many Treat Talent So Badly?

Guest Blog:  Janine Truitt

A friend of mine posted this blurb on Facebook from an audio book he was listening to (note: I don’t know the name of said audio book):

Numerous studies have shown us that those given authority are more likely to lie, cheat and steal, while also being harsher in their judgments of others for doing these same things. Science tells us people with power feel less compassion for the suffering of others.

Previous experiments also show us that those who are obedient to authority are capable of the worst forms of murder, and tolerant of the worst forms of abuse. They will even chastise those of us who resist corrupt authority. They become facilitators of evil, believing that obedience to authority absolves them of personal responsibility. “

Why do we REALLY promote people?

This blurb above is an explanation of today’s cesspool management and hierarchy that permanently resides in many companies.

Although we speak very seriously and regularly about the importance of leadership development as HR practitioners, the truth is very rarely are managers chosen with care. In fact, I have personally observed companies who promote people to management or leadership roles based on their ability to be obedient and play the game.

What happens is the road to leadership then becomes a chess match played by cheaters. The rules are not static, but changed on an as-needed basis to suit the players.

People like myself and my colleagues never stand a chance in being promoted or even surviving as an employee, because we live and work by a code of conduct. The code of conduct isn’t some arbitrary manifesto we write down to make people believe we are responsible, discerning, fair individuals; but a construct that guides our work and how we treat others in and out of business.

When we say that employees don’t leave jobs they leave bosses, we really mean they leave regimes. Within the walls of some of your most beloved brands and products lies a regime that takes pride in beating its talent to a pulp daily with unkind words, unreasonable expectations, and in some cases bullying — just because they can.

Turnover and toxic environments

Recently, I read an article about the CEO of a company I used to work for. The author interviewed him about how he runs this large conglomerate, and of course, highlighted all of the philanthropic work he does for the community.

Great article, nice man, toxic company.

It’s his job to speak highly of his business, but what I know after working there in HR is that the leadership, from HR to the actual facilities (in many cases), are toxic, and a good three-quarters of the employees are disgusted but remain there out of necessity.

Turnover is directly linked to these toxic environments.

The age of obedience and subservience is dead. People want meaningful work and positive work environments. If they remain in your employ, it is purely out of necessity.

Necessity breeds a paycheck — which also means that they couldn’t care less about the success of the company.

It’s time to deal with the jerks

I’m not sure when it became cool to lead from a place of pure malice and fear, but it needs to stop. If the ultimate goal of talent management is to retain the right talent in organizations, it’s time we (HR and everyone else) took personal responsibility to be ethical, fair, equitable, and provide a workplace free of toxic leadership.

That may mean getting rid of a manager that has high turnover even in light of his or her considerable contributions to the company. It could also mean reprimanding a manager for being a jerk, even if he or she is your happy hour cohort.

A lack of personal responsibility, the inability to tell and own the truth, as well as unethical behavior, are among the many reasons why your turnover may be high.

Pay attention to your workforce. Don’t look the other way and cover your ears when it matters the most.

Needed: a little respect and humility

Your talent is your brand. Treat them with the same respect and humility you would want for yourself.

via Your Talent Is Your Brand, So Why Do So Many Treat Talent So Badly?.

Your Talent Is Your Brand, So Why Do So Many Treat Talent So Badly?

Your Talent Is Your Brand, So Why Do So Many Treat Talent So Badly?

A friend of mine posted this blurb on Facebook from an audio book he was listening to (note: I don’t know the name of said audio book):

Numerous studies have shown us that those given authority are more likely to lie, cheat and steal, while also being harsher in their judgments of others for doing these same things. Science tells us people with power feel less compassion for the suffering of others.

Previous experiments also show us that those who are obedient to authority are capable of the worst forms of murder, and tolerant of the worst forms of abuse. They will even chastise those of us who resist corrupt authority. They become facilitators of evil, believing that obedience to authority absolves them of personal responsibility. “

Why do we REALLY promote people?

This blurb above is an explanation of today’s cesspool management and hierarchy that permanently resides in many companies.

Although we speak very seriously and regularly about the importance of leadership development as HR practitioners, the truth is very rarely are managers chosen with care. In fact, I have personally observed companies who promote people to management or leadership roles based on their ability to be obedient and play the game.

What happens is the road to leadership then becomes a chess match played by cheaters. The rules are not static, but changed on an as-needed basis to suit the players.

People like myself and my colleagues never stand a chance in being promoted or even surviving as an employee, because we live and work by a code of conduct. The code of conduct isn’t some arbitrary manifesto we write down to make people believe we are responsible, discerning, fair individuals; but a construct that guides our work and how we treat others in and out of business.

When we say that employees don’t leave jobs they leave bosses, we really mean they leave regimes. Within the walls of some of your most beloved brands and products lies a regime that takes pride in beating its talent to a pulp daily with unkind words, unreasonable expectations, and in some cases bullying — just because they can.

Turnover and toxic environments

Recently, I read an article about the CEO of a company I used to work for. The author interviewed him about how he runs this large conglomerate, and of course, highlighted all of the philanthropic work he does for the community.

Great article, nice man, toxic company.

It’s his job to speak highly of his business, but what I know after working there in HR is that the leadership, from HR to the actual facilities (in many cases), are toxic, and a good three-quarters of the employees are disgusted but remain there out of necessity.

Turnover is directly linked to these toxic environments.

The age of obedience and subservience is dead. People want meaningful work and positive work environments. If they remain in your employ, it is purely out of necessity.

Necessity breeds a paycheck — which also means that they couldn’t care less about the success of the company.

It’s time to deal with the jerks

I’m not sure when it became cool to lead from a place of pure malice and fear, but it needs to stop. If the ultimate goal of talent management is to retain the right talent in organizations, it’s time we (HR and everyone else) took personal responsibility to be ethical, fair, equitable, and provide a workplace free of toxic leadership.

That may mean getting rid of a manager that has high turnover even in light of his or her considerable contributions to the company. It could also mean reprimanding a manager for being a jerk, even if he or she is your happy hour cohort.

A lack of personal responsibility, the inability to tell and own the truth, as well as unethical behavior, are among the many reasons why your turnover may be high.

Pay attention to your workforce. Don’t look the other way and cover your ears when it matters the most.

Needed: a little respect and humility

Your talent is your brand. Treat them with the same respect and humility you would want for yourself.

via Your Talent Is Your Brand, So Why Do So Many Treat Talent So Badly?.

Your Talent Is Your Brand, So Why Do So Many Treat Talent So Badly?

The CIO is now viewed as a Game-changer

The CIO role is now viewed as the game-changer in the organisation and a desired position on the career ladder, say Gartner vice-presidents Heather Colella and Tina Nunno, author of The Wolf in CIO’s Clothing.

For years now we’ve been hearing about how CIOs need to push themselves further at the boardroom table and stand on equal terms with other C-level executives.

If anything, because the world is increasingly being viewed through a digital lens the CIO is now leading the digital transformation of an organisation.

For Colella and Nunno, the time has never been better for CIOs to shine and if anything they have to vie not only with the CFO for budget but also the CMO who also wants to lead a digital transformation.

With opportunity comes danger and while grasping the opportunity new threats and new frustrations also emerge, they warn.

Colella, a seasoned management consultant who was CEO of her own consulting firm and a former managing director with KPMG and BearingPoint, she focuses on how CIOs contribute to business results. Passionate about strategy Colella believes effective communications is the key to winning hearts and minds around the boardroom table.

Nunno, is the author of The Wolf in CIO’s Clothing and specialises in CIO-related management issues. She previously worked at the US Library of Congress and was a Parliamentary Task Force programme director.

The core tenet of Nunno’s book is the thinking of Italian political philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli who implied you’re either predator or prey, and the animal you most resemble determines your position on the food chain. She posits the wolf — a social animal with strong predatory instincts — as the ideal example of how a leader can adapt and thrive.

Pack leader

Now that there is no doubt that digital is at the heart of every enterprise’s strategy for revenue growth I ask them if they believe the CIO’s job has gotten easier or tougher as a result.

“I still think their toughest challenge is to engage the hearts and minds of their executive counterparts and in a manner that cause them to want to invest in what the future is,” Colella said.

“The challenge for any CIO is to be able to talk business and create a vision without using the words ‘technology’ or ‘digital.’”

I ask them are CIOs also faced with a threat whereby budget is shifting in the direction of digital marketing instead of fixing core IT issues to keep the business running smoothly.

“One of the biggest things that has shifted for CIOs is that the name of the game nowadays is really competitive advantage and driving top line revenue,” explains Nunno.

“Historically IT was viewed as a bottom line expense which is an unfortunate financial viewpoint on what IT is all about. When it is done extremely well it really is a competitive weapon. Increasingly boards of directors are understanding that.

“Making that transition is challenging when so many organisations are still viewing IT as a service provider. We are trying to break the service provider construct and move into IT in a leadership position.”

“Let’s face it being a great service provider is fantastic but that’s about following and reacting. It’s about doing what others ask of you and it’s about following what ever has been requested.

“Leadership is about giving them what they couldn’t imagine that they wanted but they couldn’t have imagined they needed, but couldn’t imagine the market would respond to.

“Doing that requires a combination of technical expertise, creativity and teamwork with the rest of the organisation. Right now we don’t need CIOs who are just service providers we need to let them be what most of them are: visionaries.”

Deep business savvy

Colella added that in order to be appreciated as visionaries CIOs need to be able to demonstrate a deep business savvy and an understanding of their organisation’s goals.

And just because digital technologies are front and centre, Nunno recommends businesses take a lean methodology to managing their IT budgets. “Organisations have to be very discriminating about what IT they do and don’t take on. Especially with the small amount of IT resources they can draw on.”

For CIOs she advises that they be ruthless about making sure they are working on higher value projects.

“In many ways it is about changing the mindset from that of just giving the business what they want to really scrutinising if we put this investment in how does it impact our revenues or how does this help with the bottom line?

“It is about asking the hard questions to make sure that that portfolio of IT can be as highly valuable as it could possibly be. This is a huge mind shift.”

Colella said that there has never been a better point in time for CIOs to shine because of the myriad of different IT delivery models such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft’s cloud and no doubt the fruits of BYOD and useful apps and services like Dropbox.

“It’s a cool point in time too because we have all kinds of delivery methods available – the cloud – so you can take that which is a commodity to the enterprise, pop it to the cloud and invest every extra penny in moving the needle on business performance. It’s a great time to be a CIO.”

The CIO is the future CEO

However, Colella warns that there are many industries that have yet to embrace digital transformation and still expect their CIOs to bring the coffee and donuts. But that is changing.

“I think they definitely have a fighting chance,” Nunno agrees. “This is, as Heather said, a wonderful opportunity for CIOs to change the name of the game. Because so many boards want competitive advantage from IT, it puts IT in position to change the entire interaction.”

But for change to happen CIOs need to be that change. They’ve got to stop seeing the rest of the organisation as customers, putting them in a service provider mode, and remind themselves they are a vital spoke, if not the hub, in the wheel of the business.

“Frequently I talk to CIOs about alignment which is a term that is quickly becoming outdated. ‘Why aren’t we aligned?’ they ask. Issue number one is you don’t have the same customers as the rest of your business. Sometimes colleagues in other part of the business are to blame because its nice to have a service provider, who wouldn’t want one.

“If everyone is working for the end customer of a business, everybody wins.|

Colella said that traditional mindsets remain among CIOs because many of them tend to be an older community, very senior on the career ladder.

“From our research only 35pc really have a full appreciation of how to exploit technology so there’s a lag between vision and capability.”

Another interesting change taking place is as younger executives move up through the ranks of an organisation they see the CIO role not as something for people with computer science backgrounds, but a role they to can aspire to.

Indeed being able to claim you led a digital transformation of a business would look quite good on the resume.

According to Gartner one out of four CIOs today has no technology background , so there’s an interesting shift happening in how organisations and individuals view leadership.

This is in no doubt led by examples such as that of Apple’s chief designer Jony Ive, an industrial designer who is now at the heart of Apple’s technology direction.

“In many cases CIOs were executives who were actually on the CEO path and they were rotating through the different executive leadership positions. Because boards recognise the importance of technology, IT is becoming part of the rotation that is leading to that.”

Colella added that holding a CIO position is now considered a way of rounding an individual to be able to be at the helm of a large organisation.

Machiavellian tactics

I put it to Nunno that when people hear of Machiavellian tactics, they think of people ruthlessly scheming for their own advancement, which misses the entire point of who Machiavelli was; a public servant who wrote The Prince as a guide to serving the better interests of a city state.

“One of the reasons I embarked on the Machiavellian research was for those that have a more technology background they are highly unlikely to have read Machiavelli. It doesn’t tend to feature in a computing or engineering degree syllabus. On the other hand folks with MBAs tend to read Machiavelli and be inspired by it.

“At the very least if you don’t intend to use Machiavellian tactics you at least should be aware of them so that you have a first line of defence. Preferably if you are aware of the tactics to use them in a healthy way for the greater good of the organisation.

“As you noted Machiavelli is frequently misunderstood; people will believe he was all about self-interest and personal gain. In fact he was a public servant his entire life and he truly believed in a prince being benevolent, making tough decisions to keep the peace and making tough decisions so that society could flourish.

“One of the reasons I wrote it, frequently when I met an amazing CIO I would ask them how they became this way and frequently they told me they had read Machiavelli so there was clearly something to putting Machiavelli and technology together,” she concluded.

via The interview: Gartner VPs Tina Nunno and Heather Colella – Enterprise – | siliconrepublic.com – Ireland’s Technology News Service.

The CIO is now viewed as a Game-changer

5 Things CIOs and VCs Can Learn From Each Other

CIOs and venture capitalists, two groups with seemingly different agendas, can often educate each other on how to evaluate tech trends and successfully construct deals.

CIOs and venture capitalists (VCs) sit at different ends of the technology implementation spectrum: VCs are the initial investors and vendor catalysts. CIOs are the buyers when a technology or concept becomes productized. The two groups often come together, however, to discuss possible deals, explore technology trends and seek each other’s expertise.

From left to right: Vala Afshar, CMO of Extreme Networks; Brook Colangelo, executive vice president and CTO of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Michael Skok, partner at North Bridge Venture Partners; Michael Krigsman, CEO of Asuret; and Maryfran Johnson, editor in chief of CIO magazine and events. 

One of those exchanges took place at the CIO Perspectives Boston event last week when Michael Skok, a partner at North Bridge Venture Partners, and Brook Colangelo, executive vice president and CTO at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, connected for CXO Talk, a panel discussion and live Google Hangout, to discuss VC investment trends. The session gave CIOs a fresh perspective on what they should keep in mind when evaluating technology trends, putting together deals, and working with employees and customers. Based on that discussion, here are five things CIOs and VCs can learn from each other.

 1.Think about cloud like a futurist

The cloud is still one of the most important enterprise technologies, but it’s also one of the most hyped, especially given the buzz surrounding the SMAC (social, mobile, analytics and cloud) stack. Skok of North Bridge Venture Partners said the cloud is entering its “second front” and is no longer just a way to host HR or CRM systems. “It’s the one [technology] that enables all the others,” he said. “They’re only all possible because of one particular huge disruption that’s going on that’s a tidal wave. And that’s cloud.”

Skok said the cloud is what enables most modern mobile applications and cites Uber as a prime example. “The services that are available today are location services, payment services and communication services, and what’s born out of that is apps like Uber. [Uber] would be impossible without cloud,” he said. He added that cloud disruption is far from over and has yet to reach its full potential in the enterprise so CIOs should still pay close attention.

2. Enterprises need to deliver easy-to-use technology for employees and customers

Deploying new enterprise technology used to require many hours of implementation and training. But now with the emergence of consumer devices, employees have come to expect that technology at work will be new, easy-to-learn and easy-to-use.

“The CIO/CTO [role] is to change and deliver new technology and new functionality to your customer at least every three months,” said Colangelo of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. “You can’t do that if you have an 18-month selection, a bid process, all of that.”

Colangelo said he doesn’t always take cues on technology from experts. In one instance, he began exploring storage technologies because his customers were already using them on their own, for free. “If you have to do something [that requires] a day’s training, you’ve already lost,” he said. “Beta testing is happening already in less-controlled environments. If you sit there and be the ‘no’ guy, eventually the powers that be will overthrow you.”

Colangelo urged vendors to roll out new versions of their products as technology evolves and new methods emerge; otherwise they will be left in the dust by users and competitors. “Deliver it quickly (every three months) and iterate and change,” he said. “This is a demand based-economy and that goes for vendors, too.”

 

 3. CIOs need to put the customer before the technology

Skok said he meets often with CIOs who are trying to figure out the next greatest technology to adopt. While he can advise them on many technologies, he said CIOs should take a step back and consider something else first. “The great companies understand the customer mindset,” he said. “I try to invest in companies with people who particularly understand the business problem of the CIO. The companies that can really understand the customer’s point of view are going to be the best to deal with.”

Colangelo said the new economy is fast, agile and based on demand. He said he looks to work with companies that live by these rules and helps them build iterative organizations. “I’m not signing a five-year deal again,” he said.

From the VC perspective, Skok recommended that CIOs look for companies that don’t just present technology but lay out a plan for how they will build a unique relationship with your company in order to best serve your customers. Once that’s been established, zero in on companies with “fundamentally disruptive technologies, not incrementally disruptive.”

4. VCs shouldn’t think of crowdfunding as a threat

Though it’s a disruptor to VCs, Skok said he doesn’t think crowdfunding will put him out of business. Instead, it’s a positive thing for all sides of the technology landscape. “It’s a good collaborative means for people to get access to capital,” he said.

He said VCs are not just about capital but serve as advisers to technology companies. “My resources are my time, energy and commitment to help build a company. Capital is a small piece of that.” However small the capital, Skok said he doesn’t mind the help. “If you could get customers, partners and suppliers to contribute capital, [then] they are putting money where their mouth is,” he said.

5. CIOs shouldn’t ignore open source

When asking how many of the CIOs in the room used open source, only a few hands went up. “For recruiting and retaining talent, open source is critical,” Skok said. “Employees today, when developing any kind of system, whether it’s internal or external, want to be involved in the latest technologies. Gen X and Gen Y care about making a difference, and if you want to retain the best developers, they’re going to want to contribute to open source projects.”

Skok added that showing that you’ve been involved in open source can be a competitive differentiator for companies and a way for developers to create a personal brand. “Many enterprises are now getting kudos for the fact that they’ve contributed to [open source] projects,” he said.

via 5 Things CIOs and VCs Can Learn From Each Other | CIO.

5 Things CIOs and VCs Can Learn From Each Other

Why You Shouldn’t Try to Win Over a Candidate During the Job Interview

The more a job interviewer tries to “sell” a candidate on working at the company, the less able he or she is to judge the candidate’s worthiness, according to a series of experiments by Jennifer Carson Marr of Georgia Institute of Technology and Dan M. Cable of London Business School. Making the job seem appealing becomes a distraction that gets in the way of accurate judgments. Firms would do better to separate the tasks of evaluating and winning over candidates and assign those roles to different people, the researchers say.

via Why You Shouldn’t Try to Win Over a Candidate During the Job Interview – Andrew O’Connell – Harvard Business Review.

Why You Shouldn’t Try to Win Over a Candidate During the Job Interview

How to Attract Top Tech Talent [INFOGRAPHIC]

It’s widely reported in recruitment that there is a global tech talent shortage. Developers and engineers no longer need to apply for jobs; the sad reality is that 89% of Software Engineers have applied to less than 2 jobs in the past 5 years.

What does that mean to you as an employer?

It means you have to be very creative and innovative with what you have to offer these candidates. They are often passive candidates so you will need to be far more proactive in your approach. The biggest hints are job benefits, perks and career advancement.

Check out this infographic (by TalentPuzzle) for everything you need to know!

Takeaways:

• In 2013, 30% of companies lost tech staff.

• 69% of SME execs feel there’s a shortage of top tech talent.

• There are lots of companies, such as Yahoo and bit.ly that host hackathons.

• More than 40% of millennials learn about employers on social media.

• 1 in 3 recent applications by recent graduates are motivated by employer branding.

via How to Attract Top Tech Talent [INFOGRAPHIC] #TechTuesday.

How to Attract Top Tech Talent [INFOGRAPHIC]