Category: Blog

The job interview process is a crucial bridge between job seekers and their dream positions.

Job interview process is a moment when candidates and employers try to understand if they are a good fit for each other. However, as we recently found out through a LinkedIn poll, not all interviews are created equal.

We asked our LinkedIn community, “What’s a deal-breaker for you during an interview?” and received some insightful responses. Here’s what the data revealed:

1. Lack of Clarity (41%)
   The overwhelming majority of respondents (41%) cited a lack of clarity as a major interview turn-off. This makes sense – job interviews are a two-way street. Candidates want to know what they’re getting into, from job responsibilities to the company’s expectations. Vague job descriptions and unclear interview processes can leave candidates feeling frustrated and uncertain.
2. Poor Company Culture Fit (30%)
   Company culture matters, and 30% of respondents identified a poor culture fit as a significant deal-breaker. Job satisfaction often depends on how well an employee fits into the company culture. When candidates sense that they wouldn’t align with the values and atmosphere of the workplace, they are more likely to walk away from the opportunity.
3. Unprofessional Behavior (20%)
   Professionalism matters in every aspect of the workplace, and the interview is no exception. Unprofessional behavior from interviewers, whether it’s rudeness or disrespect, can be a red flag for 20% of our respondents. Candidates expect a level of respect and courtesy during the interview process, just as employers do.
4. Inadequate Benefits (9%)
   While not as prominent as the other factors, 9% of respondents pointed out that inadequate salary and benefits packages could be a deal-breaker. It’s a reminder that, ultimately, a job needs to meet certain financial and lifestyle needs for it to be a viable option.

Conclusion

These poll results shed light on what candidates consider unacceptable during the job interview process. Employers, take note: clarity is key. Providing transparent job descriptions and a clear interview process can greatly improve your chances of attracting top talent. Additionally, maintaining a positive company culture and ensuring professionalism throughout the interview journey is crucial.

Candidates, it’s essential to recognize your own deal-breakers during interviews. Your career satisfaction hinges on finding the right fit, and interviews are your opportunity to assess if a potential employer aligns with your values and needs.

Ultimately, the interview process is a mutual evaluation, and understanding what can be a deal-breaker for both sides can lead to better matches and more satisfying career journeys for everyone involved.

Finally read our blog on why preparing for interviews helps in our blog – Preparation for interviews

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in technology recruitment has gained immense popularity

In recent years, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in technology recruitment has gained immense popularity, offering numerous benefits such as streamlined processes, improved candidate matching, and increased efficiency. However, with the growing reliance on AI-driven solutions, it becomes crucial for tech companies to carefully consider the ethical implications associated with its implementation. In this blog, we will delve into the ethical considerations that arise when leveraging AI in technology recruitment and how companies can navigate these challenges responsibly.

Understanding the Impact of AI Algorithms in Recruitment:

• Explain how AI algorithms are used in technology recruitment, such as candidate screening, resume parsing, and interview scheduling.
• Discuss the potential implications of relying solely on AI in decision-making processes, including the risk of algorithmic bias and discrimination.

Addressing Bias and Discrimination in AI-Driven Recruitment:

• Highlight the importance of ensuring fairness and equity in the hiring process, with a focus on mitigating biases that may be present in AI algorithms.
• Explore methods to identify and eliminate bias, including diverse training data, regular algorithm audits, and involving human oversight.

Striving for Diversity and Inclusion:

• Emphasize the need to prioritize diversity and inclusion in technology recruitment, as AI algorithms may perpetuate historical imbalances.
• Discuss the ways AI can be leveraged to improve diversity, such as anonymizing candidate data and removing gendered language from job descriptions.

Ensuring Transparency and Explainability:

• Discuss the significance of transparency in AI-driven recruitment, ensuring that candidates understand how their data is used and evaluated.
• Explain the importance of providing clear explanations for AI-driven decisions, enabling candidates to comprehend the reasoning behind their assessment.

Safeguarding Candidate Data Privacy:

• Address the ethical concerns related to the collection and storage of candidate data in AI-driven technology recruitment.
• Advocate for stringent data protection measures to safeguard candidate privacy and comply with relevant data protection regulations.

Balancing Automation and Human Touch:

• Acknowledge the benefits of AI automation while stressing the importance of maintaining a human touch throughout the recruitment process.
• Discuss the significance of human intervention in reviewing AI-driven decisions and ensuring a personalized candidate experience.

As AI continues to reshape the landscape of technology recruitment, it is vital for tech companies to approach its implementation with ethical considerations at the forefront. Striving for fairness, diversity, transparency, and data privacy in AI-driven technology recruitment will not only build trust with candidates but also contribute to the creation of more inclusive and effective hiring practices. By embracing responsible AI ethics, tech companies can harness the true potential of AI while fostering an ethical and sustainable recruitment process for the future.

In the fast-paced world of technology, attracting and retaining top-notch talent is a never-ending challenge for companies seeking to stay competitive. Traditional recruitment methods are no longer sufficient to keep up with the demands of the industry. Enter AI-powered talent pipelining, an innovative approach that promises to revolutionize tech companies’ recruitment strategies. In this blog, we will explore how AI-powered talent pipelining is reshaping the hiring landscape, streamlining the process, and helping tech companies build a sustainable pool of skilled professionals.

What is AI-Powered Talent Pipelining?
AI-powered talent pipelining is a proactive recruitment technique that utilizes artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to identify, engage, and nurture potential candidates for future roles. It involves leveraging vast amounts of data to predict candidates’ suitability for specific positions and building a pipeline of qualified talent before the need arises.

The Benefits of AI-Powered Talent Pipelining for Tech Companies:
a. Reducing Time-to-Hire: By continuously sourcing and nurturing potential candidates, AI-powered talent pipelining significantly reduces the time it takes to fill critical tech roles.
b. Improving Quality of Hires: Predictive analytics help identify candidates who are more likely to succeed in specific roles, resulting in higher-quality hires and reduced turnover.
c. Enhancing Diversity and Inclusion: AI-driven talent pipelining can help overcome unconscious biases and promote diversity in tech companies’ talent pools.
d. Anticipating Skill Gaps: By forecasting future hiring needs, tech companies can proactively address potential skill shortages and stay ahead of industry trends.
e. Building Strong Employer Branding: The strategic use of AI in talent pipelining enhances a company’s reputation as an innovative, forward-thinking employer.

How AI-Powered Talent Pipelining Works:
a. Data-Driven Candidate Sourcing: AI algorithms scour various online platforms, social media, and professional networks to identify potential candidates based on predefined criteria.
b. Candidate Profiling: AI evaluates candidate data, including work history, skills, qualifications, and interests, to create comprehensive profiles that match specific job requirements.
c. Predictive Analytics: Machine learning algorithms analyze historical hiring data to predict which candidates are most likely to be successful in particular roles.
d. Continuous Engagement: AI-powered platforms maintain automated communication with potential candidates, keeping them engaged and informed about future opportunities.
e. Talent Nurture and Development: The AI system helps tech companies nurture relationships with potential candidates, providing them with relevant content and resources to enhance their skills and knowledge.

Integrating AI Talent Pipelining into Existing Recruitment Strategies:
a. Collaborative Approach: Encourage collaboration between AI tools and human recruiters to ensure a human touch is maintained throughout the hiring process.
b. Data Privacy and Ethics: Implement robust data protection measures and adhere to ethical guidelines to safeguard candidate information and ensure transparency.
c. Regular Evaluation and Improvement: Continuously assess the effectiveness of AI-powered talent pipelining and fine-tune strategies based on feedback and results.

Conclusion:
AI-powered talent pipelining is a game-changer for tech companies seeking to stay ahead in the highly competitive talent landscape. By leveraging AI algorithms and predictive analytics, tech companies can proactively build strong pipelines of skilled candidates, reduce time-to-hire, improve quality of hires, and enhance their employer branding. Embracing this innovative approach will position tech companies for success in attracting and retaining top talent, enabling them to thrive in an ever-evolving industry.

NAM Info Inc. is a technology-forward talent management organization that can help customers tide over their hiring and talent management requirements in several ways. Here we are revisiting with a few examples of how we can help:

Recruiting and staffing: NAM Info Inc. can help customers find the right talent for their open positions. They have a large pool of qualified candidates that they can tap into, and they can also help customers with the entire recruiting and hiring process.

Staff augmentation: NAM Info Inc. can also provide temporary or contract staffing services. This can be a great option for businesses that need to increase their workforce quickly or that need to fill in for temporary vacancies.

Talent management consulting: NAM Info Inc. can also provide talent management consulting services. This can help businesses improve their hiring, onboarding, and retention practices. They can also help businesses develop succession plans and identify and develop high-potential employees.

In addition to these services, NAM Info Inc. also offers a few other resources that can help all stakeholders with their hiring and talent management needs. These resources include:

A blog with articles on hiring, talent management, and technology

A webinar series, titled The Technology Crystal Ball, on topics related to technology, hiring and talent management.

Here are some specific examples of how we can help customers tide over their hiring and talent management requirements:

Use case 1 : A company is struggling to find qualified candidates for a new open position. NAM can help them identify and reach out to qualified candidates, and they can also provide assistance with the interview process.

Use case 2 : A company is experiencing a high turnover rate. NAM can help them identify the reasons for the turnover and develop strategies to improve employee retention.

Use case 3 : A company is looking to improve their talent management practices. NAM Info Inc. can provide consulting services to help them develop a more effective talent management strategy.

We are a valuable resource for businesses that are looking for help with their hiring and talent management needs. They offer a wide range of services and resources that can help businesses find the right talent, improve their talent management practices, and achieve their business goals.

I was appointed a quarter ago as the National President of ITServe Alliance. In my inaugural speech, I addressed the members of ITServe Alliance and shared my vision for the organization’s future. But before I write about this journey, I would like to remember a personal loss NAM Info had to endure. We at NAM had lost one of our young entrepreneurial colleagues from Mumbai – Rahul Bose. He was an ever ready, motivator, confident, self-driven member of our vibrant team. His presence encouraged everyone to set a higher benchmark and deliver better. We will miss you, Rahul. May your soul rest in peace.

A strong community of 2000 plus IT organizations in United States

Back to ITServe Alliance, it is a non-profit organization representing nearly 2000 IT companies across the United States and fast adding more members. I am very honored to welcome all our new members and thank all our organizational teams, that are responsible to make this happen. The organization’s mission is to provide a platform for its members to network, collaborate, and advocate for policies that benefit the IT industry.

“The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men/women to do what he/she wants done and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.”

Theodore Roosevelt

The Vision

I am grateful to the members of ITServe Alliance for giving this opportunity to serve as the organization’s National President and particularly thankful to the organization’s past leaders and their contributions that have made the platform a formidable influential force.

My vision for the future of ITServe Alliance as the National President is to build a stronger, more united organization that can effectively represent the interests of its members. More collaboration among members would encourage them to work together to address common challenges facing the IT services industry.

My speech to the ITServe Alliance members –

Policy Makers

Helping improve policy in favor of members requires constant engagement policy makers. I had the honor of engaging with different policy makers at different times ever since I had become a member of ITServe.

Traveling to connect with all chapters

This vision led me to travel and be part of almost all the chapters across the United States filling me with pride and joy at the same time, as members have been leading the ITServe journey with more enthusiasm.

Along with everyone’s support I will be advocating for policies that promote the growth and success of the IT services industry. A fair and level playing field for IT services companies, especially in areas such as H-1B visas and immigration policies will build a stronger market. It is also important to bring the culture of diversity and inclusion in the IT services industry.

The first quarter already has been such a rich experience that my pledge to work tirelessly to advance the organization’s mission has become even more stronger. The testimony to this is that in just one quarter we have been able to onboard about 400 new companies as members. I look forward to leaving a strong legacy for the future in the coming months.

The 5^th episode of The Technology Crystal Ball had us peeking into the business side of the technology, primarily focused on B2B SaaS markets. Vinay Mahajan extoled the importance of this session as nearly 95% of the B2B SaaS innovations apart from other start ups fail. With that staggering percentage hovering on almost all the founders, it is important think of laying a strong foundation. To get into the subject of identifying various ways to strengthen the basics we invited Shiladitya (Sunny) Ghosh, Founder and CEO of Brewra Ventures to explore what the founders of B2B SaaS companies can do better.

Sunny, got down to business explaining the importance of focusing on ICP – Ideal Customer Profile and how important it is to make the GTM work. Almost 60-70% of companies have a challenge with the ICP, they do not know how to narrow down on the customer segments. At Brewra, Sunny’s team focuses on filling this gap for the clients where they help do Customer discovery, where they understand if the product can solve the customer problems or not and if it is who are those customers who should be approached. Customer discovery is followed by Market development, and then the all-important Customer engagement.

The Brian Balfour Model is one of the proven models that helps build a successful business and drives you to reach a $100 M valuation. This model shows 4 pillars that the founders must investigate, these are – Market, Product, Channel and Model. Signals has mastered this model, focused on, “bulls’ eye”, a very small niche area from where they expanded to adding a tool to data capture, a tool for CRM etc. which lead Signals to mature into what we all know today as HubSpot.

Another example discussed was of Ninepoint capitals Market fit model which talks about – Elephants, Moose, Rabbits, Mice, Flies which basically help define the products based on their price points.

Steve Blank says, “Get out of the building”, which primarily refers to getting to know your customers in their own environment. This helps a company better understand their customers’ wants and needs to build a product that they want, not what the business thinks they want.

GTM is derived by understanding the customer and not derived in silos, it is by figuring out how is the customer conducting a job. Customers are not looking at product, they are looking at solutions. They want to do their job lot better and a very cost-effective way. Hence it is all important to align the Market, Segment, and the customer.

Marketing in this process plays a critical role in hyper personalizing the User journey mapping and creating user persona. Below is video for the complete webinar where Sunny addressed all the questions from the panel and attendees. Do leave your feedback and help us know if this was useful to you.

The Technology Crystal Ball webinar series is back with its 5th episode – “Garnering traction for early-stage B2B SaaS”. This will cover several key topics related to how to attract and retain customers in a crowded and competitive marketplace. The key areas to discuss include –

Areas of interest include –

1. Accelerating product-market fit
2. Building blocks for a $ 100M company
3. Establishing the model
4. Understanding and acquiring customers
5. Setting up for scale!

The hosts, Vinay Mahajan and Abhimanyu Diwaker are being joined by an internationally reputed B2B sales expert Shiladitya (Sunny) Ghosh, founder of Brewra Ventures to share his expert thoughts on how early stage B2B SaaS companies can garner traction.

Here are some of the things you can expect to learn from such a webinar:

Defining your target customer: One of the first steps to attracting traction is understanding who your ideal customer is. The webinar may cover strategies for researching and identifying your target customer, such as through customer interviews, market research, and data analysis.

Creating a compelling value proposition: Once you know who your target customer is, you need to create a value proposition that speaks to their needs and pain points. The webinar may cover best practices for crafting a clear and compelling value proposition that resonates with your target customer.

Choosing the right channels: There are many different channels through which you can reach potential customers, from content marketing and SEO to social media and email campaigns. The webinar may cover strategies for choosing the channels that are most likely to reach and engage your target customer.

Building an MVP: To test your value proposition and traction channels, you may need to build a minimum viable product (MVP) that allows you to gather feedback and iterate on your offering. The webinar may cover best practices for building and testing an MVP.

Creating a growth strategy: Once you’ve validated your value proposition and traction channels, you need to develop a growth strategy that allows you to scale your business. The webinar may cover strategies for acquiring and retaining customers at different stages of the customer lifecycle, as well as tactics for increasing customer lifetime value.

Overall, a webinar on garnering traction for early-stage B2B SaaS is going to provide practical advice and actionable insights for founders and entrepreneurs who are looking to build and grow a successful B2B SaaS business.

WEBINAR DETAILS

Topic – GARNERING TRACTION FOR EARLY-STAGE B2B SAAS

Date: 31st March 2023, Time: 12 Noon EST

REGISTER NOW – https://bit.ly/3T0w72G

Recruitment can be a challenge and most of the time recruiters and hiring managers end up regretting after the hiring is over. They might discover the candidate is good only with communications and not hands-on with practical job work. How to then evaluate the professional for right fitting them into the job and avoid regretting a hiring decision.

There will be 2 parts to it, pre hiring evaluation and post hiring follow-up of performance management.

Let’s see if these steps help you:

Pre-hiring evaluation, interviewing and on-boarding –

• Define clear job requirements, responsibilities, and expectations. If possible create a candidate profile as well.
• Source diverse candidate pools using various methods (job boards, social media, employee referrals, etc.).
• Thoroughly screen and interview candidates. Conduct thorough and consistent interviews, using behavioral and technical questions.
• Verify references, credentials, and past work experiences.
• Assess skills through tests or projects. Use pre-employment assessments such as aptitude or skills tests.
• Assess both hard and soft skills. – This hold true in both Pre and post hiring of the professional
• Offer a fair salary and benefits package.
• Evaluate the candidate’s fit with company culture and values.

On-job evaluation

• Provide a positive onboarding experience and continuous support for the employee.
• Have a trial period to observe the candidate’s work.
• Decide based on objective criteria and not just personal bias or gut feeling.
• Continuously evaluate and provide feedback and coaching to the hire to ensure mutual satisfaction.
• Set clear performance expectations and regularly provide feedback. Establish clear performance goals and objectives. Use objective measures, such as key performance indicators (KPIs), when possible.
• Document performance throughout the year.
• Use a variety of performance metrics and evaluation methods. Ensure a thorough, fair and impartial performance review.
• Encourage open and honest communication and two-way feedback by actively listen to the professional’s perspective.
• Assess both hard and soft skills.
• Consider both individual and team contributions.
• Allow the professional to self-evaluate.
• Make sure evaluations are conducted objectively and free of bias.
• Regularly gather feedback from colleagues and customers.
• Provide specific, actionable feedback and offer opportunities for growth and development.
• Consider both the individual’s strengths and areas for improvement.

We discussed this topic in another blog titled, “How to find the right candidate?“