Happy year end! We did it! 2022 is almost in the books, and from where we stand, it’s exciting to turn the page to a new year filled with opportunities!
Last year our team made some bold predictions about 2022. Let's take a look at those and how things turned out:
Prediction One: Product marketing leadership will become as in demand as product management roles.
Yes: We nailed this one! In fact, our product practice completed the most product marketing roles in our 21-year history! One of the searches we had the pleasure of completing was for a UK-based B2B2C startup that wanted impactful GTM and product launches specific to the US market.
Prediction Two: An increase in companies outsourcing strategic hiring versus utilizing internal talent acquisition teams.
Yes: Our business saw increased interest in c-suite level hiring searches this year. While we always hope that all CEOs and Founders will know the value of a partnership with a search firm like ours, that isn’t always the case.
We invest a lot of time meeting with leaders and first-time Founders to educate them on how we work to accelerate the growth objectives of tech startups and scale-ups. And while we know our model of delivery is not aligned with all organizations, we're happy to hear their stories and share ours.
Timing is everything, and we are ready to help tech startups when it comes time to scale and find strategic growth-focused leadership hires.
Prediction Three: Interviews are going to become more informal.
No: Informal is a funny word. While we have not necessarily seen an increase in 'informal' interviews, we have seen a general acceptance of the circumstances surrounding how companies interview and hire. Zoom interviews and virtual hiring processes have become the norm, even for employers who have reinstated a hybrid or 'in-office' work experience.
As a result, we have all improved at looking into the camera to recreate an in-person experience, and fewer kids (and pets) are Zoom-bombing calls. The downside to the number of Zoom meetings and interviews has not changed - Zoom fatigue can contribute to interview fatigue, a common cause of delayed hiring outcomes.
Prediction Four: Zoom will continue to grow significantly in the recruiting process and will allow for more integrations that create more streamlined processes
Yes: While we don't have stats about Zoom usage, we can comment on our experiences engaging with 20+ clients at any given time. For all of our clients, the default for booking interviews is still Zoom.
Zoom makes meeting candidates who would otherwise need to commute or arrange child care faster. Zoom is a lesser commitment for first interviews, which makes it easier on a stakeholder who is still working through the right hiring persona. We see no sign of declining Zoom usage for interviews or client meetings in 2023.
Prediction Five: Areas of growth will be Cybersecurity, Network Security, and Data Security.
Yes: Wow, this could not be more true. This year a mini practice area was birthed within our Product Practice: Security Tech. We can confidently say that we have "searched the world" for cybersecurity, IAM, and threat detection product talent!
One of the searches we were delighted to represent was for a US-based security startup whose expansion plans included adding subject matter expertise in new markets. Their chosen candidate was based in the UK.
Prediction Six: Companies will continue to hire talent globally, applying a global PoV and taking a remote-first model to attract the best talent.
No: While the year began with the common sentiment that global/remote was here to stay, as the year progressed, more and more companies started calling teams back to offices.
Today, most of the industry's global giants continue to apply a location-agnostic approach to hiring leaders. One of our favourite search assignments this year was for a Design Leader to stand up a CoE.
Despite the fact that many companies remain open to hiring globally, we have seen a slight and continual increase in those looking to hire with a hybrid remote/in-office model.
Prediction Seven: Video will be a tool in every marketer's toolkit in 2022
Yes: And if it's not, it needs to be! The adoption of video and simplified workflows created by tech companies like Vidyard has contributed to the creative content and campaigns we all see on business platforms like LinkedIn.
It’s also interesting to note that most clients we partner with include YouTube as a critical content channel for their customers and to communicate company culture to potential hires. Check out our YouTube and how we share meaningful #RapidResumeReviews for candidates looking for work.
Prediction Eight: There will be a rise in candidate interest to work in verticals such as Cleantech, Healthtech, Greentech, and Robotics.
Yes: While the Robotics category is smaller, our experiences recruiting in the category have been very targeted, like this VP Engineering search we completed.
In 2022, we saw a boom in HealthTech and GreenTech/CleanTech. There is a lot of investment being made in these categories, and many candidates we connect with express interest in working within these categories. Some examples of our recent work include the following:
- VP Engineering search for a platform that manages solar wind farms
- A VP Product for a platform that manages power grids
- A Product Manager search to solve for the needs of the aging population and their care providers
Prediction Nine: Social media recruitment will increase, and companies will take advantage of social for employer branding
Yes: Glassdoor states that 79 percent of job seekers use social media when conducting their job search. Social media recruiting will only grow, so companies must embrace this trend and develop new methods to attract and recruit candidates.
We’ve seen firsthand how social media, especially LinkedIn, has helped our team find and engage passive job seekers. A lot of our outreach is done on LinkedIn, and we have found great talent on the platform this year.
Speaking of social media, are you following us on all our social channels? Follow us to stay connected with all the latest hiring market updates, trends, and salary insights.
Seven out of nine predictions aren't bad! Our entire team is looking forward to turning the chapter to 2023.
Wondering what 2023 has in store for the world of tech startup recruitment? Keep an eye out next week for our team's 2023 hiring predictions.