Hire1O(1): 6 Takeaways From The Biggest Tech Conference in 2022

We at HackerEarth are excited to announce that the first physical edition of Hire 10(1) held on August 25th, 2022 in Bangalore was a roaring success! We have been virtually hosting this tech conference of (and for) tech recruiters and engineering managers since 2020, and this was the first time we got to meet everyone in person.

For the uninitiated, Hire10(1) is a mini event that is designed to do one thing above all else: share actionable insights to help recruiters and hiring managers build great tech teams. So, if you are in HR or Tech, and are spending a significant amount of your time hiring tech talent, this is one event where you’d get your money’s worth. After all, to recruit the best, it makes sense to learn from the best.

The best thing about a tech recruiting event? The insights. The networking. The brain fodder. And that is exactly why we’ve packaged the biggest takeaways from the event in this article for those of you that have missed attending!

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P.S. Live snippets from the event have been captured on this Twitter thread. 

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How to make your tech hiring process resilient with Hire10(1)

 

Our CTO, Vishwastam Shukla kicked off the event and spoke about the why, when, and how of tech recruiting. In his words, “When you’re growing, you needed to hire yesterday. Sourcing is not a switch you can flip on. That’s why the first step in recruitment is employer branding. This is also why our hackathon platform has been so crucial. It is a powerful driver of employer branding along with innovation.”

Next up on stage, we had our wonderful keynote speaker Mino Thomas, Senior Director of HR at Adobe. While there were a lot of stories, some philosophy, and several takeaways on the need to have difficult conversations in the post-pandemic world, what stood out to us was, “Build trust. Have focus. And have conversations that make you uncomfortable, or else it’s not a conversation worth having!”

 

Moving on to our stellar panel, expertly moderated by our VP of Marketing, Alfred Alexander. Kapil Vardhan from Teachmint, Sowmya Malliah from Tekion Corp, Savita Hortikar from ThoughtWorks, Pragya Joshi from Cleartax, and Mohana M D from Standard Chartered had a wealth of information to share.

The conversation centered around how each company and industry vertical has changed and adapted to the whiplash effect of 2020 and after.

Our audience was enraptured by the wealthy exchange of information and ideas going on in the room, as you can see here –

Here are the highlights of the event:

#1 Looking back in retrospect

 

The discussion addressed how recruiting teams need to go back and assess their tools, and systems, and introspect on their internal processes during the hiring freezes and the post-pandemic lull. It is a blessing in disguise for recruiters to identify gaps in their hiring processes and work on improving them.

#2 Changing your mindset for better hiring

 

Hiring the right talent, to align with your vision is important, while also trying to evolve with the changing market space, especially in 2022.

Sowmya Malliah of Tekion Corp said, “Tier 2 and 3 colleges are such an underrated source of talented developers. We’ve hired many developers from these colleges over the last year. We look purely at the skill, and it makes matters better.”

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Also, read: Create The Perfect Virtual Recruiting Strategy For Universities With These Tips

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#3 Creating people-centric HR systems

 

There is no right way to deal with situations such as recession that lead to layoffs or the Great resignation where people left their jobs in droves. The onus falls upon the HR teams to take care of their people, understand the strengths of existing talent, and help them grow either through upskilling or opportunities that create a sense of challenge. It also goes without saying that you need to ensure all employees leave on a positive note.

Mohana reiterates the fact that “As an HR leader, it pays to stay on track with what skills are relevant, and stay in touch with top talent at your company even after they move on. The common denominator between welcoming an employee and laying them off is the human aspect.”

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Also, read: Corporate Compassion In The New ‘New Normal’: Where Do You Stand?

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#4 Building resilient tech teams

 

The hiring space has seen immense change in the last 3 years—from going remote due to the complete shutdown of offices to settling into the sweet hybrid mode of work. Post-pandemic, hiring teams have had to adapt and innovate as a lot of people want the flexibility of working from home. Without this option, the talent pool seems to shrink multifold. People are willing to switch jobs rather than go back to the office full-time.

Pragya also stresses the idea that “Trust definitely needs building because job security is so important to the candidate. They need to trust that they will be needed a few months or years down the road.”

This is the right time to begin building confidence in your existing and new employees. Create a space for them to openly share their fears about their job in the current uncertain market scenario, which helps in strengthening trust in their employers. This in turn leads to robust tech teams that can handle any challenge that comes their way!

#5 Investing in employer branding and engagement

 

Companies need to define the kind of talent they require, be more present among the people, and create a strong community connection. It is important to nurture talent and build a strong relationship between the company’s values and the employee’s values to create better engagement of employees during this rapidly changing talent ecosystem.

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Also, read: Building An Employer Brand: Everything You Need To Know

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#6 Focusing on the mental well-being of recruiters

 

During the Q&A session, an audience member asked the panelists if they thought it was imperative for companies to focus on the mental health of recruiters to create resilience.

Savita Hortikar of Thoughtworks nailed it when she said, “Recruiters need a therapist on speed dial!”

Recruitment as a career can become stressful with or without a pandemic to make matters worse. Organizations need to prioritize work-life balance, now more than ever to help their recruiting teams get some much-needed downtime.

Another important thing to keep in mind is how hiring managers go about sending their requirements to the recruiting teams. Sitting down and discussing the open job role in detail will go a long way rather than simply expecting them to do everything on their own. Be present with them throughout the process instead of playing the number game of getting as many roles filled as possible.

This would help relieve recruiters of a lot of anxiety and stress that comes with the job.

For the whole experience, watch our recording of the event here! See you next year at Hire10(1), until then happy hiring 🙂