[Executive Edge] What do tech companies look for in a candidate? Part 2

On our Executive Edge edition on Sunday, November 17, leaders of the country’s technology firms list the criteria on what they look for in a candidate.

Today, more technopreneurs chime in on what makes a candidate fit to work for their companies.

Clayton Wood – Marketing Director, TrueLogic Online Solutions

We love problem solvers. We’ve learned that outgoing, curious people with problem solving skills have the building blocks to create successful web projects and digital campaigns.

Digital marketing is ever changing, and the most advanced techniques will be winners in driving traffic and growing business. When we interview, we talk a lot about what people’s passions are, we ask, “why do you want to work here?”

One thing that stand out to us are personalities that can quickly get things done, no matter the obstacle. These folks thrive in our digital marketing environment. Programmers who have a passion for building software for real businesses, and understand the end goal get the chance to not only have a position, but learn advanced project management skills.

We look at resumes, but more than that we use practical communication and projects to find out if the applicant has the skills needed to thrive in our environment.

Stephen Jegger – Co-founder, PayrollHero

We don’t like just random emails that say, “Dear sir.” We want it to be about PayrollHero specifically – it says “Dear Steve,” it mentions something about our past that shows they have researched us. Form letters suck. We want people who want PayrollHero not just a job. No religion. No bio data like height and weight – that stuff does not matter. Many of our team members applied to us for roles we were not advertising and got hired because they showed hustle and a desire to work with us specifically.

Sean Si – Founder and CEO, SEO Hacker and Qeryz

Three things (two of which are not in a person’s resume but are extremely important in our screening process): character, commitment, and skill.

Character is something you can never trade nor largely develop. It’s something that has been mostly intact within a person since the day they became conscious of their personality and environment. I place a heavy weight on a person’s character.

Commitment deals with a person’s drive and loyalty to the company. How far do you think this person will run for you when push comes to shove?

Skill is the only attribute I look for that is visible in a person’s resume. That’s because out of the 3, skill can be taught and learned the easiest. It is affected and/or improved by processes, environment, and tools. A person with good amount of skill can hit the ground running and help get some load off the team as it is.

Earl Valencia – President, Ideaspace Foundation

Recruiting in the technology or start-up world is extremely important since each person that you hire could make or break your company or project. What I look for personally when I recruit is to first ask the “why?” The reason of why they want to join me and my organization is very important.

The next question I have is “what is your long term plan and how does this position fit?” This is actually where a lot of people fail the interview – mainly because they don’t really know what they want to do and why this specific tasks that will help them in their goals.

Lastly, I look for specific projects in their resume with specific results that they directly led. I’ve seen a lot of resumes where people say that they have a certain experience only to find out they were just a “supporter” of the project. Recruiting in the space becomes easier if you know why your skill and vision matches the mission of the organization you want to join.

Carlo Calimon, co-founder and CMO, and Francis Uy, co-founder and CEO – MobKard

What we look for in a candidate’s resume are signs of conscientiousness. We want to see results versus expectations. Example, honor student exceeds the expectation of just passing subjects. How he or she prepared the resume will also show this. For example, grammatical errors are a ‘no no.’ Formatting for easy readability is a plus.

Skill is also very important when searching for the right talent. However, there are other things that we look for beyond the skill. First, does the person believe in the vision of the company? This is important because it can affect the drive and determination of the individual. Someone who does not believe in the vision will ultimately not care about the company. It should not only be about the paycheck.

Second, we try to look at their values. These values should fit the culture and values of the organization. We need to know that we are all on the same boat. We don’t necessarily have to agree on the same things but we should be confident that our decisions are based on the same fundamental beliefs and values.

Third, we also give value to the entrepreneurial spirit of the person. This is a plus. They do not necessarily have to be entrepreneurs but they should have the right mindset and orientation: that of always striving to find something new, being creative, and always striving to give value.  

Francis Plaza – Co-founder, Muber

I’m looking for someone eager to learn and can work well with me. Current skills and past experience are only secondary though they might be important to some greater extent.

Evan Tan – Regional Director for Southeast Asia, Freelancer.com

We’re a very diverse group and we provide equal opportunities for everyone. As a company that manages a global platform connecting millions of professionals, we at Freelancer.com understand perfectly well that talent can come anywhere, even from places where you least expect it. That’s why we don’t discriminate based on race, gender, sexual orientation, or religious affiliation (and even lack thereof.)

That being said, we look for team players who share our mission to change the world by bringing professional opportunities to people, wherever they may be. We try to gauge how they see themselves in Freelancer.com, based on their accomplishments and their objectives. We always think about what drives and inspires them.

Ultimately, who we want in our team are passionate people who do things that they’re proud of, inside and out of their work. Those are things we’re eager to see in the people we hire. – Rappler.com

 

Rappler business columnist Ezra Ferraz is also the chief content officer at ZipMatch, a tech company backed by Ideaspace Foundation, Hatchd Digital, IMJ Investment Partners, and 500 Startups. He brings you Philippine business leaders, their insights, and their secrets via Executive Edge. Connect with him on Twitter: @EzraFerraz

 

 

 

See related article:

[Executive Edge] What do tech companies look for in a candidate? Part 1