Momentum Episode 27:
Recruiting

Employees are the most valuable asset any business has; they're every company's biggest investment and greatest determiner for success.

Recruiting the right talent is one of the most critical core functions of any organization.

So how do you do it and what really goes into the recruiting process?

To find out, today we'll be speaking with Jotform's very own international recruiter Alexis Russell.

Welcome to Momentum, a podcast by Jotform where we talk about technology, productivity tips, insights, and best practices that help us move forward in business and in life.

Let's get started.

We are live. Welcome to the show. My name is Elliot, your host, and today I am here with Jotform's international recruiter Alexis Russell.

Welcome to the show.

Hi Elliot, thank you for having me. It's great to have you.

Today I'd like to talk obviously about recruiting, how we do recruiting at Jotform, some of what your role entails, but also just get an idea of who you are and what brought you here.

You just want to start out by getting a little bit of background and how you got here?

Absolutely, it's a great pleasure to be here. Thank you for having me on Momentum.

My name is Alexis Russell. I've been with Jotform for almost two years. I'm our international recruiter for US, UK, Australia, and Canada. These are my wheelhouses and I love being a recruiter.

This just brings so much energy to my day. I wake up and I am so excited to come to work.

What I do is find people jobs simply, and this is such a rewarding career.

It's really helping people take their own careers to the next level while giving them that sense of purpose and passion.

I really enjoy connecting with people on that personal level.

Too often recruiters are seen as intimidating and scary, and I want to flip that notion on its head.

From day one, I want to build a genuine connection by helping people find their purpose and passion.

I really enjoy Jotform's humanistic values. We are a tech company, yes, but we are humanistic at heart.

I love that we are family first in a really uplifting, supportive community to be a part of.

Taking my own values and seeing that they align with the company's really sparks me.

That's wonderful. I think you're the first touchpoint so many potential applicants have to Jotform.

Having that positive energy to bring them in and put them at ease is important.

We've all been candidates and had to talk to recruiters, and it can be daunting and intimidating because you don't know what to expect.

You're literally being interviewed and you want to break down those barriers and make it seem approachable.

I like that response a lot about flipping that stereotype on its head.

Can you take us through what an average day in the life of an international recruiter at a tech company looks like?

You're managing many different markets. How many calls are you on a day? How do you work across crazy time zones with all the different countries?

Typically, a recruiter handles one region, so it's quite unique to have a global recruiter managing many countries, and I love this challenge.

My day is busy. I start early around seven or eight to speak with London and stay later to speak with Australia.

There are different segments I work on daily: technical jobs like developers, customer service, technical support, and sometimes videos or writers.

Typically, recruiters fall within one niche, but I do it all.

My day is high volume and high velocity. I enjoy the sales component of enterprise positions, which are exciting and the backbone of Jotform along with developers.

It's a learning curve for me since I'm not technical, but I strive to speak their language.

I engage in lots of calls, emails, outreach, communication, and action every day.

You are hiring across many departments and skill sets. How do you manage that when you can't be an expert in everything?

Communication is key. Having clear expectations from the team about what they are looking for is essential.

Cultural fit versus technical skills are two different things. We need to ensure candidates are agile, passionate, and driven.

You can't teach candidates cultural fit, which you can often pick up on in the first five to ten minutes.

Technical skills are where you speak to teammates and hiring managers to hone in on what is needed.

We don't want anyone to be an expert; we want teammates and candidates to keep learning and growing.

I'm a coach in that regard. My goal is not only to screen candidates but to coach them on what we're looking for.

For example, for a developer, study up on PHP. For an enterprise role, tell us about your experience in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.

I have natural conversations with candidates to help coach them and provide full transparency about our process and timeline.

That makes the job fun.

I bet that also helps set candidates up for success in subsequent interviews with hiring managers or teams.

Let's talk about the recruiting process from point A to point Z. What does that look like at Jotform?

We have a streamlined, fast-moving process as an agile company.

On average, we have two and a half steps in our interview process, which is good.

Some may be one and done; some may be two or three.

From the first point of contact, I do a 50/50 split between finding talent and going through applicants.

Some jobs have thousands of applicants; others just a couple hundred, so sifting through is time-consuming.

LinkedIn is a wonderful tool for finding talent by typing keywords and years of experience.

Sometimes we go through the applicant pool directly.

After that, we set up an initial 30-minute conversation to talk about the role, get to know each other, and discuss expectations.

If they're great, I present notes to the team and hiring manager, who decide if they want to proceed with a business round interview.

This is a deeper dive talking about technicalities, vision, and growth, sometimes including a take-home challenge.

At the end of the day, you get a feel for what it's like to work at Jotform; it's not hard and takes just a weekend and a night.

Then we end with a final panel where the candidate meets teammates for a holistic, fast-moving approach that takes mostly a month on average.

That's pretty fast compared to other companies with multiple interviews and challenges.

When I was hired a few years ago, it was two interviews and a take-home challenge, which was simpler than I anticipated.

It's better for the company and the applicant because you aren't wasting anyone's time and can move on quickly.

LinkedIn is your favorite platform. Are you more proactive or reactive in recruiting?

Being proactive is the name of the game. I consider myself like an octopus brain, going in all directions at once and thriving in chaos.

Is that where you generally find the best applicants?

Yes, being proactive helps find talent who may not have applied or known they fit the role.

You always have to build your network constantly because talent is never within arm's reach.

Word of mouth is where you build momentum behind positions and the company.

If you're only going through applications and not proactively finding talent, your career is on a slippery slope.

How did COVID impact recruiting? Before, were interviews mostly in person?

COVID changed everything. Before, interviews and positions were mostly in person.

Post-COVID, people want virtual interviews and remote or hybrid work.

It's fun to be in the office to build relationships and community, but it's tricky to engage talent for fully remote positions.

Some want remote only, others want to come to the office, so it's about striking a happy balance.

Broadly, what are you looking for in potential candidates? What are green and red flags?

COVID caused many candidates to have iffy tenure due to external pressures, so tenure alone isn't a green or red flag.

Green flags include a can-do attitude, wearing multiple hats, being a hands-on leader, and willingness to roll up sleeves.

We want candidates who have a desire to constantly learn and grow, even if they're junior or recent graduates.

Red flags include not being a team player and having an overabundance of ego or a sour attitude.

Green flags are a can-do attitude, willingness to put in work, good names on the resume, and tenure when possible.

It's often a case-by-case basis, and personality can be assessed in the first interview.

How closely do you work with hiring managers throughout the process?

Very closely on a daily basis. Things constantly change, so communication is key.

We update screening questions, job responsibilities, and projects regularly and relay this information to candidates.

Who generally has the final sign-off for hiring candidates?

Typically, our CEO signs off on hires, which is unique compared to bigger companies.

Some hiring managers have authority to approve offers, but usually the CEO approves.

What's often the biggest snag or hold-up with candidates further along in the process?

Competition is a big factor. Candidates may have offers from bigger companies like Amazon, so we emphasize Jotform's culture and growth opportunities.

What is the hardest part about your job?

Ghosting candidates is tough. You find an awesome person, but they drop off despite texts, calls, and emails.

Time zone challenges are also tricky when scheduling interviews globally.

What do you find most rewarding about your job?

Seeing growth and happiness on people's faces when they find a job after being at their lowest.

It's gratifying to see success stories and be part of their career growth.

Are you often the one to give candidates good or bad news?

Yes, it's great news and sometimes rough bad news, but I'm used to it.

What would surprise most people about your role?

Being an advocate for candidates. Recruiters are often seen as scary, but I'm here to support and coach candidates transparently.

AI tools are replacing some recruiters, but that is a lost opportunity because human connection matters.

I'm here to guide candidates through every step and want them to succeed.

What are some best practices and tips for candidates applying to jobs or nailing the first interview?

Your resume is not locked in stone. You can and should tweak it for each position to make it relevant.

From the opposite perspective, what's the most valuable thing you've learned as a recruiter?

Be humble, be open, and communicate well. Recruit to help people find jobs, not just to make money.

You have to mentor candidates so they can be their best.

Is there anything we missed or you'd like to end on?

The world is constantly changing. If you're interested in other things, don't hesitate to branch out and learn new skills.

For example, developers should learn new languages, and video editors might try scriptwriting.

Talk to your team, see market trends, and keep evolving. Don't be stagnant.

I've definitely learned something today being here with you, and I hope our viewers have as well.

Thank you so much, Alexis, for your time. This has been a great session. I really appreciate it.

We'll see everybody next time. Thank you, Elliot.