Case Study: WhitePages

We support lots of exciting companies in and around Seattle - and love working with all of them - but there's nothing that makes up happier than success! Over the last 6-ish months, our team has been working hard to support WhitePages (www.whitepagesinc.com) to hire the best technical, leadership and sales talent from across the country. 

And it's working! Read on to see how... 

Recruiting Bandwidth Success Stories - WhitePages

Recruiting Bandwidth helps WhitePages effectively manage ebb and flow of recruiting demands.

WhitePages, founded in 1997, is the leading provider of contact information in North America, with a top 40 web property, 10 top ranking mobile apps and over 50 million monthly users.

Recruiting leaders at WhitePages were buried with open positions and needed support. Having just 120 staff supporting over 50M users per month – the environment is one of heavy competition for top talent. Skeptical of contract recruiters, but concerned there was not enough volume to keep a full-time employee busy; they were needed an effective way to deal with the ebb and flow of demand on their small team while maintaining a very high bar.

Enter Recruiting Bandwidth.

Recruiting Bandwidth jumped in, first on the hard-to-fill technology positions. Sitting onsite with the WhitePages team, absorbing their culture and getting to know their value proposition first hand, the Recruiting Bandwidth team ramped up quickly.

“At our first meeting we discussed how hard it would be to recruit for WhitePages,” notes Ed Pedini, Recruiting Bandwidth’s Lead Recruiter, “but every business wants the best employees, so we took it in stride. Sure enough we found ourselves competing to identify and hire the very best - we needed that elusive purple squirrel for each hire. It quickly became apparent this would be our most challenging assignment to date.”

They made several great engineering hires in a highly competitive market and rapidly expanded their recruiting support across the WhitePages organization. “I must admit, I have not always been an advocate of outside recruiting resources, but now there is not a position I would not give to Recruiting Bandwidth. They consistently do a great job,” said Jenny Kohr Chynoweth, Talent Outreach Manager at WhitePages.

“From an engineering perspective,” explains Susan Fincher, Snr HR Manager, “Recruiting Bandwidth has been able to go deeper in our requirements and the candidate’s skills, to gather technical information that enables our engineering managers make decisions without investing as much time up front as previously required. We’ve not had that in the past, even with our own in-house recruiters.”

“Recruiting Bandwidth is doing so much to take stress off of our team. Not only are they sourcing great talent, but they are excellent project managers, and just nice people to work with,” continued Jenny.

WhitePages has been able to scale up and down support with Recruiting Bandwidth; hiring great people and helping to support critical recruiting initiatives like their University Graduate Recruiting program.

Recruiting Bandwidth helped WhitePages:

• Identify and hire the top talent
• Reduce the time spent by management reviewing and interviewing candidates
• Scale quickly to meet the ebb and flow of recruiting needs
• Provide critical day-to-day project management support
• Expand their recruiting reach

Today, the Recruiting Bandwidth team continues to support WhitePages. “The net result is that we are greatly expanding our reach with Recruiting Bandwidth’s sourcing and day-to-day project management support. I am definitely a Recruiting Bandwidth convert,” closed Jenny.


And we're not stopping now! If you think you've got what it takes to join the WhitePages team contact myself, any member of the Recruiting Bandwidth team, to apply online at http://whitepagesinc.com/about/careers.html We've got a broad range of opportunities for all levels of experience and would love to hear from you!

Resume Tips for Computer Science Graduates

'Tis the season! 

Over the last month or so, I've worked through over 1000 applications from soon-to-be Computer Science graduates.

Employers across the country are scrambling to hire software engineers (and pretty much any other IT discipline) from the class of 2014. There's enormous competition from both sides - companies can expect to get hundreds or thousands of applicants and exceptional engineers will often get several offers from desirable employers. 

Depending on your location, a BS CompSci grad can easily pull a starting salary of $90k+ as a Software Engineer. That's big money - not to mention a huge payoff on the investment you've been putting into your education. Getting the application process right can seriously impact your chances of scoring that dream job (and matching paycheck).

So how can an upcoming Computer Science grad get their foot in the door? It's really not that hard. Here are a few common sense tips that will help make sure you score an interview. 

In no particular order:

• Avoid simple mistakes
• Get someone to proof-read your resume for spelling, grammar and common sense!
• Presentation counts -  make sure your styles/fonts/punctuation/tabs are consistent and 'reasonable' for a professional document. It demonstrates both attention to detail, and that you have invested some time/effort. MS Word has plenty of good templates, and a quick Google search will provide an endless list.
• Ensure you include all your contact info - full name, address, phone number and email address.
• If you have a blog/github/bitbucket account, include the link (we'll find it anyway) - just don't forget to ensure it's up-to-date and does not include inappropriate content.
• Be brief! There is no reason why a fresh college graduate should have a resume that is more than 1-2 pages long. Stick to the important details then add a link to an online profile that includes further explanation of projects or extracurricular involvement. 
• Be ATS friendly
• Most employers will use an Application Tracking System to help manage the recruitment workflow. Having a resume that plays nice with these systems certainly helps you be found.
• No funny formatting or file formats. Unless you're applying for a design job, your resume should be largely text in MS Word or PDF are best.
• Watch your file name - don't use the generic resume.doc but pick a unique name, like myname_resume.doc. This suddenly matters when I try to save 500 resumes to my PC to review later.
• Provide your complete School/Graduation Date/GPA details
• You're a recent grad, and you're applying to an entry level role - this is one of the only times in your career where these details are make-or-break.
• Stand Out Online
• If you're applying for an Engineering/Development role, having online code samples makes an enormous difference to your chances of getting an interview and getting hired. 
• Contributions to an Open Source project, or a Github/Bitbucket account with some side projects, are highly regarded, especially by startups. Good public code trumps school/course/GPA/internships every single time. This is especially true if you have a STEM degree other than CompSci. 
• If you were to spend 1-2 hours per week developing anything in a modern language while at school, and regularly commit to github, you'll be well ahead of the competition.
• An up-to-date professional profile on Linkedin, G+, Blog is a huge help.
• Make the most of your time at School
• Some tech companies will offer a starting salary of over $100k for a fresh Computer Science grad - and competition for these roles is fierce. These same companies receive thousands of applications and due to time constraints will sometimes only screen the top x%. 
• The top candidates are defined by school, GPA, internships, extra curricular activities and personal projects (unfair as that may be).
• You can't always choose your school - but you can study hard and put a little time into showing you can actually code.

This list is hardly exhaustive and it's pretty much common sense, but we still see these mistakes on a daily basis. 

And I've seen my share of horror stories:

• I've received online applications from someone that would have been perfect for the job, but included no contact information. 
• Resumes for graduate roles that failed to include the candidate's school or graduation date. 
• Links to blogs that haven't been updated in years, or contain hugely inappropriate material. 
• The 20MB Word Doc that contains nothing but a giant image of a text resume
• Objective Statements or Cover Letters that express a desire to join our competitors or relocate to the wrong city (I've been guilty of this myself!).

Best of luck to all the 2014 grads that are looking for work! If you're interested in exciting opportunities at some of Seattle's coolest startups, don't hesitate to reach out! 

Learning to talk tech at WhitePages

By: Gleb Petrov

I am working on a major New Grad campaign for WhitePages and I wanted to tech-out my recruiter phone screen to mix it up a little. I took the initiative to watch a few videos and presentations to learn about Hash Tables and various data structures that can be used to implement a set. I think I have a good grasp on the concepts and feel like I can now carry on a real conversation with my software developer candidates.

While promoting WhitePages to potential hires, I often brag about the open floor plan and free-flowing communication, using my  own experience as an example. When I wanted to quiz myself on my newly acquired knowledge of data structures, I figured that if I managed to explain them to a software engineer on the Data Science Team, I could explain it to anyone. So, I approached Joel Azose at his desk and asked if he could carve out a 15-minute window to hear my explanation. I expected it would take at least a day to get on his schedule, but Joel made time for me that afternoon. We went into a conference room and I explained the concepts and asked him the technical questions that I would ask my candidates. I got good feedback and went into my next recruiter screen with confidence.

It’s incredible to help a company grow, especially when it’s an amazing place like WhitePages. The office space is comfortable and open; the snacks are great, and plentiful; plus they plan great holiday trips. But, at the end of the day, it really comes down to the people, and WhitePages houses the best and brightest in the industry. 

Battle of the Seattle Offices - Globys

Battle of the Seattle Offices - Globys

We love our clients - and their offices! In this series we're going to take a look at some of the amazing spaces we get to spend our time in!

Globys is a profitable, globally admired, engineering-oriented company that is thriving in the very hot field of Big Data analytics for telecommunications and financial service providers. Based in Seattle, they build Contextual Marketing, Reporting and Analytics solutions for voice/data carriers and banks around the world.

We've been fortunate to support Globys for many years now (in fact, you can read about the CEOs thoughts on our success here) - but the close of 2012 was particularly exciting as I was able to experience their move into stunning new offices.

Globys, established over 15 years ago, had been outgrowing their offices for some time. After taking over 2 floors of their building and having to open another office just down the road - it was time for a change. The company made a huge investment in their future by securing an entire floor in the Union Station complex then spending almost 12 months refitting the space.

And the results were amazing!

Top: By the yard, we must the the most Whiteboards of anywhere in Seattle!
Rest: It's all about space. Wide, bright open plan areas for a variety of uses. 

Having previously being split across 3 locations, having the entire HQ in one space produced a palpable change. Staff saw a substantial investment from the company in their happiness - here is an office that was central, convenient, encouraged collaboration and filled with creature comforts; a reward for everyone's hard work and mark of the company's success.

The Pub! Break/Lunch room features food, drinks and entertainment. The Ms. Pacman machine get's some pretty good use! 

Interestingly, it's also a very green space. The building complex itself it energy efficient, and the office focused on the use of natural materials wherever possible. This includes Bamboo fiber carpets, as well as naturally-based glues and paints. There is almost no plastic to be seen. 

The hidden door! A bookcase swings open to reveal a 'quiet room'. 

I'm not the only one to think it's a great space - earlier this year Geekwire featured the Globys office as part of their Launch Pads series. Check it out below...

Of course, you could be working here too!

Globys are hiring. Check out their Career Site or connect with me for details.

Get to Know - Skytap

As the long-term partner for our clients, we have the opportunity to learn and understand their unique company culture. In this series we're going to take a look at some of the companies we work with and the stories they tell.

By: Emily Gerhard

Three days a week, I pack up my laptop and gym clothes and venture out of my normal work corner to go work onsite with Recruiting Bandwidth’s newest client, Skytap. Located on the 11th floor of the historic Dexter Horton Building in Downtown Seattle, they have an amazing view and are steps away from anything you might need. Going up the elevator on my fist day, I had to admit I was a little nervous. It was kind of like the first day of school. Will I be able to find what I need? Will people be nice to me? Does my outfit send the right message? What is the right message?

As soon as I walked in I was greeted by Kari, possibly the busiest and most efficient office manager I’ve ever met, and all my worries melted away. Seated with the sales and marketing teams in their open office space, I settled right in. Several times that morning people came by to say hi and introduce themselves. I was encouraged to make myself at home in the kitchens and conference rooms and any time I had a question, people were happy to help me out. I was encouraged to just go “shoulder-tap” people I needed something from. Open communication was stressed to me several times from individual contributors and VPs.

As part of Skytap’s first internal recruitment team, I was charged with establishing new procedures and process to fulfill their ambitious hiring goals. I was pleasantly surprised by the openness of each hiring manager to embrace change and even offer creative suggestions to help make the recruitment process smoother.

One afternoon, the entire 80 person office packed up early and walked down to the Triple Door for the quarterly company meeting. Dressed in Skytap t-shirts, the staff crowded around the bar and grabbed a few drinks before the executive leadership team got on stage. First up was Thor Culverhouse, the new CEO. An engaging speaker, he spoke passionately of Skytap’s beginnings, where the company is currently sitting and what the future will look like. Others got up and detailed marketing forecasts, strategy and branding. At one point, Nate Odell, Senior Director of Marketing rallied the company around a new slogan - “Tap In!” He spoke of a unified vision for the company and as he pumped up the crowd, it was clear to me that everyone there truly believed in their product. The Skytap Cloud can and will go places.

Candidates always ask me questions about Skytap. “What’s it like to work there?” is something I’m often asked. It’s easy to list off perks that Skytap offers its employees and call it “Company culture.” But there is something more to culture than their famous “Free Food Fridays” and the unlimited snacks, ORCA pass, and standing desks. It is hard to describe the camaraderie I experience at Skytap. I am still trying to find the words to express how cool it is that egos get left at the door; that as you watch people buzz around the office, you can see they are energized by being on a team that works together for a shared goal. It is refreshing to experience open, informal communication and a “let’s do this” attitude. Skytap has a great leadership team and an empowered staff backing them up. I may not be able to fully describe it, but I, for one, am definitely “tapped in.”

If you're interested in joining Skytap's team, check out their openings here. They're a quickly growing company and there are positions for all types of backgrounds.

Get to Know - Recruiting Bandwidth

Getting to Know - Recruiting Bandwidth

As the long-term partner for our clients, we have the opportunity to learn and understand their unique company culture. In this series we're going to take a look at some of the companies we work with and the stories they tell.

Recruiting Bandwidth’s energetic team members are experts in attracting, recruiting and retaining the very best people, and "in-the-trenches" expertise across multiple industries at companies large and small. We are passionate about getting to know our client's businesses from the inside out. We want to know your competition, your pain points and opportunities, market conditions, so we can be agile and seek out opportunities on your behalf.

We believe in innovation. We have unique experience in social sourcing and recruiting. And we know how to leverage networks and technology to attract and retain the right people for your business and the job. 

And above all of that, we like to work together! Our team spends a lot of time working in-house with our clients, but we spend at least one day per week in the same space. This gives us an opportunity to share challenges and successes, discuss our hiring strategies and brainstorm how we can better support our clients.

This week, we took a few minutes to revamp the photos on our company website. And... well.. things got a little silly.  

You could be having this much fun too! We're always interested in meeting and networking with exceptional recruiting professionals. Learn more about us and our opportunities here. 

Olly Downs @ Globys: Decoding Social Influence - The Marriage of Marketing & Data Science

Decoding Social Influence: The Marriage of Marketing and Data Science

Dr Olly Downs, SVP Data Sciences at Globys has helped the organization develop a powerful Contextual Marketing solution specifically for the global prepaid mobile market.

Last week, Olly spoke via The Huffington Post to explain how the marriage of Marketing and Data Science is changing the way mobile operators manage their customer base. 

Olly shares some compelling insights into Social Marketing "For example... Did you know that for every person in your mobile social network who churns from your current service provider, your chance of following suit more than doubles?" and explains how the exciting technology being developed by his team at Globys is helping operators make the most of their marketing efforts while uncovering previously unknown patterns in customer behaviour.

Read the full article to see how big data is changing the face of marketing solutions, and be sure to check out the below video for a quick overview of Globys' Mobile Occasions technology.



Globys is one of our oldest, and favourite, clients in Seattle. 

When we first joined the organization they relied heavily on recruitment agencies - and we were able to put a system in place that allows them to make great hires and very significant savings. 

In fact, we have a great case study of our work together.