This document provides guidance on how to recruit engineers for a startup. It outlines a 6 step process: 1) craft your company story, 2) share your story, 3) write an compelling job description, 4) generate awareness and demand for roles, 5) source and qualify candidates, and 6) engage candidates. It emphasizes the importance of minding the candidate experience through clear communication and feedback. Additional tips include knowing the different types of candidate profiles, adjusting approaches for passive vs active job seekers, and continuously calibrating recruitment strategies through retrospectives and market research.

1. Tech Recruiting 101:
How to Recruit Engineers
to your Startup
JumpSearch Recruiting
“Changing lives one connection at a time.”

2. We are JumpSearch.
Michelle Kuo, Founding Partner
Eric Sullano, Founding Partner
Connecting people is Michelle's passion.
Technology is Eric's passion.
Michelle has honed her talent acquisition skills for over 7
years experience as the top recruiter for several agencies
successfully placing hundreds of candidates before
starting her own firm.
Eric offers over 14 years experience applying internet,
software, and mobile technologies to create new business
opportunities.
She has served as a panelist and guest speaker for
numerous events including: UCLA Entrepreneur's Panel
and the University of Michigan/Ross Business School’s
Salary Negotiations and Resume Workshop.
Michelle holds a Bachelor of Science degree in
Psychology from UCLA.
www.jumpsearchrecruiting.com
He has launched numerous product and technology
initiatives with companies including
PriceWaterhouseCoopers, PG&E, California ISO, Pacific
Bell, Ticketmaster/IAC, Live Nation Entertainment, Spark
Networks, and Backcountry.com.
Eric earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical
Engineering and an MBA from the University of Southern
California.

3. “No company became great without
first building the team. It starts with
good recruiting.”
Jim Collins - Good to Great

4. What trends are we seeing in Utah?
Technical job postings per capita - Source Indeed.com
Demand for technical talent is skyrocketing.

5. There is a deep scarcity in mid-tosenior level technical talent.
Entry-Level
Mid-to-Senior
Executive
Often have to go out-of-state to find talent.

6. Ultimate goal is to find, attract, and
retain the best possible* talent.

7. What is technical recruiting?
Customer Service
Negotiations
Talent Sourcing
Opportunity Definition
Pipeline
Talent Qualification
People and Process
Requirements
Regional Awareness
Promotion
Relationship Building
Technology Trends
Networking
Matchmaking
Outreach
Partnership
Market Research

8. There’s a lot that can go wrong.
But, there’s a lot that can go RIGHT.

10. Our approach to building a talent pipeline.
Mind the candidate experience
1. Know thyself.
Craft your story.
2. Share your story.
3. Craft an awesome job
description.
4. Create awareness
and demand
Calibrate
5. Source and qualify
6. Engage the candidate

11. Step 1: Know thyself.
Craft your story.
Mission
Products
Vision
Founders
Technology
Market
Funding
Culture
Values
Team
Gaps
Tap into the emotional aspects of your story.

12. What’s their mission?

13. What’s their product? Team culture?

14. What’s their history?

15. What do they value?

16. Where’s the emotion?

17. Is this company credible?

18. Step 2: Share your story.

19. Step 3: Craft an awesome job
description.
Challenge
Compensation
Technology
Workplace
Role
Perks
Career growth
Mission
Team
What is the “employee value proposition”?

20. What’s compelling for a candidate?

21. What’s compelling for a candidate?

22. Step 4: Generate awareness and
demand.

23. Step 4: Generate awareness and
demand.
Natural Network
Broad Outreach
Targeted Outreach
Ambassadors
Referral Program
Agencies

24. TIP: Dig your well before you’re thirsty.
(but be smart about it)

25. Step 5: Source and qualify exercise
Exercise:
○ iOS candidate profile
○ Spend 30 seconds on each of the two profiles
What stood out with each of the profiles?
What questions do the profiles prompt?
Would you reach out to this person?

26. Candidate 1

27. First impressions?

28. Candidate 1

29. Candidate 2

30. First impressions?

31. Candidate 2

32. Candidate 3

33. Candidate 3

34. Not all profiles are created equal.
The “Veteran”
The “Great-One”
The “Hotshot”
The “Deflector”
The “Offshore”
The “Maverick”
(Same goes for engineers.)

35. Step 6: Engage the candidate.
THIS IS THE HEART OF RECRUITING!

36. TIP: What’s the deal with “Passive
Candidates”?
Adjust your approach for
passive or active candidates.

37. Mind the candidate experience.
Communication
Roles
Expectations
Consistency
Time-frames
Agency
Personalization
Process
Feedback

38. Calibrate.
●
●
●
●
●
Retrospectives
Survey your candidates
Survey your market
Survey your peers
Refine your approach,
job description and
search

39. In Summary
Mind the candidate experience
1. Know thyself.
Craft your story.
2. Share your story.
3. Craft an awesome job
description.
4. Create awareness
and demand
Calibrate
5. Source and qualify
6. Engage the candidate

40. Future series topics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Crafting your story
Profiling Talent
Tech Lingo in a Nutshell (aka Alphabet Soup)
Write a Great Job Description
Sourcing and Screening
Presenting a Compelling Offer
Recruiting Tools
Working with Agencies
….?