February 28, 2022
When it comes to recruiting and retaining talent in the tech industry, the rules have changed. Attracting and holding on to great talent now requires a new level of innovation , leaving many HR leaders and executives to figure it out as they go. Here are 10 experts to keep an eye on as recruiting and retention continues to morph within tech.
Jennifer Kim <span>Startup Recruiting<br> Bootcamp</span>
Founder at Startup Recruiting Bootcamp
Jennifer Kim is helping fix the way tech companies hire through specialized training, discussions and lectures. The bootcamp is aimed at reaching founders, recruiters and hiring managers, and it has a notable focus on diversity and remote hiring in the industry. The former head of People at Lever, Kim is also known for her witty tweets and commentary about all things HR and tech.
Jay Parikh <span>Lacework</span>
Co-CEO at Lacework
Jay Parikh is seasoned when it comes to hiring large, highly skilled teams. The former Facebook VP spent years leading engineering and infrastructure at the company, and he's now the co-CEO at cloud security company Lacework. One of his primary responsibilities since joining Lacework in July 2021 has been to lead the company's growing tech team. He's become known for his perspective on intentional hiring , especially during a company's "hyper-growth" phase.
Jensen Huang <span>Nvidia</span>
CEO at Nvidia
Jensen Huang has played a major role in recruiting efforts at Nvidia, touting the belief that the job of attracting and securing talent does not solely rest on recruiters and hiring managers. There must be something to his philosophy, because the company topped Glassdoor’s list of best places to work in 2021 while simultaneously growing at a rapid pace. Last year, the company announced it would be hiring for over 1,000 new roles.
Jewell Parkinson <span>iCIMS</span>
Chief people officer at iCIMS
Jewell Parkinson and her colleagues at iCIMS have been tracking the evolving state of hiring and the shifting behaviors of applicants through the release of its annual Workforce Reports . Parkinson’s team has also kept an eye specifically on recruiting Gen Z workers. Parkinson encourages recruiters to rethink outdated practices . “On the employer side, it is really in our interest to reduce the time that it takes between when a candidate applies to a role and when a job is actually filled. A lot of that on an employer side obviously happens through technology and improving processes,” she told Protocol.
Allison Rutledge-Parisi <span>Justworks</span >
SVP of People at Justworks
Allison Rutledge-Parisi is the SVP of People at the payroll, benefits and compliance software company Justworks. Rutledge-Parisi has led conversations on how managers can best facilitate tricky conversations with employees in the time of the Great Resignation and commented upon the latest trends observed in the space, including the destigmatization of career gaps on resumes. Her career as a people officer and leading global people teams spans a decade.
Thanh Nguyen <span>OpenComp</span>
CEO and co-founder at OpenComp
As the CEO and co-founder of compensation benchmarking platform, OpenComp, Thanh Nguyen is at the forefront of one of the stickiest challenges among tech companies and startups: talent planning. Ask any startup founder and they’ll confirm balancing rapid growth with strategic staffing is a science. Nguyen focuses on how rapidly growing companies can better budget hiring to avoid massive layoffs down the line.
Rhys Hughes <span>GV (Google Ventures)</span>
Executive talent partner at GV (Google Ventures)
The executive talent partner at GV is known for showing startup founders how to grow and scale while also achieving executive talent initiatives. GV spun out of Google in 2009 and is home to a group of experts who help tech companies solve their greatest challenges. Hughes has continued to push for innovation in the space and believes that recruiting is now a job of the C-suite.
Andrea Derler <span>Visier</span>
Principal of Research and Customer Value at Visier
Andrea Derler is focused on the future of hiring at business analytics firm Visier. She approaches the research with her academic background: a Ph.D. in economics with a focus on leadership and organization, and a master’s in philosophy. Derler and her team's work is at the forefront of people analytics. Visier works with HR professionals and experts to better determine trends in the space.
L.J. Brock <span>Coinbase</span>
Chief people officer at Coinbase
L.J. Brock leads people initiatives at Coinbase as its chief people officer. The company has been an innovator in terms of taking risks to retain top talent, and a leader in transforming into a remote-first workforce following the pandemic. Brock championed the creation of an equitable remote-first workforce . “We've learned that remote-first enables our employees to advance in their careers based on their capabilities and their performance, not their location,” he wrote in an opinion piece for Protocol. Coinbase also notably closed its headquarters in the Bay Area, a move that many other tech companies have followed. Coinbase has also adopted intermittent closures for employees to recharge. Most of the company now shuts down four weeks a year for its people to enjoy true downtime.
Catherine Lenson <span>SoftBank Investment<br> Advisers</span>
Managing partner and chief people officer at SoftBank Investment Advisers
Catherine Lenson is a managing partner and the chief people officer at SoftBank Investment Advisers, currently the world’s largest tech investment firm. She currently leads HR, DEI and ESG initiatives for over 400 global employees. The company works with a focus on CSR, social impact and innovation. Lenson also serves as an executive sponsor for the firm’s Emerge program, an accelerator for underrepresented tech founders.
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