The ability to hire an amazing team is one of the most important ingredients in company building. After investing in hundreds of startups since 2004, one pattern has remained consistent: The first requests we get from founders usually involve help with early-stage hiring.
But there’s no denying that the tech landscape looked wildly different a year ago. Companies at all stages were hiring rapidly, and there simply weren’t enough recruiters to meet the demand. So we set out to build a homegrown course, designed to teach the foundations to those looking to make a career switch into tech recruiting. Though it wasn't a career placement track, we’re proud to share that 30% of our cohort landed full-time recruiting jobs.
The landscape today, however, is decidedly different, given the changes in the market and the tech ecosystem. We're seeing new layoff lists every day — and unfortunately, recruiters are often the first to be affected. But while hiring may be slowing at larger tech companies, that’s not necessarily the case at early-stage startups. Many founders are still looking to expand their teams.
We know that no matter the market conditions, recruiters will forever play an essential role in the growth and innovation of the tech industry. That’s why we’ve decided to refocus our efforts on meeting the current challenge and helping recruiters find opportunities to do what they do best — build teams. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be putting together a resource for startup founders and recruiters to find each other — so watch this space.
If you’re a recruiter looking for your next gig or have a few extra hours to consult in the interim, sign up to share your information with companies that need hiring support. First Round will act as the connector, and you’ll engage directly with the company to see if there’s a mutual fit. Fill out your information here to be considered.
If you’re a founder looking for recruiting help, fill this out (even if you're not at a First Round-backed company). You might need a recruiting coordinator to help you schedule interviews, a sourcer to help you with top-of-funnel, or a full-cycle recruiter.
If you’re not a recruiter, but are interested in opportunities at startups, browse our Talent portal for roles within the First Round community. If you’d like to receive general resources on interviewing, the latest hiring trends, or just hear about new roles within the First Round community, sign up here.
