Proven Recruiting

21 questions to determine your candidate's past track record, present mindset, and future aspirations - all while uncovering whether they have what it takes to join your team.

For a long time, questioning the premise of DEI was entirely taboo. To do so was to show disloyalty to a well-intentioned and much-beloved social movement founded on equality and justice. And in exchange for said loyalty, companies were promised higher profits - at least, that's what McKinsey claimed in its landmark study tracing a link between executive diversity and profitability. That study was recently debunked by the Wall Street Journal. According to new data, DEI-forward companies appear to be no more profitable than average companies. But what, exactly, does this mean for business? Should the whole premise of DEI be thrown out? Or is there merit still to the philosophy, even if it doesn't directly result in higher profits? Proven's Co-CEO Louis Song joins the team at RefAssured to dig into the topic. Listen here: https://lnkd.in/eHx9zn3n https://lnkd.in/enCAnw2r

Update on the use of ChatGPT / GenAI to “cheat” interviews: Managers, especially in tech, are increasingly seeing candidates rely on AI-generated responses during interviews. While few interviewers are willing to directly accuse candidates of "cheating," the concern persists. In response, hiring managers are being forced to develop more creative, unpredictable interview styles. Like quasi-detectives, they're carefully tracking eye movements and AI-favored terms. Hiring a good person is already tough, but the addition of highly intelligent machine learning models makes it nearly impossible to distinguish an exceptional candidate from an exceptionally skilled prompt engineer. The best way to avoid this whole mess? Bring people in for in-person interviews. Even early-round interviews benefit from this treatment; you’ll learn whether they’re the right fit faster, and you’ll worry less about their capabilities in future (potentially virtual) interviews if you’ve already confirmed their baseline skills. If in-person interviews aren’t possible, then you’ll have to don your investigator hat once more. One thing that we’ve seen help – invest in an AI notetaker and ask candidates to refrain from typing throughout the interview. Let them know that you’ll send all notes following the meeting, so no need to write anything down. How is your team dealing with the increase in AI-assisted responses? And if you’re a candidate – do you think it’s ethical to use GenAI in an interview?

This is the 1% of Proven Recruiting's posts that Michelle Pencer did not write.

In our world of extroverted recruiters, Shirley Park is an anomaly. Without her, our borderline over-zealous personalities would run wild. She's our much needed - and much beloved - voice of reason. The unsung (but not for long!) hero of our back office. As of this month, Shirley has put up with our antics for 13 years (peek the photo of Shirley and her family back in 2011!). It's no easy feat corralling the likes of Louis Song, Ingram Losner, and the rest of our wayward team into some kind of order, yet her unwavering kindness and keen wisdom make it seem effortless. Juggling a high-pressure role while raising two kids - now young men - is incredibly difficult, but Shirley has taken on the challenge with poise and dexterity. And all the while, she's built up a remarkable back-office team that boasts a near 0% attrition rate and consistently ranks among our Employee of the Month nominees. Shirley is the epitome of multitasking greatness and a role model for working parents at Proven. All that to say - thanks for making us better, Shirley.

Things you should never say in an interview: - "I didn't get along with my last boss" - "I'm not a morning person" - "Do you do summer Fridays?" - "I am/my partner is pregnant" - "I just need a job" - "What's your role here?" You might think you're just joking around, keeping the conversation light and relaxed - but your interviewer is taking notes. They're friendly, sure, but they're not there to BE your friend. Next time you feel compelled to commiserate over early-morning meetings or your irritable former manager, don't. Save it for your post-interview debrief with friends and family. You only get one chance to make a good first impression. Blurting out the wrong thing can sour an entire interview. What's the worst thing you've said/heard in an interview?

Back to the hard-hitting hyper-professional updates you've come to expect from us: we're watching the Barbie movie! We figured what better "book" - it's a loose term, okay? - to feature in this week's Book Club than 2023's top-grossing film. We'll be digging into the intersection of work and identity, the all-male board of Mattel (which in reality consists of 7 men and 5 women), and why the "Kenocracy" was apparently so appealing. If you loved the movie - come join us! Tell us why it had such an impact. If you hated the movie - even more reason to join! We love a hater. If you're busy, or just don't like the prospect of talking with a bunch of strangers, leave your thoughts in the comments. All opinions welcome tomorrow at 8AM PST. Reach out at mpencer@provenrecruiting.com if your interest is piqued.

In 2007 this woman quit her well-paying job to join a startup consisting of two former colleagues and a half-baked idea.    Marilyn had 3 kids at the time, her mother was suffering with advanced MS, and the new company wouldn’t be profitable for 5+ years.   But she saw herself reflected in the company - likely because it was made for people like her. The idea was simple enough; create a workplace where people like Marilyn could do good work without dealing with the corporate politics and endless red tape that drive so many workers to insanity. Make it easy for good people to excel, make money, and feel secure.    In the intervening 17 years, the company made a lot of mistakes. We failed repeatedly. The death of a founding partner, shuttered offices, millions of dollars lost. We said goodbye to great colleagues. Didn’t meet our sales goals. Struggled to scale.    These days we still fail, just less often and we’re better at hiding it (kidding - we broadcast all our setbacks for your enjoyment!).    Yet today we’re celebrating one of our biggest victories to date. This company was built so people like Marilyn could thrive - and as of this week, we rank among Inc. Magazine’s Best Places to Work. Of all our accomplishments, we're most proud of building a community where good people can do good work.   Marilyn still works here. She now has 5 grandkids and just returned from a sabbatical traveling through Europe. And if that isn’t the truest mark of Proven’s success, we don’t know what is.

Sourced from a combination of government reports, official surveys, and our own observations working with tech managers and professionals. Hopefully this quick-reference sheet will help clear up some of the headline-induced confusion!

We're joining forces with Athena STEM Women to help elevate the lives and careers of women in STEM and beyond - and last week we kicked off our partnership with a bang! No frowns were spotted, despite the fact that most attendees were looking to sharpen their interview skills following recent layoffs. Far from discouraged, everyone was in high spirits - excited to learn, almost as much as they were excited to embark on a new adventure. We're lucky to play a small part in their - and your - lives, and are looking forward to what's next alongside the Athena team! #STEMCareers #WomenInSTEM #WomenInTech