Xtra Effort has noticed candidates are receiving multiple offers and often in a timely fashion. Specifically, two Xtra Effort clients recently lost later stage candidates because the candidates received more timely evaluation processes with other attractive employers (not Xtra Effort clients).

We would suggest we all be aware of this trend.

Timely employer to candidate feedback and an efficient ability to screen candidates is becoming increasingly important (with or without a third party recruiter).

This is a polite way of saying don’t take good candidates for granted, they are going fast. It is expensive to invest your company’s resources in 3/4 of an evaluation cycle … Continue Reading

Below is a recap of Xtra Effort client hiring activity for Q1 2013.

The data may help you with your own planning, or at least provide a comparison.

As a frame of reference, Xtra Effort clients are small to medium sized enterprise scale technology companies (products and services) that hire Sales, Sales Engineers, and Professional Services personnel throughout the USA.

LINK TO RECAP

Observations:

• Hiring      sales staff has increased among professional service companies. These      companies are hiring because they are reaching their targets

• Cloud      infrastructure, Big Data and BI companies are experiencing considerable      growth and/or have significant funding for expected growth – hence hiring

• Hiring      … Continue Reading
  

This link provides access to Xtra Effort’s client hiring requirements for the past five months. It includes roles, compensation, locations, quotas, travel requirements, deal size, and technology/service offerings. You may find it to be helpful for your 2013 planning.

The report verifies that Big Data is hot. Some of our clients truly qualify as Big Data companies, but more important is the growth of companies selling (and buying) Analytic solutions. You may interested in the types of problems being solved with it. … Continue Reading

Revenge of the Nerds, the Sequel: Silicon Valley Wallflowers Now Hot
As Web Darlings See Stocks Fall, Spotlight Hits Business Tech; ‘Sexy Again’

By PUI-WING TAM And BEN WORTHEN

Phil Fernandez was used to being a Silicon Valley wallflower.

His start-up makes software for marketing departments, and for years, he toiled in obscurity as the tech spotlight shined on hip Web arenas like social networking and their young Internet entrepreneurs, such as Facebook Inc.’s FB -9.67%Mark Zuckerberg.

Sequoia Capital partner Jim Goetz with Nir Zuk of Palo Alto Networks.

But now it is Mr. Fernandez’s turn in the limelight. His … Continue Reading

This 9/15 CIO Magazine Article. provides information as to how enterprises view start-up technologies versus solutions from established vendors. It should help you better position your sales and delivery of solutions, regardless of whether you represent a market “guerrilla” or a start-up.

Separately, this link provides access to Xtra Effort’s current client hiring requirements, including information related to role, compensation, location, and technology/service. You may find it to be helpful for your Q4 and 2013 … Continue Reading

This seems to be great news for our industry.

By BEN WORTHEN, WSJ

Businesses are getting more comfortable buying technology from start-ups and other small outfits, a shift that could usher in a period of slower growth for tech giants such as Hewlett-Packard Co.  HPQ -0.37% and Oracle Corp. DELL -0.27%… Continue Reading

Xtra Effort has created a white paper with a suggested process for enterprise technology companies to improve sales and professional service personnel recruiting and interview outcomes.

Specifically, the outcomes include:

1) Improved internal consensus on what the most suitable candidate looks like

2) Increased volume of suitable candidates

3) More timely and objective review of candidate resumes, and who should be interviewed

4) Less time for the internal team to agree if a candidate is a fit, post interview

5) Enhanced impression among candidates of your company as having achieved operational excellence… Continue Reading

As a professional involved in enterprise information security, your value to an employer is diminished if your focus is limited to security technology alone. You also need to build up your ability to integrate security into enterprise solutions, and have awareness of industry specific regulations.

Relative to security technology itself, enterprises seem to distinguish candidates according to their particular technology background, particularly (Wikipedia definitions):

Network security: consists of the provisions and policies adopted by the network administrator to prevent and monitor unauthorized access, misuse, modification, or denial of … Continue Reading

You may recall reading a previous blog post related to why and how enterprise technology companies are hiring more inside sale people.

This trend only seems to deepen, particularly with infrastructure technologies.  Current day examples include:

1) Database technology

2) Security technology

3) Privilege management technology

Field Sales exceptions include consulting services sales positions, such as solutions for the utility smart grid initiative,  and for Cloud Application Development. 

Companies that value the NY market, have deals that exceed $100k, and are selling new technologies, always seem to value “feet on the street” and want field sales people.  Application Performance/User Experience Management … Continue Reading

 This representative list of recent Xtra Effort client hires includes: 

1) Candidate’s motivation for changing jobs

 2) Hiring location

3) The role

4) Compensation, including On Target Earnings

5) Miscellaneous (most often $ quota)

6) The Technology or Service offering

We hope the information helps support your 2012 planning process.

Xtra Effort’s observations:

• Change in compensation structure, culture, or executive team (most often related to acquisition, but not always) were the top reasons for change
• More technology … Continue Reading