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.

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

One of the biggest red flags we see: an unwillingness to discuss work/life balance, either by avoiding the topic or giving vague non-answers. If your interviewer can't be honest about workload and hours, how can you be expected to devote the next several years of your life to them? This isn't a topic for an initial interview, but it's definitely important to make sure you're on the same page. Any job red flags make you run in the opposite direction?

Funny how we're all expected to regularly post to LinkedIn, despite the fact that most of us are neither social media experts nor especially interested in posting professional-nonsense to an audience that is unlikely to engage. The more likely scenario is one or two colleagues like your post before it fades into obscurity. Still, "they" say the best way to level-up your career is to grow your network. And "they" are not wrong; personal references/networking remains a leading resource when job hunting. Next time you're struggling to post, try these 7 popular LinkedIn topics that'll hopefully strike the perfect balance between personal and practical, informative and delightful. 1. Industry Insights and Trends: Share ideas, analyses, and predictions about your industry. 2. Career Advice and Personal Development: Tips on advancing careers, improving skills, and personal growth stories are universally appealing. 3. Success Stories and Case Studies: Posts that highlight how you (or your company/team) have overcome professional challenges and learned meaningful lessons draw readers in with relatable and inspiring content. 4. Innovations and Tech Advancements: Updates on cutting-edge technologies, innovations, and their implications for your industry. 5. Networking and Community Building: Content that encourages collaboration or participation in professional communities fosters a sense of belonging and engagement. 6. Job Market Insights: Information on hiring trends and in-demand skills attracts professionals looking to navigate the job market effectively. 7. Event Announcements / Recaps: Sharing announcements about upcoming professional events, webinars, or recaps of recent events can generate buzz and foster goodwill. Tag us in your post and we'll turn your sad-single-like into two!

Two reasons to never share salaries among colleagues: - What if you learn they make significantly LESS than you? - What if you learn they make significantly MORE than you? And this information is extremely dangerous because… Don't ask us. In our book, that's really valuable data - if used responsibly. Not surprisingly, companies fear that people will draw comparisons where none should be made. Maybe the person making more works longer hours or brings some special experience to the table. If you use their salary to benchmark your own without knowing the full story, you’ll end up looking like an uninformed, demanding complainer. However, if you use the information to better understand your team’s budget – i.e. what they are willing to pay for a top player – then you can strategically position yourself to earn that coveted raise. We'd avoid creating arguments based on “so and so makes more”; instead, build a thoughtful case for what you bring to the table and why you believe the market rate for a performer such as yourself is X salary. Ask what you’d have to change to merit that raise and hold strong to your compensation goals. Moral of the story? If we all act like adults and use the information responsibly, then sharing salary data is really quite useful. It can help you understand your value in an organization and position yourself for future success. Is it a touchy topic? Absolutely. But transparency comes with its benefits - namely, knowledge. Have you shared your salary with a coworker before? Was it useful or disheartening?