The New York City tech sector continues to roll on, powering job creation and the regional economy as it has for several years. According to the Office of the New York State Comptroller, almost a quarter of NYC jobs added in the past five years were in the tech sector. Further, wages have more than doubled since 2016, a rate four times greater than the total of private sector jobs.
Three companies that thrive in NYC by hiring the best people they can find are Applecart, Cockroach Labs and WireScreen. Each takes a serious approach to establishing stimulating workplaces where employees are valued and given paths to grow. Even where teams are virtual, they are given plenty of opportunities to meet up in person for work and social events.
Built In New York queried leaders at these companies to identify how they attract talent, the kinds of people who work there, and what they are looking for in the last quarter of 2023.
Powered by their AI-driven data platform, WireScreen’s mission is to help global businesses make smarter investment decisions, track their supply chains, monitor cross-border transactions, and respond to evolving global risks.
What is notable about working at your company? What differentiates it from other places you’ve worked?
I’d say a few things.
First, the space we serve and the value we provide to customers is really compelling. The world is at the nexus of some seismic shifts in global supply chains, investment flows and great power politics. It’s fascinating to understand how our customers are thinking about adapting their businesses or policies to thrive in a fast-changing environment. These aren’t easy questions, but they’re consequential and important. It’s rewarding to know that the unique lens we provide is both useful and impactful in such a meaningful way.
It’s exciting to see the light bulbs go off when our research and tech teams get into the same room.”
Second, we’re doing something pretty unique and difficult. It requires a combination of deep domain expertise and powerful technology — it doesn’t work without both. It’s exciting to see the light bulbs go off when our research and tech teams get into the same room. The amount of valuable insight they can unlock together is incredible and we’re just getting started.
Third, the people are wonderful. It’s a smart, dedicated and interesting group. We work hard and have high expectations but it’s a collegial environment where we’re learning together, pushing one another and — most importantly — helping one another.
What do you think job seekers should know about working at your company? What would get them excited about joining the team?
There are a few things I think are important to know if you’re considering working here — and I hope you are because we need as many great teammates as we can find!
First, it’s a “no ego” place. Great ideas can and do come from all parts of the organization, regardless of position or tenure. We approach things with an open mind and an important degree of humility.
Second, we all get our hands dirty. This is true from our CEO on down. We have more to do than capacity so prioritization and discipline is key. But at the end of the day, we’re all building. “That’s not my job” isn’t in our vocabulary.
Third, we’re still figuring things out, which means we have to have a healthy degree of creativity, flexibility and trust in one another. As a young company, every day we see something new, things that often could be tackled in multiple ways. We can’t be overly rigid and we have to embrace experimentation, but that works best when you have a high degree of trust in those around you — in their judgment, their execution and their ability to pivot if we get something wrong.
Fourth, it’s hard work but it’s rewarding. We have a great esprit de corps and a shared sense of success!
Cockroach Labs helps companies of all sizes to build mission-critical apps that scale fast.
What is notable about working at your company? What differentiates it from other places you’ve worked?
Cockroach Labs does a great job of creating opportunities for teams to get together to collaborate on work in our hybrid/remote setup. They invest in hosting events where work is done but fun is also had. Every time I leave an onsite event with my team or greater organization I feel a sense of commitment and excitement to work hard to achieve our goals. These events make remote work better because I've formed relationships with individuals I can lean on in my remote work setting.
I work to give our sellers the confidence to know what types of companies are within our ideal fit, how to prepare to reach out and how to propel an opportunity to close.“
What is the impact of the work you are doing? Paint a picture of what this means for your customers or users.
The impact of the work I do helps our sales team have better conversations with our potential customers. I work to give our sellers the confidence to know what types of companies are within our ideal fit, how to prepare to reach out and how to propel an opportunity to close. We try to teach learners in different ways and look for ways for our sales team to apply their learnings through activities.
Our enablement efforts constantly inform our sales team about what they need to know and what they need skills-wise to grow as a seller. Our hope is that this creates a great experience for our potential buyers, allowing them to see our sales team as dedicated, trusted advisors to help their business scale fast, survive anything and thrive everywhere.
Applecart is a data, marketing tech and social impact company that maps social relationships to enable target marketing.
What is notable about working at your company? What differentiates it from other places you’ve worked?
One thing that differentiates Applecart from other places I have worked is the level of trust and responsibility people have across the company. Being a startup we are often piloting new features and solving unique problems. All members of our team share responsibilities and are encouraged to branch out from their current areas of expertise to learn different parts of the technology stack. Team members are able to expand their knowledge while simultaneously helping the company grow and improve our products.
Everyone who works at Applecart is extremely bright and collaborative.”
What do you think job seekers should know about working at your company? What would get them excited about joining the team?
Everyone who works at Applecart is extremely bright and collaborative. Your responsibilities might be broader here than at a larger company, but there is no shortage of people who are willing to help if you are hitting a block or feeling overwhelmed. From leadership down to individual contributors, your coworkers are accessible and invested in seeing you and the company succeed.
