A culture that’s raved about by people in your network. The salary and benefits you need. Technology that excites you.
These are common motivators for accepting a job — but there’s one more that’s often overlooked: the hiring process itself. A job candidate’s experience, from initial application all the way up to the first day of work, plays a crucial role into whether or not someone ultimately takes a job offer.
Karen Aragon’s experience interviewing with Bowery Farming is indicative of this value.
“A main factor about why I chose Bowery Farming over the other options was because of how comfortable I felt throughout the hiring process,” said Aragon, who cited elements like “organic” dialogue with their recruiter — and the recruiter’s consistent communication — as notable components.
The hiring process isn’t simply a forum for talent to show off their qualifications to a potential employer, and for said company to go through the basics of a job description. Rather, it’s an opportunity to give a valuable glance into how candidates can fit in and contribute to an organization — and how the company would manage its end of the relationship.
“When interviewing with my manager, I felt that I wouldn’t just be another developer building to the spec of work ticket requirements — but that my input and opinions would also be able to influence the products that I worked on,” said Jeremiah Snee when reflecting on interviewing with OpenX.
Built In NYC got a peek into the hiring experiences of Aragon, Snee and Senior DevOps Engineer Dan Chan from January — along with their tips for engineers interested in making similar moves.
Bowery Farming is an agtech company that has vertical farming spaces in Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Bowery Farming announced a $300 million Series C in 2021.
What initially drew you to apply for an engineering role at your current employer?
I wanted to work in a completely new field. Working in edtech for years was great, but I wanted something new that aligned with my other personal interests, one of which is growing food and integrating with hardware. For my own career development, I was looking for a company that used a different technology stack than what I've grown accustomed with. Bowery Farming was able to provide that opportunity.
I think vertical farming represents unique and innovative solutions to the challenges of feeding a growing global population in a sustainable way. The ability to grow fresh, nutritious produce in a controlled environment using advanced technology and data-driven approaches is incredibly exciting to me. Bowery Farming would allow me to contribute to this mission and be at the forefront of a rapidly evolving industry.
What was the hiring process like, and how was it different from other experiences you’ve had?
My initial call with the recruiter felt genuine and relaxed. I didn’t get the generic, sometimes cold run-through of the company and sales pitch of why I should work there. Instead, our conversation was more organic, with both of us feeding off each other's questions. My interviews were all remote and the recruiter was great at keeping me up to date with the process and checking in to see how I was doing.
I didn’t get the generic, sometimes cold run-through of the company and sales pitch of why I should work there. Instead, our conversation was more organic.”
The technical assignment was challenging, but I felt supported by the engineers who I was interviewing with. Live coding challenges are inherently nerve-wracking, but it turned out to be a great natural pairing session. Whenever I was stuck, they would point me in a direction. I was able to feed off that input to complete the assignment.
What advice would you give to fellow engineers thinking about applying for one of your team’s open roles?
Life is short and we spend a lot of our waking life working nine-to-five-ish jobs. For those fortunate enough to have the chance to choose, have it be working toward something you genuinely want to be a part of and learn from.
For engineers interested in applying, come with an internal drive to want to grow food sustainably and with technology. You’ve already proven to yourself you want to be an engineer and are adaptable to learning new things — so do some homework on vertical farming and especially Bowery Farming. If it aligns with you personally, definitely apply!
January — which announced $10 million in new funding earlier this year — provides a platform that offers tools for creditors and borrowers as they navigate debt collection.
What initially drew you to apply for an engineering role at your current employer?
There were two primary things that drew me to January. First, I was looking for an early-stage startup, where I knew my work would have a greater impact. At a small startup, engineers have the opportunity to directly influence the direction of the product. Because the engineering team is smaller, it can run more cohesively, allowing for quicker positive changes. It allows team members to be part of the optimization of process and product, especially as the company grows. Small startups also allow you the privilege of working with new technologies.
Second, it was important to me that I find a company whose mission I aligned with. I wanted to join a company that was doing something good and improving a problem that will always be there, rather than one causing new problems or creating greater division. By explaining and offering options to each borrower — rather than hiding information or using coercive collection tactics — January empowers them to make the best decision based on their situation, leading to better outcomes for the borrowers we serve.
What was the hiring process like, and how was it different from other experiences you’ve had?
Throughout the interview process, I appreciated the emphasis on good communication. When interviewing with other companies, there was a greater emphasis on the coding or technical aspects of the role. Although this was still a focus throughout January’s process, the focus on positive and empathetic communication was a draw for me.
The focus on positive and empathetic communication was a draw for me.”
January clearly prioritizes collaboration. Our VP of Engineering Matt Flower’s questions about past collaboration challenges and our discussion around my approaches gives me confidence that I could trust the team’s focus on thoughtful collaboration and healthy conflict. This glimpse gave me an idea of the culture that’s been created at January, which was something I weighed heavily when considering my new role.
What advice would you give to fellow engineers thinking about applying for one of your team’s open roles?
When looking for a new role, I encourage candidates to have an open mind when applying and interviewing. Consider the benefits of working at smaller companies like January. At bigger companies, it takes more time to identify problems, present solutions and then get them into motion. At January, you’ll get the chance to identify problems quickly and own the solution, meaning more people will see your ideas and you’ll have more opportunities for personal growth. If you haven’t considered a smaller company before, it’s a great time to do so.
When interviewing with January, remember that our team wants you to succeed. Our process aims to hire the best candidate for the role and we assume you’re that person when we interview. In the technical rounds, we encourage you to collaborate with us (your potential future colleagues), by sharing your thoughts, ideas and thoughtful questions as you work through technical challenges. This is a great way to connect with us and show us what it’d be like to work with you.
OpenX provides an ad exchange for channels like web and mobile.
What initially drew you to apply for an engineering role at your current employer?
I was initially interested in being part of a team that is developing solutions for a constantly evolving and highly competitive industry. The role at OpenX was appealing because it involved a mixture of: maximizing the performance and efficiency of the various OpenX products; developing creative solutions to new problems that have not yet been solved in the industry; and keeping our platforms competitive in the constantly changing and competitive marketing/adtech industry.
What was the hiring process like, and how was it different from other experiences you’ve had?
The hiring process felt streamlined and relaxed. In each round, I felt as if I was getting to know my future colleagues as much as they were getting to know me. I liked that while interviewing, they were evaluating not just a candidate’s capabilities, but also their way of thinking.
I felt as if I was getting to know my future colleagues as much as they were getting to know me.”
OpenX is filled with engineers who think outside the box and come up with new creative solutions to challenges. When meeting with fellow engineers who were on the team I was joining, they were evaluating not just my ability to solve a problem, but how I arrived at the solutions that I chose.
What advice would you give to fellow engineers thinking about applying for one of your team’s open roles?
To any engineer looking to apply for a role at OpenX, I recommend going in with an open mind, but also with opinions and explanations of why. Since joining OpenX, I have seen that we really value an individual’s ability to create solutions, rather than just implementing various components. Working at OpenX really makes you feel like you are part of a team.
At OpenX, we believe that “we are one” and everyone at the company has ownership in the products that they work on. If you have an idea of how something should be done, explain the benefits of why things should be that way and have conversations with other engineers who may disagree. Having conversations on the best way to move forward is highly encouraged.
