Tech Interviews, Contract-To-Hire, and Authenticity with Taylor Desseyn

Navigating the current job market is proving to be a daunting task for developers, even experienced ones like Chuck. Does the hiring process need to be fixed?

Taylor Desseyn, former Managing Director at Vaco, and a seasoned recruiter with 12 years of experience, believes so. Taylor advocates for a much-needed shift in mindset among hiring managers, emphasizing the importance of meeting candidates where they are. He suggests measures such as contract-to-hire options and redo opportunities, allowing candidates to show their true potential beyond the limitations of a single interview. Taylor believes a new approach would invite more diversity and inclusion into the hiring process and make the experience more fair and effective for the candidates and the employers.

In this episode, Taylor talks to Robbie and Chuck about the flaws in the hiring process in the tech industry, the impact of hiring flaws on candidates, and potential solutions to create a more inclusive and effective system.

Key Takeaways

• [00:54] - Introduction to Taylor Desseyn.
• [01:47] - A whiskey review: Copper Sky Distillery Wheat Whiskey.
• [09:30] - Why hiring is broken.
• [26:41] - Podcasts that Taylor has on rotation.
• [29:42] - Negative experiences with HOAs.
• [32:43] - Taylor talks about his horses.
• [44:21] - Taylor discusses his upbringing.

Quotes

[11:18] - “To me, I would say that company missed out on a great talent, you, because they were too concerned about the industry.” ~ Taylor Desseyn

[22:50] - “I think 60% to 70% of the interview needs to be the company selling the opportunity to the candidate.” ~ Taylor Desseyn

[36:14] - “Because of COVID, one thing I’ve realized is that we’re all overworked.” ~ Taylor Desseyn

Links

• Taylor Desseyn
• Taylor Desseyn Twitter
• Taylor Desseyn LinkedIn
• Vaco
• Copper Sky Distillery Wheat Whiskey
• University of South Carolina
• Maker’s Mark
• WL Weller
• RenderATL
• Farm Bureau Financial Services
• GitHub
• Brian Douglas
• Amazon
• Ember
• React
• OpenSauced
• Carrot Tech
• Twitter
• Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
• LongWinded by Nature
• Group Chat
• TikTok
• Guidance Counselor 2.0
• Chris Coyier
• ShopTalk
• Twilio
• Microsoft
• YouTube
• Amway

Connect with our hosts

• Robbie Wagner
• Chuck Carpenter
• Ship Shape

Subscribe and stay in touch

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Google Podcasts
• Whiskey Web and Whatnot

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This show is brought to you by Ship Shape. Ship Shape’s software consultants solve complex software and app development problems with top-tier coding expertise, superior service, and speed. In a sea of choices, our senior-level development crew rises above the rest by delivering the best solutions for fintech, cybersecurity, and other fast-growing industries. Check us out at shipshape.io.