When you think of technology hubs, chances are Atlanta doesn’t top the list (yet!). However, through a combination of capitalizing on local talent in our various locations and relocating rock stars to join our team, Kabbage has matured from a scrappy startup to an impressive organization of 350 team members.
Growing a technology business isn’t just about having a great product (although that is obviously critical). It requires identifying and supporting the right people in the right positions to move your business forward at a rapid pace for disruption.
Even if you’re not located in the heart of Silicon Valley, your business can pursue top candidates all over the world. We’ve found that using a few key principles has helped us attract amazing pros who have found a long-term, fulfilling career at Kabbage.
Live your values
When we determined what our company values were, it wasn’t just an exercise to put pen to paper (though it isimportant that we have them posted in our office and on our website). It was easy to identify what is important to us because we have been living these values from the very beginning.
At Kabbage, we’re able to bring on new people who understand our priorities and stay connected to our mission because we’re up front about the values that guide everything we do. By putting these ideals into words, we can be transparent with candidates and existing team members about the metrics against which we measure everything (transparency, incidentally, is one of our core values).
Because adhering to our values is a shared responsibility, we hold each other accountable so that any decision – from the way we hire candidates and review team members to how we support the community through our Kabbage Kares program – aligns with these principles.
In addition to ensuring we hire people that subscribe to our values, we’ve found it’s critical to communicate them publicly and reinforce throughout the interview process what we deem most important.
Promote the benefits of your location
Atlanta is one of the country’s best-kept secrets when it comes to career opportunities, particularly within technology fields. Whether we’re engaging potential leaders who are based outside of Atlanta or recruiting talent from the city’s more than 70 colleges and universities, discussing the benefits of our location is a fundamental part of our conversations.
No matter where your company is based, you know the best reasons to live, work and play there. For instance, it may not be common knowledge that Atlanta has 343 parks and is the fourth best city for foodies, but these can be important selling points when talking to candidates. Make sure you fully understand what’s important to your candidates so that you can focus on highlighting the most relevant points.
Involve everyone in the hiring process
We often get asked how we’ve maintained Kabbage’s unique culture throughout exponential growth and while opening offices in five other locations. We believe our culture is not just our fun environment or great benefits; these are byproducts of the fact that we are a close-knit team that cares deeply about each other, our customers, investors, partners and communities.
One of the keys to scaling our culture is that our leadership team is closely involved in our hiring process. Since they co-founded Kabbage, our CEO Rob Frohwein and COO Kathryn Petralia have been actively involved in interviewing a vast majority of the team members we’ve hired across every department.
By taking such a hands-on role in selecting the people who join Kabbage, they allow candidates to hear first-hand how the company is led and what we’re striving to accomplish.
Even if your leadership team isn’t willing to dedicate 30 to 60 minutes to interview all of your final candidates, try to set aside some time for an informal meeting and make sure their priorities and vision are accurately shared by other leaders in the organization during the interview process.
Attracting top-notch tech talent in Atlanta can be difficult, but we have found ways to overcome the challenge by emphasizing our strengths, like our dynamic culture and values, and highlighting the many amazing aspects of the city we call home.
Amy Zimmerman is the Head of Global People Operations for Kabbage Inc., a FinTech company that quickly connects small businesses with capital. Before joining Kabbage, Amy was a consultant for small and mid sized growth companies.
Amy Zimmerman is the Head of Global People Operations for Kabbage Inc., a FinTech company that quickly connects small businesses with capital. Before joining Kabbage, Amy was a consultant for small and mid sized growth companies.
