Josh J.

I've been recruiting for well over a decade. From staffing to startups to big tech like PayPal, Venmo, Braintree and LinkedIn. I've had some heavy workloads and some wild hiring goals but NEVER have I had the goals that GEICO is looking to get to. We're already moving into Tech (ask around, we're making our mark and paying accordingly 😉) SO, my friends at TikTok, Tesla, PayPal, LinkedIn, Google and SO many more. Reach out to me. I can help. I know I have plenty of connections with y'all at these companies and layoffs are hard. I've been there. I'm hiring. This message needs to go viral. Not for me, but for others. I repeat, I can help. So, please... like, comment for reach, and SHARE SHARE SHARE!!! GEICO is doing things you wouldn't have even imagined an "insurance" company to do. Share this for folks who have been impacted. Let's see how many people we can help. #hiring #geicotech #opensource #data #engineering

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🤔 Question for my recruiter friends out there... Are you seeing an uptick in the amount of fake/bot candidates in your applicant pool? I feel like 30% or more of our Software Engineer candidates for our US-based positions are super sketchy and activating my "Spidey senses" - lots of LinkedIn profiles that were created in the last 3 months (but supposedly have 10+ years of experience), most have at least one well-known employer on the resume (i.e. Microsoft, Meta, Accenture), or they have a LinkedIn link on their resume that goes to a 404 "this page doesn't exist" page. And when I get them on the phone, it's blatantly obvious they are using AI to answer the questions for them - lots of long pauses before answering and/or fillers to stall ("That's a great question. Hmm, let me think about that."). We are looking at piloting some software to try and verify candidates more on the front end of the process, but I was curious about how prevalent this has become and what others are doing to combat this. #bots #AIinterviews #recruiting

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I’m in immediate need of work! Who’s hiring candidate experience focused exceptional recruitment pros??? I’m available now! I’m looking for a full-cycle recruitment or sourcing role. Based in greater Seattle/Tacoma area in Washington state. Open to full-time/part-time/temporary, W2/1099, Onsite/Hybrid/Remote, and willing to relocate for the right opportunity! General look at some of my experience in recruitment: • 12 years corporate  • 3+ years technical • 3+ years Agency/Staffing/RPO • 5+ years NGO  • 5+ years Executive  • 6+ years Light Industrial/Supply Chain/3PL  • 6+ years of Sales/Customer Success/Call Center/Customer Service  • 9+ years of recruitment team specific leadership experience  • 1+ years of healthcare I’ve not recruited for everything under the sun but I have recruited for a wide range of industries and roles while working for corporations, agencies, and RPOs. I’m open and immediately available to work! I come with references from former leaders, colleagues, and candidates (that I’ve been able to get hired & those I have not). Miscellaneous facts about me: • Boolean is an old friend I enjoy spending as much time with as possible • implemented Greenhouse twice  • worked in over 10 ATS systems • I love panda bears • dedicated to providing world class candidate and hiring team experiences  • pink is my favorite color followed close by rainbow and black • exceptional as an IC or team leader (I love both equally at this point in my career) • I’m an activator • active presence on social platforms as recruitingSHEro  • whenever I say or hear the word Boolean I begin to sing in my head to the tune of Dolly Parton’s, Jolene (“Boolean, Boolean, Booleaann, Boooleaaannnn…”) • open to project, permanent or contract work • I love rainbows • link to my website in comments • there are 20+ great recruiters roaming the planet today who learned recruitment fundamentals directly from my training and mentorship • I love Wonder Woman and what she represents  • there is so much more to me vs. what I can share in a LI post - take a chance on me so we can do incredible things while hiring the right candidates for your open roles without cutting corners because we both know retention is king and one bad recruitment hire can set back recruitment efforts 3-6 months. I NEED YOUR HELP! Who do you know? Can you introduce me to someone who is hiring? Can you refer me to an open recruitment role within your organization? Will you share this post? If you have worked with me, for me or if you've been a candidate that's gone through the interview process with me, are you able to write a recommendation for me here on LinkedIn? Do you have an idea that will help? #HrCommunity #LinkedInCommunity #HireMe

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Alright, let's unpack the seismic shift poised to hit the recruiting industry and the market for recruiters if the FTC's proposed ban on noncompete agreements goes through. We're looking at a tsunami of opportunity that could reshape the landscape. 1. Tidal Wave of Talent Mobility: The end of noncompete clauses means workers can jump ship whenever a better opportunity waves from the horizon. This isn't just a trickle – it's a floodgate opening. What does this mean for recruiting? A golden age. The market for recruiters will boom as companies scramble to snag top talent in a suddenly fluid marketplace. Recruiters will become the navigators in this new, wild sea of career opportunities, helping talent land on the shores of better pay and better positions. We're talking about turning the labor market into a worker’s market—where the power shifts to the paddles of the employees. 2. Sparking Innovation and Entrepreneurship: No noncompetes? No problem. Say hello to a surge in startups and a wave of innovations. Freed from contractual chains, expect to see an exodus of talent from stagnant corporate gigs to nimble startups hungry for disruption. For recruiters, this is like being a kid in a candy store. The need for talent acquisition in rising enterprises means more business, more connections, and, importantly, more impact. They'll be the bridge connecting visionary founders with the dream teams that will fuel their growth. 3. Competition Gets Ferocious: With companies no longer able to lock talent down, the arena becomes gladiatorial. This is where skilled recruiters shine. They'll be the sought-after strategists, the ones crafting the talent acquisition tactics that companies need to outmaneuver their rivals. This isn't just recruitment; it's high-stakes headhunting, where the prize isn't just filling a slot but profoundly empowering a company's competitive edge. #noncompetes #recruiting #hiring

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I was often the first People hire in many growing startups, tasked with building the foundation for both people ops and recruiting functions. This dual role gave me incredible insight—but also taught me some tough lessons along the way. 🧡 If I could offer one piece of advice to those stepping into this critical role, it would be this: 𝘿𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙭𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. 𝙈𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙯𝙚—𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙨. 😇 In early-stage startups, talent performance is driven by outcomes, and time is the most sought-after resource. With endless to-do lists, strategy often takes a back seat. For talent leaders, hiring outcomes consume most of their focus and energy. The first talent leader at a startup often juggles building recruiting foundations while handling requisitions hands-on. It's easy to focus solely on hiring outcomes—tracking requisitions, onboarding an ATS, and hitting immediate goals—because the need feels urgent. But true impact comes from asking the deeper questions, - What is the kind of culture that we are building? - How can we set up hiring processes that scale seamlessly? - Are we balancing short-term wins with long-term vision? Carving out the time to think beyond today’s hires, building frameworks, defining processes, and aligning with leadership on how talent will drive business success, is crucial. Execution drives progress, but strategy defines lasting success. 🚀 #TalentLeadership #ScalingStartups #StrategyAndExecution

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The Tech Industry is at it again with major layoffs and restructuring. If you are a Recruiter or TA lead within the industry, please reach out. I have some amazing colleagues that have been impacted by layoffs who are equitable and scale!!! #OpenToWork #TechLeads #PMMe!

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🚨 Recruiting Tech Spotlight ➡ BrightHire!!! I wanted to shoutout one of my fave tech partnerships on our recruiting team - BrightHire. We've been using their platform for awhile now and can truly attest to the impact it's made on our org (and how much easier it's made MY life 😅 ) Here are a few things it's helped me out with: ⭐ Sharing RPS recordings with new hires or ramping a new recruiter on a role ⭐ Sharing recordings with stakeholders who we need buy in for INSTEAD of adding another interview step to the process (major 🔑 ) ⭐ Driving alignment across the interviewing team at kick-off and throughout process There are SO many more ways to leverage this tool for optimizing efficiency, and as recruiters we all know there just aren't enough hours in the day 🤓 🙃 DM me if you are thinking about adding BH to your tech stack so I can tell you how much I love them 💖

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The world is shifting...you can too ⚡️ After this last layoff, It was abundantly clear that my 25 years of recruiting, TA and leadership in the startup world wasn't going to easily yield another "Director of Talent" "Head of Talent" or "VP of Talent" role that had been so in demand for the majority of my career. It was more than obvious it was time to shape-shift, transform, reinvent myself to remain valuable and relevant in this fast changing reality. Watching others lose their confidence and edge while slogging away at a long soul sucking job search in a challenging market, didn't scare me, it inspired me to do something different. I've always loved innovation and new technology, probably why I've been knee deep in early stage startups for 20 some odd years. Surely I could leverage my entrepreneurial spirit, community participation, vast recruiting expertise and desire to always be at the crest of the wave and relevant in "the conversation" to create value in this chapter. So I started reaching out to new talent tech founders and offering free advisory. OMG 😱 Free Work 😱 Horrors upon horrors Well...I believe in proving ROI before asking for the I....that may be super shocking in this day and age...but it's an edge for me. 🤷🏻‍♀️ So a few months in and I've talked to MANY founders. I am very passionate about talent tools being built with talent expertise in the discussion. I've helped pivot product design, external messaging and better connect the solution being built with the right problem and understanding it the way WE do. Now I have testimonials from founders who have validated my position as an Ambassador / Consultant / Advisor. Check them out and my booking link so you can get me in the mix. I go beyond just advisory and I support your launch to the market. Thank you Mason Fuerst founder of Motiv and Molly Wheaton founder of EarnBetter for allowing me to be in the conversation. TA and REC veterans and leaders, if you know it's time to pivot but you're not sure how...check out my coaching links. I can help. #talenttech #recruiters #techadvisory #startups

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Struggling to Find the Right Job? 🧗‍♂️ If you or someone you know has been having a tough time navigating the job market, I highly recommend checking out Job Sherpa. It’s a program that's designed to guide job seekers through the often overwhelming process of finding the perfect job. Whether you’re just starting out, looking to make a career change, or need help getting noticed by employers, Job Sherpa offers personalized support to help you reach your goals. I’ve seen firsthand how passionate and dedicated the team is about helping people succeed. Don’t hesitate to take a look – this might be exactly what you need to get on the right path. #JobSearch #CareerSupport #JobSherpa

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Feel free to reach out to me if you were just impacted by the #layoffs at Gopuff. I will connect you with whoever I can if my company doesn't have anything aligned with your expertise. As someone who was impacted before by a layoff and feels very fortunate for my current team and company, Core States Group, I am emphatically saying the best is yet to come!! Also, help each other out. Let this post serve as a way to interact with people looking and companies hiring! #networking #hiring #jobs

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In case you haven't noticed, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon have started posting new recruiting roles across Europe and North America. Here's why I find that encouraging: Recruiting teams have been largely impacted by declining hiring needs since 2022, so these new role postings suggest something is shifting. It could hint at broader recovery signs heading into 2025.  So what will next year look like? Political changes in the US and Europe also seem to be boosting business confidence, with many companies expressing cautious optimism. If this continues, it could encourage further hiring and accelerate changes in the job market. Of course, there are still plenty of headwinds. The impact of AI, return-to-office mandates, and shifting employee expectations around flexibility are all in play, but if the market becomes employee-driven again, the risks for businesses are significant. Studies have found that top performers leave after layoffs (Source: BBC, 2023) and attrition overall can increase by 75%. Add to this the pressure of return-to-office mandates, which are clashing with employees’ expectations, and we may see a wave of resignations if the market rebounds.  I’ve also seen application volumes spike since 2022 in many businesses, and in a more competitive talent market, engaging that talent could become challenging. Preparing for proactive outreach will be crucial for recruiting teams to stay ahead. While it’s too early to call this a recovery, the signs are worth watching. Whether this marks the start of sustained growth or cautious optimism, businesses that prepare now will be better equipped to navigate a potentially transformative 2025.  (I’ll drop some links to the recent job postings in the comments later today for anyone looking.)

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Job Market Update: The San Francisco Bay Area's labor market has experienced significant fluctuations in recent years, influenced by factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, tech industry layoffs, and shifts in remote work trends. Here's an overview of job openings, layoffs, and unemployment claims in the region: Job Openings: As of August 2024, the Bay Area added 1,100 jobs, with the East Bay contributing 1,800 new positions. However, the San Francisco subregion, including San Mateo County, saw a loss of 400 jobs, marking the eighth consecutive month of job declines in that area. Bay Area Economy Layoffs: Between January 2022 and May 2023, over 10,000 layoffs were reported in San Francisco, with major contributions from companies like Salesforce, Twitter, and Invitae. San Francisco Standard In early 2023, tech companies such as Zoom, Waymo, and DocuSign announced significant layoffs affecting Bay Area employees. Unemployment Claims: In January 2023, San Francisco's unemployment rate rose from 2.0% to 2.8%, the largest increase since the pandemic's onset. This uptick was partly attributed to tech layoffs and seasonal factors. By August 2024, the unemployment rate in the San Francisco metro area stood at 4.1%, comparable to levels seen in 2015. Overall, while certain sectors like healthcare and education have shown job growth, the Bay Area continues to grapple with challenges in the tech industry and service sectors, impacting employment rates and job availability. Hope is on the horizon along with 1800 jobseekers applying for the same job vs. 5000 jobseekers applying for the same job! :)

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Employers, HR friends, and founders, please see the voter leave laws by state ahead of Election Day: AL 1 hour of paid time off to vote if you would not otherwise have sufficient time to vote AZ Paid time off for to vote if < 3 hours before or after work to vote AR Employer must schedule shifts on election days so each employee has the opportunity to vote CA As much time off as needed in order to vote, only two-hours required to be paid time off CO 2 hours of paid time off to vote if you would not sufficient time to vote DC 2 hours of paid leave to vote GA 2 hours of paid time off for voting unless polls are open 2 hours before or after regular working shift IL 2 hours of paid time off to vote if not sufficient time to vote IA Time off to vote if not 2 consecutive hours available while polls are open outside of working hours KS Not to exceed 2 hours of paid leave to vote while polls are open KY Not less than four hours to vote on the day of the election MA Unpaid leave for manufacturing, mechanical, or mercantile establishments during the first 2 hours polls are open MD 2 hours of paid leave to vote, unless polls open 2 hours before or after the employee's regular working shift MN As much time as needed to vote if voting falls within scheduled work time MO Up to 3 hours of paid time off to vote in any public election, may not be granted if otherwise have 3 hours of non-working time available while polls are open NE Not more than 2 hours paid time off to vote less non-working time overlapping with polls opening and closing NV Based on distance to polling place: 1 hour if within 2 miles, 2 hours if between 2 and 10 miles, and 3 hours if more than 10 miles NM 2 hours for voting between the time of opening and the time of closing the polls NY 2 hours of paid time off to vote if not otherwise sufficient time to vote OK 2 hours of leave (or more greater than 2 hours from polling place) to vote on Election Day if polls are not open for at least 3 hours before or after shift OH Reasonable amount of unpaid time off to vote on Election Day if work schedule does not provide sufficient time to vote outside of working hours SD 2 hours of paid time off to vote if you otherwise do not have 2 consecutive hours to vote outside of working hours while polls are open TN Up to 3 hours of paid time off to vote unless sufficient time to vote otherwise TX Up to 2 hours paid time off to vote if not 2 consecutive hours to vote outside of working hours UT 2 hours of paid time off for voting on election days if not 3 consecutive hours outside of working hours while polls open WV Up to 3 hours of paid leave to vote with at least 3 days prior written notice WI Up to 3 hours of unpaid leave to vote on election date, employees required to notify employer WY 1 hour paid time off to vote if not 3 hours of non-working time outside of polls open Some details omitted to fit in LinkedIn post char limit. (Source: Mosey Handbook)

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I don't have data to support this but it feels like the Talent Acquisition market has improved a lot this quarter! My feed seems to be flooded with new opportunities!  🎉 🚀 I'm trying to spend 15-30 a day sharing for my network as I still know a few awesome TA folks looking for an opportunity. 🙏 Does anyone have any data to support my view - LinkedIn for example? Any of the top Internal Rec-Rec's seeing this trend (not going to tag as I'll upset someone...)? #talent #talentacquisition #recruitment #recruiter #careers #hiring #linkedin

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𝗕𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: 𝗔 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 About 7 years ago, while working for Adobe and traveling for work to NYC, SF, and San Jose, I found myself piecing together memories of places I’d been. I’d dig through photos, scroll through Google Maps, and check random notes I’d jotted down. I wanted to remember where I’d been, what I loved (or didn’t), and the experiences that stood out. But those scattered notes got messy fast. That’s when the idea for BeenThere was born—a tool to track places, food, experiences, and even the people I shared them with. Not just “Was this restaurant good?” but what was good. Was it the soup (hello, Soup Nazi), or just the vibe? And of course, we all have that one friend whose recommendations you take with a huge grain of salt (looking at you, Ethan—no one should put mustard on bananas!). Fast-forward to today: I took a leap and built BeenThere during one of the most intense periods of my career—juggling countless hours of 7+ round interview marathons, LinkedIn networking, conversations with past colleagues, and trying to figure out the next step in my career (coming soon!). 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝘆 • 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗽𝗽 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱. Especially getting it into the app stores (read those requirements like they’re your new favorite novel). • 𝗦𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. If you have COVID, don’t write code. Trust me—it leads to spaghetti. So much spaghetti. • 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂. Apple Sign-In, I’m looking at you. • 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 social mobile apps is tedious! So many devices.. 𝗕𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 • The endless 𝗮𝗽𝗽 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀. It’s apparently a rite of passage. • 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴. Over and over again until I forgot what the original code even looked like. • 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀. Clean > Build > Go for a walk > Debug > Repeat. And repeat. And…repeat. That iOS build time... Sheesh... • 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. They need 20 friends with Androids to test your app before launch. Who has 20 friends with Androids!? And because I can’t resist poking fun at the tech industry: the process of building BeenThere was still easier than surviving some of the eight-hour interview gauntlets I’ve gone through. It feels like a mini Ironman competition! But through it all, I’ve found joy in building something I’m excited to share. When I try something amazing, I want my friends to experience it too. That’s the heart of BeenThere: sharing those “wow” moments and skipping the “meh” ones. 𝗧𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗢𝘂𝘁! 𝗪𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲: https://lnkd.in/gJFgivPd 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲: https://lnkd.in/g6Zqe7Gm 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲: Coming soon—once I find more Android-using friends! Let’s connect, share, and celebrate the good stuff!

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Hang in there my fellow #recruiters and #talentacquisition peers. Even in the few weeks that I've been searching I'm seeing more and more Technical and GTM individual contributor roles being posted or shared. If you're only scouring the "Jobs" section of LinkedIn you may be missing out on opportunities shared in your feed. BUT Technical and GTM recruiting picking up and Agencies are starting to build out new teams, these are generally the green shoots I've looked for in previous downturns. I'm also anticipating that, regardless of who wins, hiring should start to pick up after the election. This may not be the best of news for us looking for something immediately, but it could be a light at the end of the tunnel. I fully anticipate that as early as Q1 of 2025 we could see significant increase in recruiting activities. Good luck to those looking. For those of us that have been looking for an unfair amount of time please continue to push. It's getting better! Good luck everyone! As always THANK YOU to my #network: You've helped with finding positions that I've missed, networking connections, AND a few initial interviews!

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Happy Friday everyone. To my emerging tech and startup friends. We have a great roster of passive talent that are in the beginning stages of conversations to have something new lined up for Q1/25. So as you are having the budgeting and headcount conversations now, keep us in mind as a strategic partner if you are expanding in leadership roles or Sr ICs. I currently am talking to: - VPs of Engineering - Director of Data Engineering - Director of Platform ENG/Devops Engineering - Director of AI/ML Engineering - Cloud Security Directors - Director of Product Management When you know what you need, let's connect and figure out what works for you and your company. #2025 #Startups #EmergingTech #Hiring #Jobs #LetsGo

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