Why I joined Aptology: It’s time we cracked the people code at work
Earlier this year, I decided to take the leap of faith and join Aptology, a startup dedicated to solving fit-to-role at work. Joining a startup can be risky. I wanted to share why I believe in this mission, and why it really was a straightforward decision for me to take that risk.
Over the last 12 years as a sales leader, I’ve done a lot of hiring across several different roles from leaders, to managers, to individual contributors. I have typically hired from within my professional network, hoping that past success would translate into future success. When I didn’t have the opportunity to hire someone I knew, I’ve had to rely on interviewing, my gut instinct and ultimately an evaluation based on limited interactions. To be honest, there were many times when I just didn’t know whether the candidate would work out.
When I came across the opportunity with Aptology, I was intrigued. I have not one, but two (two!) degrees in psychology and oddly enough, I’ve rarely used my academic training in the workplace. Early in my career I was a recruiter, and so I know how assessments work, or rather, how it’s really hard to consistently and successfully get them to work. It was clear to me that they were missing so much information to be able to work: what does the role require to be successful? Based on what metrics? How do we then match candidates to that? Too often, recruiters are left holding the pressure of making that determination with very limited information, and yes the success of both the company and the candidate rely on it.
Everyone has a talent problem - finding the right fit for your openings isn’t just hard; it’s compounded by the churn issue, which makes it a permanent headache. We’re in such a talent desert now that people are having “pre-churn” issues - candidates accept an offer and never show up for the first day, because they received a better offer! And then you have the issue of understanding how the team is doing - who’s at risk of leaving? Who could be a top performer with the right coaching? Who could be successful in a different role? The people problems are constant, and there’s so little to help managers and leaders address what, ultimately, makes the company breathe, what makes it live.
After seeing an Aptology demo, I knew this was the place for me. This was such a departure from the traditional way of tackling the hiring problem - and I know these career opportunities don’t come along often. The opportunity itself combined my 20+ years of experience as a recruiter, as a consultant, as a sales leader and provides a platform to define and create a world-class customer experience for the Aptology community. I was that sales leader - I’ve had to worry about maintaining 17 balls in the air, worry about hiring, worry about revenue, worry about developing my team; and now I get to make that easier for other leaders.
I look forward to helping our customers be successful - we all deserve to find success at work. It’s time we got the right people in the right role. It’s been rewarding to watch the incredible results our customers have gotten in sales alone, wanting to expand into many areas of the business. It’s been exhilarating to watch the partnerships they’ve become - our product truly is guided by our customers and working with them to make them successful is exciting.
Check the platform out and get a demo at www.aptology.com
20+ Years in Business- Over 5 billion in Invoice Financing - 3,600 clients Funded.
5moJohn, thanks for sharing!
Retired, Evolving, and Finding a New Purpose in Life!
5yGreat perspective John. Aptology is the perfect culmination in your career, blending your academic, professional and personal experiences. They are fortunate to have you.