How these 5 hiring companies differentiate themselves from Big Tech employers

Working at other types of organizations can have its perks too, although it can be a challenge for these companies to get their message out there to compete with Big Tech’s employer branding. Often, these benefits are more culture based, highlighting the increased flexibility and speed of change at smaller orgs. For the right employee, that type of environment can be more attractive than anything Big Tech could offer — and that difference can help these companies attract, hire and retain top talent to grow and stay competitive, both in terms of hiring and their business in general.

For the month of February, Technical.ly’s reporting has explored the theme of Big Tech + You for our editorial calendar. For some additional perspectives, we asked our Technical.ly Talent companies the following question:

What is something about your org that sets you apart from Big Tech companies (ie. in terms of product, structure, capabilities or culture)?

Here are some replies from their teams, and if you like what you see, follow the links to companies’ Culture Pages to learn more and explore open roles.

Fastmail

“Fastmail is the email provider of choice for people who want to get off Big Tech. We have all the exciting features and functionality of other leading email companies, but we also keep you and your data safe. We will never monetize your data or serve you ads in your inbox. Our values-driven approach attracts employees who are interested in building people-centered products, so it’s part of our company culture, too!” — Helen Horstmann-Allen, COO, Fastmail

Fearless

“Number one — our culture. Believing people matter is not a marketing tactic for us. The decisions we make as a company are rooted in our people and our commitment to civic tech. Our mission is greater than the revenue — doing good and making money does not have to be mutually exclusive — it’s the reason we are successful. Unlike at most Big Tech companies, at Fearless our people are not numbers — we value our people and what is important to them, and we provide them what they need as humans.” — Delali Dzirasa, CEO and founder

Kleer

“As a small business with under 50 full-time employees, Kleer has the ability to be nimble and swiftly pivot as market conditions evolve. We encourage everyone to think like a business owner and empower each individual to make changes to our strategy, product and approach without the rigid processes or thick red tape of a larger tech company.

“Kleer is committed to granting everyone equity which naturally strengthens loyalty, inspires passion and drives hard work. Each employee is treated as a small business owner and given a transparent look at the inner workings of the company — from finances to the product roadmap. We each are responsible for a personal stake in how our business performs which drastically impacts how we celebrate successes, recover from challenges, make decisions and allow for employees to carve out their own career paths.” — Sarah Colletti, talent acquisition specialist

Pinnacle 21

“There are two key aspects of our Engineering Program that are critical in the success of our early career engineers. The first is our onboarding and individual development approach, which is enabled by a team of highly available, people-focused engineering managers. The second is our early career roundtable series, which pairs a senior member of the engineering staff with the entire population of early career engineers twice a month in a series of novel formats, including ‘Show and Tell,’ ‘Book Club,’ and other, more hands-on activities. We also have additional professional development programs in our organization not specific to engineering or early-career development, most notably our public speaking support group!” — Martin Snyder, VP of engineering

PNC Financial Services

“PNC has been on a transformational journey for the past decade. We have made significant investments in technology and continue to invest heavily to position our company and customers at the forefront of modern banking. But our people and our passion are our differentiators. By fostering a workplace where top tech talent can collaborate and innovate, our teams are helping reimagine customer journeys, provide a secure and protected banking experience and deliver positive outcomes that help our customers move forward financially.” — Ganesh Krishnan, head of business technology & innovation and enterprise chief information officer

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Looking for more alternatives to Big Tech employers? Check out all the Technical.ly Talent companies here, and find out about their missions, cultures and open positions.

P.S. If you’re curious about Technical.ly’s services for your own org, find more info here and connect with us.

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