Recruiting from Silicon Beach - Today, We Launch ConSol Partners LLC!

By Louise Stapley, Client Experience Manager at ConSol Partners

On Monday 6^th January 2014, ConSol Partners LLC was born in Santa Monica, Los Angeles. We have been getting our base-tans ready and hitting the gym hard in preparation for rubbing shoulders with celebs, serial entrepreneurs and socialites with perfect teeth. It goes without saying that the LA lifestyle seems like a living vacation – beautiful beaches, fantastic nightlife and one of the best climates in the world.  But beneath the glamorous surface of Los Angeles living there is something going on which is even more appealing to the team here at ConSol. Something really exciting that we arereally looking forward to being a part of.

In the first half of 2013, a few things happened in LA:

• 94 new companies were launched
• Over $500m in capital was invested across 92 different firms
• 8 companies exited for a collective sum of $153m

The above map from represent.la paints a picture of this boom in entrepreneurship– the epicentre of which is focused around Santa Monica. The vast majority of companies in the area are technology firms, and many of these are start-ups. It is this which has lead the area to be hailed as the up and coming technology hub of the world – christened “Silicon Beach”.

Notable residents include;

• Snapchat – the immensely popular photo-messaging app recently scoffed at an offer from Facebook to acquire them for $3billion
• OpenX – start-up Ad Technology leaders currently listed by Deloitte as the 3^rd fastest growing US software company.
• Daqui – Super-cool augmented reality platform whose products are poised to hit Google Glass and really blur the lines between digital and reality.
• Google – Their presence in LA is substantial and growing all the time. A quick search of their careers website pulls up 33 current openings in the LA branch.

All the ingredients are present for Silicon Beach to become a global hub of technology innovation – there is an abundance of talent with LA universities producing more engineering and technology graduates than anywhere else in the region, whilst the geography offers a handy proximity to Asia – another global technology hub – with LA’s container port being the busiest in the country and a major gateway between the two continents. Venture Capitalists can’t invest quickly enough in Santa Monica – the area has seen double the technology investment than New York and Boston combined. More venture capital has gone into software than anything else as investors flock to the area in search of the next big thing.

However, there are some sceptics. Some local tech moguls resent the term “Silicon Beach” as it implies an association with Silicon Valley. LA differentiates itself from its San Francisco counterpart in that the business-demographic is a melting pot of media, technology and services companies punctuated with venture capitalists and accelerators.  This creates a nurturing environment for tech start-ups both in a practical sense and in terms of inspiration. The proximity to Hollywood naturally gives way to a media culture, an indeed there is a significant proportion of media, advertising and digital technology companies.

The growing buzz and migration of start-ups to Silicon Beach – defined as the 3 mile stretch between Santa Monica and Venice – is so strong at the moment that it’s even difficult to secure office space. We have been lucky enough to secure premises right in the heart of Santa Monica, just two blocks from the beach. Landlords aren’t accustomed to having leases reviewed at length as young, hungry start up owners are eager snap up property. Setting up a branch 5000 miles from home was always going to be a challenge – all the usual stresses and pains of employer engagements like insurance, compliance, hiring, and HR are amplified and policies are alien on the other side of the world.

ConSol already have US client base, and with increasing West Coast presence we are immersing ourselves in Santa Monica’s entrepreneurial energy. New York might seem to beckon but is a stifling environment for tech start-ups as they compete with financial giants for talent and investment.  By sharing a Zip Code with the most up and coming tech innovators in the US right now, we can contribute to the future of technology by helping the fastest growing innovators on their doorsteps.

Holiday Hiring - 5 Reasons Why December is the New January

Louise Stapley, client experience manager at ConSol Partners, reveals some hot hiring tips.

With 2013 coming to a close, many individuals will be making the most of the opportunity to wind down and bring the year to a natural close. Much like those in-betweeney days after Christmas and before New Year are spent thinking about how much you ate/drank, and what a great person you’re going to be starting 1^st January, December in the work place is a time for reflection, consolidation and forward-planning.  January presents a fresh start, with blank league tables offering endless opportunities and renewed optimism. January is the perfect time to hire new staff for your team – isn’t it?

Actually, no. Here’s why:

1. In January, everyone wants to be running full steam ahead

Amid the start of year chaos that is sales kick-offs, budget planning, new product releases and customer meetings, January is the busiest month of the year for most businesses. Expectations are high, and over-indulged employees back from their Christmas breaks are under pressure to make up for a slow December, punctuated with Christmas parties, hangovers and last-minute holidays. During this time, are your staff really going to be motivated to take time out of their day job to complete a hiring process?

2.  You need a different game plan to your competitors

So you’ve seen some great CVs and set up interviews for next week, confident one of them will be right for the job. Meanwhile, all your competitors are interviewing the same candidates in a frantic scramble for the best talent. Companies hiring in January have to be extra-competitive with job offers and move at the speed of light to even get a shot at securing their preferred candidates.

3.  Lost time in January is lost money for the rest of the year

You’ve probably never considered November/December as a logical time to focus on hiring, but if you want to up headcount in the New Year, it makes sense to complete the hiring process during the quieter holiday season when the team can give it their full attention. It’s easier for candidates to get time off to interview, and if you’re smart about reaching out to passive candidates who are more-often-than-not thinking about a career move come the new year anyway, you get pick of the bunch without having to battle other would-be employers.

4. You’ll be amazed at the impact of getting new starters up to speed before January

Starters in December have the opportunity to get to grips with the new environment at a comfortable pace, whilst in January when there’s no room for error. The team will be feeling extra welcoming with all that Christmas spirit flying around, and by the time their first month is up your new hire will think they’ve landed their dream job. Queue January, and they have no excuse not to hit the ground running and contribute fully to the year. This way, you get the best out of them with no lost time and a smooth, comfortable integration. Happy days!            

5. Hiring in Q4 is a proven strategy favoured by industry leaders

One of ConSol’s longest-standing customers, a globally leading telecommunications and internet service provider, have found ever the years that hires starting between Q1-Q3 are slow to make an impact and trickier to integrate. They complete the vast majority of their hiring in Q4, with very little activity throughout the rest of the year. They believe that by following this pattern, not only do they get the maximum business value out of new staff for a full business year come January, they also get their pick of the best talent as other companies have slowed down their hiring.

Some business owners will be reluctant to bring on new staff in December, who have to be included in budget for Christmas parties and a pay period in which staff are inevitably less productive than usual. But you can still get a head start - there’s no reason not to use December to complete the hiring process – complete interviews without pressure and cherry-pick candidates ahead of the competition. A job offer is made and accepted, hands are shaken, mince pies are shared and everyone goes away for Christmas. The new starter arrives in January, fresh as a daisy and raring to go.

So, if you’re currently thinking about your hiring strategy for 2014, now is the time to get the wheels in motion. Stop planning to plan your hiring plan, and get started on identifying candidates for the roles you want to fill – the impact come January resonates throughout the year and is well worth the extra work before Christmas.

ConSol Partners provide recruitment solutions to Fortune 500 companies, established leaders and start-ups in the technology spaces of Communications, Content and Development.