In today’s dynamic hiring landscape, sourcing talent with the right technical skills and cultural fit to align with business objectives can be a challenging and time-consuming task. This challenge becomes even more pronounced as organizations scale their operations.
This is something Bill Victor, VP of Product Design and Research at Tealium, a leading data integration and customer experience management company, has experienced firsthand.
As an experienced product leader, Bill has a history of building and scaling teams. “My first experience with that was going from an individual contributor to a leader who very quickly had to learn to have a headcount and be a manager. That was a huge culture shift,” said Bill.
Building Operations That Scale
In 2020, Tealium stood at the brink of corporate expansion. Founded by two successful tech entrepreneurs, Tealium initially operated as an engineering-led company with a focus on building and delivering an excellent product. However, as the company grew, it faced challenges in scaling its operations effectively.
To overcome this hurdle, Tealium needed to transition from being an engineering-led organization to becoming product-led. “They have been mostly an engineering-led company before and they build a great product, but were hitting that wall that a lot of companies do when it’s time to scale,” Bill remarked.
Transforming into a Product-Led Company
Tealium’s SVP of Product recognized the need for a product-design department to scale operations and enter new markets. Bill was recruited to lead this transformation.
His mandate was clear – to build a product-design department that integrates research and technical writing to create a holistic user experience for Tealium’s offering. “The thought was that by bringing design, writing, and research together we would bring a new holistic approach to improving the user experience for our Tealium users,” added Bill.
When Bill joined Tealium, their recruiting team didn’t have a deep bench for recruiting product and design talent. The initial interaction involved a candid acknowledgment of not fully understanding Bill’s skillset, with a commitment to learning and support. However, a clear understanding was set that if a suitable candidate couldn’t be found within 90 days, external resources would be explored.
After 90 days, the recruitment team reached out for help. “They acknowledged we don’t have the skill, we’re not sharp on it. We don’t want to always rely on recruiting agencies, but we’re going to help you,” explained Bill.
That’s when Bill offered the team a solution…Cypress HCM.
The Value of a Trusted Partnership
This decision marked a significant shift in Tealium’s staffing strategy, with Cypress playing a pivotal role in building the design and research team. “Bringing in Cypress wasn’t just about filling positions; it was about injecting a new philosophy into Tealium,” Bill emphasizes.
Cypress’ involvement led to significant hires, contributing to the team’s stability and growth. Within just 12 months, Cypress successfully placed 7 senior-level resources with the first offer accepted merely 15 days after the agreement was signed, showcasing their efficiency and deep understanding of Tealium’s needs. “They enabled me to break out of the Atlanta design community and be competitive nationally at a time when I really needed it,” Bill notes.
The Cypress Connection: A Partnership Born from Experience
Bill’s relationship with Cypress was not new; it had evolved over a decade and began during his tenure at PGi, a virtual events and webcasting firm.
Recalling his experience at PGi, Bill noted, “Our internal recruiters were adept with engineers, but design talent was a different ball game. That’s when I discovered Cypress. They stood out with their focus on design, understanding exactly what we needed.”
This initial encounter set the stage for a long-standing partnership. “Cypress didn’t just send candidates; they sent the right ones. They understood the subtle differences between web and product designers, which was crucial for us.”
Bill’s partnership with Cypress at PGi laid the groundwork for future collaboration, providing him with quality candidates and allowing him to extend his reach beyond the local talent pool.
Reflecting on the broader implications, Bill acknowledges Cypress’s role in bolstering his own career development. “Cypress didn’t just help me build teams; they helped shape my career. They’ve given me the ability to show that I can grow a design competency in not one, but two companies.”
The Importance of Consistency and Quality in Staffing
Bill further underscored the importance of consistency in recruitment and the advantages of a reliable staffing partner like Cypress. “The right people make all the difference,” he stated.
Beyond business benefits, Bill highlighted the value Cypress offers to the talent pool, connecting individuals to promising career paths. “Their role in making candidates comfortable and well-represented is crucial,” he concluded.
Through strategic staffing and a shift in focus from engineering-led to product-led, Tealium has successfully navigated its scaling phase. This transformation, guided by Bill and powered by the partnership with Cypress, stands as a testament to the power of targeted recruitment and the lasting impact of cultivating the right talent for the right roles.
