Are Laid-Off Tech Recruiters Going to Transition to the DoD?

It’s no secret that there have been news-worthy layoffs amongst the Silicon Valley tech industry as of late, and recruiters and HR personnel are not immune to these layoffs. In the last month, Meta, Twitter, Lyft, Salesforce, Microsoft, and Stripe have all announced culling their workforce, and there have also been reports that Amazon may follow suit at its corporate offices.

Protocol.com reported that, “tech companies that have conducted layoffs this year eliminated around half of their HR and recruiting staffers” [according to a survey from interviewing.io].

So where are these tech recruiters to go? Transitioning to a new field seems like a logical next step. Besides what could be large pay-cuts from their previous sizable salaries in tech, DoD contractors can offer the same flexibility and work / life balance that they previously held to high esteem. They also can work up to some high commission paychecks if they support some of the larger household names in our industry.

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN TECH AND DOD RECRUITING

1. The stakes are high. Whether you’re housing data on a social network or protecting the network of some critical infrastructure, the breach of either of these impacts American citizens and safeguarding our nation. Finding the right people to either work in tech or the DoD means the stakes are high and your work is important.
2. The technical jargon takes a curious mind. As a defense recruiter, you have to have a mind built for continuous learning – as is the tech industry. There are always going to be new positions you have never heard of and need to research before you hit the ground running sourcing and interviewing candidates.
3. It’s all about who you know and what your brand is. Networking is key to recruiting in any field, but especially in tech and national security. If you have a recruiter brand that continuously funnels candidates to you through referrals, your job is made just that much easier. If you have a company brand that candidates are not interested in engaging with, it can make your job your worst nightmare.

The difference between tech and DoD is the pace – tech has been known to have a slower hiring cycle while the DoD means getting a butt in the seat (or a name in the proposal) now. But if you’re a tech recruiter looking for work: slide into my DMs and I’ll let you know what DoD recruiting is all about!

THE CLEARED RECRUITING CHRONICLES: YOUR WEEKLY DoD RECRUITING TIPS TO OUT COMPETE THE NEXT NATIONAL SECURITY STAFFER.