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We're doing some hiring at a very high level for a VP Marketing candidate and I'm aware of the general advice that it's best to network into folks for roles like these (we had lots of success doing that for our VP Engineering last year).

However, I've heard good things about job posting sites like TheLadders and Startuply, but wondered if anyone here has experience/recommendations about whether these bring high value applicants. We're looking for an extremely specific person (multiple years experience with a SaaS/subscription revenue startup, scaling a small team to a bigger one, growing from low millions to high tens of millions in revenue).

I'm certainly working hard on the networking angle, but don't want to leave any stones unturned that might be worthwhile.

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3 Answers

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Especially for specialist, I never had good luck with any of the usual sites. Every time I did it, I got swamped with a lot of garbage. That said, you are much better off diving into SaaS events and networking there. It will take time. If you need someone sooner, you need to sniff out a good specialist recruiter. Again, just like with candidates, market is swamped with the worst of the worst garbage. When you meet the right one though, you will know. Out of hundreds of recruiters I have met, there are only 3 I would ever call or pick up their calls.

Also, don't forget the "unusual" candidates. There are lots of women who have some impressive credentials from SaaS industry. They chose to leave the workforce for couple of years, but they are ready to get back into it. You can pick up some talent for very reasonable compensation you would NEVER be able to find through regular "passive job seeker" market.

At the end of the day, anything but networking is just a poor crutch. There is no substitute for good 'ol relationships. And that takes time.

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Apollo raises a good point in that networking is really the best option -- so maybe the solution is to improve how much networking coverage you can get. Whether it's through tasking more people at SEOmoz, or finding a couple of professional recruiters you can trust to understand your needs and represent the opportunity well. – Jay Neely Apr 9 '10 at 13:32
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How about using Linkedin? There you can find people who were part of the startups that had exit in the past and now might be looking for next gig.

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Yes - definitely been using LinkedIn a lot for the networking. Is it worthwhile placing a job posting with them, too? – randfish Apr 7 '10 at 15:49
I had mixed results after posting in their job section. But it wouldn't hurt as long as you are ok with their fee. Another thing you can try is to post it in the appropriate Linkedin groups, which would be free. – Rahul Apr 7 '10 at 15:58
up vote 1 down vote

Try PartnerUp http://www.partnerup.com/

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