We want Automated Insights to be the place you want to work.
We want you to love your job.
Because when you love your job, you’ll do great things.
Come and do great things with us.
Thank you.

*mic drop*

That’s how I ended my four-minute pitch to the 250 or so job seekers who had gathered for Tuesday night’s Tech Jobs Under the Big Top in Durham. I went for the gut, the jugular, the heart – whatever you want to call it.

In this environment, where talent is king and startups are plenty, it really is a job seeker’s market for those who have the skills and the experience to help us do what we do.

This was the seventh iteration of Tech Jobs, and I’ve attended every single one. Unlike your normal, soul-sucking job fair, the entire process is turned on its head, and potential employers like me pay to be one of a handful of companies to pitch to job seekers.

There are short presentations by each company, followed by a couple hours of networking time. The evening is fueled by beer, hot dogs, peanuts, and popcorn, and the atmosphere is augmented by acrobats, jugglers, music, and giant balloons.

Thus, the Under the Big Top part.

This was my first time actually delivering the pitch, but it was cake. Because while it’s kind of a novel thing for a job fair, as an individual this is something I’ve been doing for as long as I can remember.

If you want the best people to come and work for you, you have to sell them.

Here’s how:

  • Talk to Them, Not At Them

We want to talk to you. We want to get to know you. Please come and visit the awesome people at our table.

As it is with any good pitch, the presentation is more than half the battle. Don’t send anyone who doesn’t realize that the people you hire are going to play an enormous role in the future of your company.

And let the candidate know you don’t just want a peek at their resume, you want to know who they are.

  • This is Not a Job

Automated Insights has been one constant adventure. And that’s what I’m going to talk about tonight: The Last 180 Days at Ai.

No one wants just a job. Or rather, you don’t want to hire anyone who wants just a job.

There will be plenty of time later to talk about your history, your management team, your tech stack, and so on. Plus, you have a website. If you have to explain who you are or what you do to a candidate, they weren’t interested in the first place. So skip it. Or at least spend no more than 30 seconds on it.

  • What’s In It For Them

Our adventure begins with a move to the ballpark in April.

 

Boom.

Look. Everyone is going to say that they’re going to change the world. Everyone is going to talk about how their work environment is so much fun, the people are great, the atmosphere is pleasant, the walls are blue and it smells like cinnamon and unicorn farts.

Pick one awesome thing. And show them. Don’t tell them.

  • Inspire Confidence

Soon after our move, we announced a strategic fundraise, bringing aboard, among other investors, the Associated Press, Samsung, and Steve Case.

Investors aren’t a sign of success. But for a startup, they’re a sign that there is money in the bank, there is security, and there is strategy. Job seekers are looking for these things.

  • Build Some Buzz

Thanks to the success of one of our customer launches, stories about Automated Insights appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Verge, and over 20 other major publications.

Press clippings aren’t a sign of success. But again, for a startup, they underscore that people are interested in what you’re doing, especially if that press is about your customers. It never hurts to put a little bit of sizzle on the steak, as long as there is plenty of steak.

  • Bring Out the Big Guns

We turn data into narratives for a lot of companies you might recognize. In June, we rolled out automated earnings reports for the Associated Press. Late in the summer we launched narratives for Edmunds. We expanded our fantasy football work with both Yahoo and NFL.com.

Customers are a sign of success. List them. Talk about them. Show them off.

  • Remind Them That They Will Matter

You’re not just working for some VP who doesn’t know your name. Your work will be seen by millions. We get tweets. We get emails. We get all kinds of love.

The most important reason someone takes a job is because they want what they do to mean something. This trumps everything. It’s more valuable than salary, benefits, work/life balance, just about anything you can name.

  • Close the Deal

We proactively work on our company culture, striving to make Automated Insights the best place to work in the world. It’s working so far locally, where we’re a Best Place to Work three years running.

Again, no one comes out and says, “The pay and the benefits are nice if you can put up with a toxic work environment.”

If you don’t have fancy-shmancy awards, put some thought behind it. Our company culture is determined by seven core values that we live by. They’re plastered all over our walls. They mean something.

Ask for the Sale

See the opening lines of this article.

When I got back to our table, we had two lines of interested parties, each one 25 to 30 people deep. Almost everyone talked about how incredible our company was, and a few even admitted they wouldn’t have considered coming to our table before the pitch.

It’s funny how people react when you let them know that they’re wanted.

Funny, but not terribly surprising.

Editor’s note: Joe Procopio is a serial entrepreneur, writer, and speaker. He is VP of Product at Automated Insights and the founder of startup network and news resource ExitEvent. Follow him at @jproco or read him at http://joeprocopio.com