Recruiting to Global Leadership: Taylor Desseyn Interview
Oct 14, 2024
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Taylor Desseyn, a seasoned recruiter with over 13 years of experience, shares his journey from recruitment to leadership at TORC. He discusses the importance of building global communities and partnering with engineering leaders to attract top talent. Taylor emphasizes the evolution of content creation in recruitment, highlighting the balance between virality and genuine connections. His insights on mentorship and collaborative hiring relationships shed light on nurturing talent and fostering community engagement in the tech industry.
Taylor Desseyn highlights the transition from traditional recruiting methods to a community-focused approach that prioritizes authentic connections with engineers.
He emphasizes the importance of quality content and meaningful engagement over sheer volume, fostering genuine relationships within the engineering community.
Dessen envisions a future where community managers play a pivotal role in enhancing engagement and collaboration among engineers and companies alike.
Deep dives
Transitioning to Leadership
Taylor Dessen discusses his career transition from a dedicated recruiting role to a broader leadership position focused on building global communities. This new role allows him to employ his extensive experience in recruiting while also expanding his focus to community engagement. He emphasizes the importance of leveraging online content to not only scale his efforts but also to cultivate authentic connections within the engineering community. The conversation highlights how Taylor’s past experiences in recruitment will aid him in this new venture, leading him to help others while fostering a sense of belonging among engineers.
Innovative Recruitment Strategies
Dessen highlights how traditional recruiting methods, such as cold outreach, often fall short in engaging tech talent, particularly engineers. He emphasizes the significance of understanding engineers' unique perspectives and needs, advocating for a conversational approach that includes active listening and thoughtful questioning. Taylor introduces the idea of using social media and content creation as modern tools for recruitment, enabling him to build a community before the hiring process begins. This shift in strategy reflects a deeper understanding of the evolving landscape of recruitment where relationships and community are paramount.
The Role of Content in Community Building
The discussion underscores the pivotal role of content in forming authentic communities within the tech industry. Dessen has shifted his focus from merely producing high volumes of content to prioritizing quality and meaningful engagement. He highlights the trend of individuals preferring deeper, more story-driven content over quick, superficial posts. This approach aims to foster genuine connections and provides valuable insights into the hiring process, aligning with his belief that meaningful content has a lasting impact on community cohesion.
Adapting to Market Demands
Taylor shares insights on the changing dynamics within the marketing field, especially in light of new trends toward community-driven growth. He notes how many companies are reevaluating their marketing strategies and organizational structures due to shifting market demands. This includes a movement away from expansive marketing teams toward empowering individuals to produce content and engage with communities. By focusing on community and individual contributions, companies can adapt to current trends while maintaining relevance in a competitive market.
Future of Community Engagement
Dessen envisions a future where community managers play a crucial role in fostering connections, not just between companies and potential hires but also among engineers themselves. He believes that as companies grow, empowering each team member to become a community ambassador can enhance engagement and promote a collaborative culture. Furthermore, he anticipates a rise in demand for roles focusing on community engagement and growth strategy. This forward-looking perspective highlights the importance of community building as a fundamental aspect of business success in the tech industry.
In this episode of Front End Happy Hour’s Sips of Wisdom, Ryan Burgess sits down with Taylor Desseyn, a long-time recruiter turned leader, to discuss his exciting new leadership role and his approach to building global communities. Taylor shares insights from his 13+ years of experience recruiting engineers and how he’s transitioned into a role focused on community building at scale. He talks about partnering with engineering leaders to hire top talent, the challenges of scaling himself through content creation, and his vision for creating high-quality, meaningful content that fosters community. Whether you’re interested in recruitment, leadership, or content creation, this conversation offers valuable takeaways on staying curious, evolving your career, and creating impact through authentic connections.
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