For some AI startup CEOs, hiring is about finding people who can evolve alongside rapidly changing technology moreso than pedigree.
Amid an increasingly brutal job market for white-collar workers across sectors, three CEOs and cofounders of AI startups in San Francisco recently shared with Business Insider what they’re looking for in candidates and how AI is reshaping those expectations. Rather than focusing solely on the résumé or job description, these companies say that they most value genuine excitement about AI and often screen candidates based on how well they can embrace new tools.
From testing whether applicants instinctively use AI to solve complex problems to seeking out those energized by startup intensity, here’s what it would take to get hired in these three AI companies.
Arvind Jain
Arvind Jain, cofounder and CEO of Glean, an AI-powered enterprise search and workplace productivity platform, told Business Insider that he rarely hires people to do a very specific task and always asks whether AI could fill that role first before adding to the head count.
“For example, we are looking to hire an engineer, a product manager, or a human resources person, and they have a very large range of tasks that they’re going to be doing,” said Jain, adding that their exact roles will keep changing over time, so adaptability is key.
“So the hiring is done at a bit higher level,” said Jain. “And one of the key things that we look at is, are we hiring a person who’s curious and who has started to use AI in their personal lives or in their previous job?”
To differentiate those who are proficient in using AI from those who aren’t, Jain said that during the interview process, candidates are given a task so hard and time-consuming that they couldn’t complete it within the one hour they had, without being told whether they could use AI.
Daniel Yanisse
Daniel Yanisse, the cofounder and CEO of Checkr, which uses AI to conduct background checks, told Business Insider that he is looking for people who would thrive in startup culture.
“We’re over 900 people, so we’re not a small startup, but I’m a startup guy,” said Yanisse. “People who come here — they need to be OK with uncertainty, be self-driven, adaptable, flexible, willing to do new things, and solve new problems without too much guidance or structure.”
“Some people might be reticent and say, ‘I don’t want it to change,'” Yanisse added. “Or you can say, ‘Hey, this is the future. These are the technologies available. Let’s work together to reimagine what a product manager and a designer can do with all of these AI tools and assistance.'”
Yanisse said the company is “hiring across the board” in San Francisco, Denver, and San Diego. The company has a hybrid schedule that requires three days in the office, and people often bring their dogs to work.
Vipul Ved Prakash
Vipul Ved Prakash, the cofounder and CEO of Together AI, which enables developers to train generative AI models, told Business Insider that, when it comes to candidates, passion comes before the technical demands of each role.
“We look for excellence — and it doesn’t have to be a specific kind of excellence,” said Prakash. “It’s just like folks who are really interested in what they’re doing.”
“We look for folks who are excited by AI because it’s who we are, and some people are more excited about the possibilities of AI than others,” Prakash added. “We look for folks who are startup intense, who are excited about working hard and building something consequential, and then at last we look at what the role is and what the fit is for that role.”
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