I had the pleasure of interviewing Tim Butler who is a Portland, OR native and Technical Sourcing Manager (Product + Engineering) for New Relic, Inc., a software company that provides a cloud-based SaaS full-stack observability solution that delivers data visualization and digital insights to help companies innovate faster.
He manages a small, but mighty team of Technical Sourcers who engage and introduce software engineers and other technical professionals to New Relic career opportunities. Tim is a big believer in networking and is passionate about diversifying tech through intentional sourcing.
Thank you so much for joining us!
What excites you about the technical hiring you do?
Tim: I’m able to make a difference in the lives of talented professionals while also helping contribute to the growth of the business teams I support. The thrill of the hunt for purple squirrels and unicorns has always appealed to me, and being able to engage with people on what they’re passionate about is a lot of fun. I’m curious by nature and love connecting people with opportunity, especially those that have a talent many of us don’t possess. Ultimately, it’s about making a genuine connection with someone and matching them up with a great opportunity that excites them and benefits my business partners.
After recruiting techies, how do you like to spend your free time?
Tim: I’m a bit of a homebody and a huge sports fan, so I enjoy watching my teams. I also enjoy spending time with my wife whether it’s watching a documentary, visiting the coast, or being a tourist in my hometown.
When it comes to tech hiring, what is the one thing that frustrates you or your team?
Tim: I would say that because we’re competitive and advocate for our candidates, seeing a candidate that we found not receive an offer is always frustrating. This is especially true if we’ve submitted a very good slate and talented candidates from underrepresented populations.
In light of the economic downturn and the pandemic, what are some of the major hurdles you have faced and how are you tackling those hurdles to find the right fit?
Tim: The pandemic didn’t affect hiring too much for us because we continued hiring, but lately, we have slowed a bit. The slower pace has provided the opportunity to focus on internal projects that will help improve our team’s processes and develop other skills, but it’s also given us an opportunity to focus more on market research, talent insights, and pipeline talent for our common profiles.
In your experience, how has technology changed the TA process, especially the role of tech in evaluating a candidate’s technical skills?
Tim: Technology has been great for complimenting the foundations of sourcing by helping us get there faster and creating greater efficiencies. ChatGPT is huge right now, so we’ll continue to see technology play a big role in helping TA teams improve processes. In terms of evaluating technical skills, it can help us identify certain profiles that might fit, but in most cases, Recruiters and Sourcers aren’t evaluating technical skills. Our hiring managers can leverage technology for the tech assessment process and utilize a tool that removes bias and uses the appropriate test for the level of tech professional that is being evaluated.
What challenges do you foresee in technical recruiting in future and can you also talk about the respective technology that would solve the same?
Tim: I think the desire to diversify technical teams will continue, so technology that helps TA teams find, engage, and hire candidates from underrepresented populations will be highly valued. Technology that simplifies and expedites the process while also improving candidate experience will address the challenges facing many technical recruiting teams.
If you had to share, “words of wisdom,” with a tech recruiter who’s about to start their journey in tech recruitment, what would they be?
Tim: Be curious. Curious about candidates, their motivations, their processes, and their tools.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
Tim: I’m @PDXTimB on Twitter & Instagram and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/tbutler67/
This was very insightful. Thank you again, Tim for joining us and sharing your wise words. And your passion for making a difference and commitment to fostering diversity has left an indelible mark.
