TechCXO Returns to Inc 5000 List

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TechCXO, the pioneer of on-demand executive leadership services, returns to the Inc. 5000 list of Fastest Growing Private Companies. The company has been on the list for 15 of the last 16 years.

ATLANTA, AUGUST 28, 2024 – In an outstanding affirmation of its enduring excellence and growth, TechCXO, the pioneer in providing on-demand executive leadership, proudly announced its return to the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies for 2024. TechCXO’s consistent presence on the Inc. 5000 list for 15 out of the last 16 years is a testament to its unwavering commitment to empowering clients and fueling their growth. The firm appears on other Inc. lists: #199 in Georgia, #500 in Business Products & Services, and #187 in Atlanta.

TechCXO was founded in 2003 on the premise that companies can benefit from having the best executive talent available to serve as their CFOs, CTOs, CSOs, CMOs, CROs, COOs, CHROs and other executives on a fractional, part-time, or project basis. Companies might not otherwise be able to access the talent and experience level of a TechCXO partner and teams due to cost or availability.

Kent Elmer, Managing Partner of TechCXO, expressed his enthusiasm for the company’s latest accomplishment, “Being recognized once again on the Inc. 5000 list is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team to excellent client service. Over the past 20 years, we’ve been committed to changing the game in fractional executive leadership, and our repeated inclusion in the Inc. 5000 underscores our success in this arena.”

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TechCXO Reports Full-Year Revenue Growth for 2023; 20th Straight Year of Top-Line Growth

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ATLANTA, MARCH 12, 2024 – TechCXO, a pioneer in providing industry-relevant, on-demand executives delivering fractional and interim professional services, reported an increase in annual service fees in 2023 over 2022 to $56 million. TechCXO has increased revenue every year since its inception in 2003.

“TechCXO is in the strongest position in our history. We now have more than 120 partners – the most ever. Our partners love our collegial environment and how our model enables them to impact their clients directly and positively,” said J. Kent Elmer, TechCXO’s Managing Partner.

“Today, we’re seeing staffing and search companies, consultants, and business coaches claim to provide fractional executive services. That’s a testament to the success of our model,” Elmer added. “However, we know after two decades in business that the depth of partners’ expertise – every one of whom has been in multiple c-suite roles – and the team of professionals supporting them is a big differentiator.”

TechCXO was founded in 2003 on the premise that companies can benefit from having the best executive talent available and serving as their CFOs, CTOs, CSOs, CMOs, CROs, COOs, CHROs and other executives on a part-time or project basis. Companies might not otherwise be able to access the talent and experience level of a TechCXO partner and teams due to cost or availability.

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TechCXO has assisted thousands of start-up and growth-stage clients in its history. In addition to executive support, companies can also outsource their entire Finance, Sales & Marketing, IT, HR, and Operations functions to TechCXO for 50-75% less than it costs to staff full-time, loaded salaries. All TechCXO partners and staff are U.S. and U.K.-based.

About TechCXO

TechCXO is a pioneer in providing high potential companies across the country with industry-relevant interim and part-time executives on-demand. More than 5,000 companies, from startups to the Global 1000, have entrusted TechCXO to help with their critical functions by calling on TechCXO executives and teams as their CFOs, COOs, CSO, CTOs, CMOs, CHROs and other executive roles. TechCXO has appeared on the Inc. 500/5000 Fastest Growing Private list every year since 2008. For more information about the firm, please visit https://www.techcxo.com.

Finding Hustle in the Quiet Quitting Era

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High-energy, can-do attitudes and effort can still be found if you know where to look

Is hustle dead? Finding workers with energetic, can-do attitudes is getting harder. Gallup says more than half of U.S. workers are “Quiet Quitting,” meaning they’ve taken on an attitude of no extra effort or weekend crunch sessions to deliver a project. 

Millions are watching TikTok videos in which younger workers defend their decisions to do the minimum requirements at work and no more under the banner of quiet quitting. Supporting comments cascade down and include: 

‘Above and Beyond’ is wage theft

I didn’t write the contract defining hours and responsibilities, they did.

I call it, The Great Relaxation

Coasting at work is nothing new, and experts say younger workers will get generally more ambitious as they work longer and want to achieve more, just as past generations have.  However, broader attitudes are changing in ways that researchers say is surprising.  People are feeling less connected to their organizations for one.  Also, work is just less important to many workers post pandemic.

Manager Work Engagement Declines

Perhaps most ominous is that managers, the people who are relied on as the primary motivators within organizations, are also disconnecting. Gallup said only a third of  managers describe themselves as emotionally or psychologically engaged at work.  This reflects one of the largest drops among all classes of employees. It’s also believed that managers who check out have a deleterious cascading effect on their direct reports.

Where to Find the Hustlers

Employers understand burnout is prevalent and there is increased emphasis on work-life balance. They say hustle isn’t defined by long hours but more of an attitude that includes positivity, resourcefulness, persistence and action.

During the interview process, recruiters and hiring managers say they are listening intently for tell-tale signs of hustle such as those who helped put themselves through college by working or have self-taught themselves several skills. Questions about struggles are no longer throw aways like, “Tell me about a time you overcame a challenge?” Attitudes about challenges and finding if potential employees truly have grit are central to interviews.

Contracting with Hustlers

Many companies, particularly growth-stage companies and startups, would rather simply contract with hustlers.  TechCXO, which has been providing on-demand executives and teams as interim and fractional support since 2003, says it has helped thousands of companies due as much to the experience of its partners and associates as their attitudes.  The qualities of hustle TechCXO says is inherent in its people include:

1. Enjoyment of Work – TechCXO partners are required to have demonstrated expertise within companies as C-level executives. This means they have a track record of success and are in demand from multiple organizations.  Many have been part of significant liquidity events and typically have resources. They choose to consult and lead projects because they enjoy the work and interaction with companies.

2. Entrepreneur’s Bias for Action – TechCXO partners have been CEOs, COOs, CFOs, CTOs, CMOs, and CHROs at companies of many sizes, including large enterprises. The firm’s client base tends to skew toward smaller companies in growth mode. The entrepreneurial energy of lean, fast-moving companies plays to partners’ own entrepreneurism and a bias toward action and tangible results.

3. Thicker Skin – Because TechCXO partners are generally older due to their C-level experience, the small slights, conflicts and grievances that may derail younger workers are quickly overcome and brushed aside by more experienced executives and managers who feel these things “come with the territory.”

4. Time to Value – The nature of interim, contract and fractional work requires tangible results to be generated quickly. Many of TechCXO’s clients are operating with venture or private equity capital so an emphasis on small learning curves and producing value in a condensed period of time is essential. 

Managing the Whole Person

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How an Increase in Empathetic Leadership May Have Staying Power

What workplace changes will stick once the pandemic subsides? Maria Goldsholl, TechCXO’s Managing Partner – Human Capital, identifies three HR and leadership trends that will have staying power.

This article originally appeared on CirrusMD and their series on top trends in human resources

In a year when Zoom fatigue became a real thing, and millions of bosses and employees personally experienced any number of emotional and psychological challenges due to quarantines, stress and isolation, trends have emerged that may redefine workplace interactions for the better.

No one went untouched in 2020, and when all experience some pain and loss – including the boss — empathy can grow, particularly for leaders. Suddenly, stubborn, long-held biases held by some managers, such as “working remotely is just a way to sleep in and avoid work,” instantly vanish. When a manager is struggling with their own kids being out of school and stuck at home for months, they may be ready to extend more grace to single parents.

The pandemic has been a test of true leadership for many and a new perspective on viewing the whole person. Leaders have asked themselves, “How can we support people through this pandemic?” and “What really matters (and what is just corporate nonsense and busy work)”?

What emerges will be stronger, more holistic leadership with an eye toward prioritizing employee wellness, not just to reduce health insurance premiums, but to care for the whole person.

Here are three positive trends that may take hold.

New Respect for Wellness

It’s not a mistake that in the realm of “Health & Wellness” programs, Wellness is listed second. It may be an even more distant consideration than that. This year changed just how real mental and psychological wellness are for people. Physical health has always had quantifiable costs and benefits attached to it, including productivity, healthcare costs and culture. Now employers can more clearly connect how health and wellness have evolved with how contributors like sleep, exercise, and burnout all play a role in our overall mental health. What was otherwise considered a stigma to discuss has now become a mainstream part of the employee conversation.

Look for employers to offer their employees more through their wellness plans to diagnose things like sleep issues, and to lean more heavily into practical applications such as wearables that can monitor mental health.

Project Management, Prioritization & Efficiency get a boost

Almost all research suggests that people worked more, not less, this past year with the surge in remote working. Early on in the pandemic, frequent one-on-one check-ins were popular. However, as people tired of these tactics (Zoom fatigue) as overkill, they lobbied directly to supervisors to cut out endless forms and tedious meetings. With other things tugging at them, such as caring for children or parents, there was little time to waste on bureaucracy. Drawn out presentations became crisper. Online meetings got shorter and priorities became more pointed. Project management applications got a boost and soul-crushing, email-centric management got jettisoned.

More goals and objectives were turned into sprints with tidy deliverables and success criteria.

Performance Management Overtakes Performance Reviews and Evaluations

We’ve long lobbied for more of a performance management culture versus the overuse of quarterly and annual performance reviews.

Performance management calls for ongoing communication, a focus on clear actions, behaviors and results, and linking work to larger strategic objectives. In the year of more empathetic leadership, many company leaders reported that they are easing up on the dreaded end-of-year performance review. For example, Google skipped mid-year appraisals while the number of promotions doubled.

Shorter, more frequent check-ins actually made supervisors better informed as to how people were progressing. Managers were grateful too as some said getting rid of mid-year reviews saved them 20 hours or more.

We can all hope that leaders retain some of these trends, and that they no longer draw a hard line between a person’s work life and their personal life but rather view them as a whole person.

The Art of Being Scrappy

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People often equate the word “scrappy” with a startup or a lean organization. Larger organizations, on the other hand, are labeled as bureaucratic, slow and process-oriented. There’s rarely an association with scrappy. But a scrappy mindset has its advantages, and for larger companies, that means achieving the agility of a startup.

Startups are viewed as scrappy because they often don’t have the luxury of name recognition, power and money that larger institutions enjoy. Stripped of an ability to rely on capital and traditional infrastructure, startup employees are creative, resourceful, and can quickly learn new skills and adapt. In the absence of opulence, they often move forward with pure grit, passion and determination. It allows them to solve problems in ways that others can’t.

The scrappiness factor can make or break a company. In my role as an advisor, interim and/or on-demand chief people officer, I always interview for this.

So how can a larger organization benefit from this mindset? It’s actually easier than you might expect.

1. The freedom to make mistakes is worth more than formal training.

Irish author James Joyce famously wrote, “His errors are volitional and are the portals of discovery.” The most significant accelerated learning path a person can take is by making mistakes. Most companies often invest thousands of dollars in training, mentorship and other tools to help employees grow in their roles, yet they create an environment where mistakes are not celebrated.

The freedom to make mistakes, course correct, and continue is one of the primary benefits of working in a startup. Faced with limited financial resources, startup employees are forced to wear many hats, regardless of whether or not they have experience or comfort with a role. This sink-or-swim mentality is scrappy. It creates grit, confidence and resourcefulness, but also encourages an environment where mistakes are not only inevitable but expected and sometimes even celebrated for the learning they bring.

An organization I served as CPO has a values statement that was written by our employees. It states, “We are a group of highly talented people who love the challenge of our work and strive to solve problems others consider impossible. We approach this work fearlessly, knowing that if we fail, we’ll learn and do better next time.” For larger organizations, this means taking a fresh look at the definition of “training and development.”

2. Trading latent assets is invaluable.

New economies are built upon resource constraints. The sharing economy, whose poster children are companies like Airbnb and Lyft, speaks to a solution that stems from a need to do something, like take a vacation or get somewhere fast. The solutions, innovative and new, tap into latent assets with the help of technology.

The bonds that come from networking with people and trading expertise is invaluable. You learn to rely on each other and use every skill that each of you has to work as a team. I have seen instances where one offers legal advice in exchange for helping to recruit for a growing business. Most will happily share their expertise in the form of brain power and connections in exchange for even a glass of wine or some lunch.

Larger organizations could benefit from going back to this more resourceful, community-minded method of doing business, whether it’s across departments or across borders.

3. To be scrappy means to skip the formality.

Ideally, an organization’s philosophy emphasizes personal responsibility over policy, freedoms, and learning through risk taking.

In order to be able to do that, opt for regular feedback loops rather than a formal review process. Feedback loops provide weekly, immediate feedback to help employees take risks and course correct in a fast and efficient way. Business moves too quickly to wait for annual reviews; with instant feedback, the opportunity to learn is still fresh. Too much policy and process impede scrappiness.

Additionally, if companies over-prescribe a formula for success ahead of time, employees will not trust in their ability to experiment and achieve. They won’t reach their highest potential for themselves or for the business. Large organizations should consider completely throwing out their time-intensive performance review process and opt for a scrappy, fast-paced feedback method where speed and authenticity reigns.

You don’t have to be a startup to be scrappy. Interviewing for scrappiness and creating an environment that values it could make any company – large or small – more creative, nimble and ultimately profitable.

Maria Goldsholl TechCXO

Maria Goldsholl TechCXO Human Capital Practice (click her photo to see Maria’s full bio)

 

The Crucial Computer Science Skills Employers Are Craving

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You’ve spent a lot of time around technology. Whether through formal training or pursuing your natural interests, you have likely developed a skill set that employers all over will value. But if Computer Science is your subject of choice and potential career direction—you might well wonder if what you have is enough.

What computer science skills matter most? What do you need to land a job in one of the many careers a degree in Computer Science can lead to? How can you demonstrate your abilities to potential employers and turn your skill set into a salary?

Whether you are considering a career in computer programming, web development, software development or one of many other careers tied to this booming field, you want to make sure what you learn will match what employers want. Keep reading to find out which computer science skills matter most to hiring managers and a few bonus skills that will really help you stand out.

This article appeared on Rasmussen College’s website. TechCXO Partner Kevin Carlson is quoted.

The technical computer science skills employers want

We analyzed nearly 3,000,000 online job postings that sought applicants with Computer Science degrees in the last year to find out which technical skills employers were most commonly seeking.* Note that these skills aren’t pulled from listings for a specific job role—they reflect the skills identified in any job postings that are seeking candidates with a Computer Science degree. These are the desired technical skills listed:

  • Java™
  • SQL
  • Software development
  • Project management
  • JavaScript™
  • Software engineering
  • Linux operating systems
  • Python™
  • Business process analysis
  • Information systems design

But hiring managers and experts in various fields assure us that technical skills, while sometimes required for a position, aren’t necessarily the green-light signal job applicants might hope for.

“I care most about an applicant’s ability to solve a problem, how they think through a task and communicate with those around them,” says Kevin Carlson, vice president of development at DataFinch Technologies. “This shows me how they’ll work with the team long-term. I couldn’t care less if they can pass a pop quiz on a certain technology.”

Carlson explains that too many candidates think about meeting short-term needs and whatever is trending in the moment, when hiring is really a long-term play. In technology, constant learning is almost guaranteed, so some employers will be less concerned about which specific technical skills you have and a lot more interested in the soft skills and less-tangible traits and abilities you bring to the table.

Remember, an employer can always teach you a new process or platform—but it’s hard to teach someone to be a team player or a motivated problem-solver.

Continue reading the article

How to Build a Tech Culture that Makes People Want to Stay

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One of the first things to suffer when things take off, is culture. Rapid hiring that ignores cultural norms can introduce new attitudes and expectations. Some good, some bad, the worst of which can deteriorate trust and breed a culture of fear — and fast. So how can you start to repair a tech culture?

One of the most effective ways to build efficiencies in a technical team is to focus on culture. It’s said that culture trumps strategy. Why? Because the execution of any strategy by a dysfunctional team, will be poor.

Some of the signs of cultural problems within a technology organization are:

  • Poor communication between development teams
  • Lack of visibility to the business
  • Ability to avoid accountability
  • Avoidance of meaningful conflict
  • The ridicule of ideas

If you’ve spent any time at all working within a technology team, you’ve seen several of these problems.

So, let’s get started. Below are three things I do to get things moving.

Prove that Conflict and Vulnerability are Acceptable

People often avoid conflict because their leadership taught them to. It’s that simple.

Many situations occur where someone disagrees with leadership and they are dismissed. Worse, they could face ridicule in front of their peers. The effects of this type of behavior are fast acting and long lasting. In such a culture, the best ideas often die before they’re ever explored.

Many years ago I was co-writing a song with a very talented writer who said to me, “Give me any ideas you have an I’ll give you mine. Some are going to be awful, but you never know what other ideas an awful one will spark.” It was a little uncomfortable at first, but I soon recognized my ideas weren’t getting an eye-roll. That motivated me to dig deeper. We agreed, we disagreed. There was meaningful conflict. We were kind to each other, but didn’t hesitate to disagree.

It was an impactful experience that I carried into other areas of my life.

[For More Posts like this, see Kevin Carlson’s blog: The Fractional CTO]

And that’s exactly how to approach it in the tech world. Prove that conflict is acceptable by welcoming new ideas. Avoid any response that could make a person regret their decision to be open.

More important, the team should see you do this with other leaders. Show that you’re not afraid to be vulnerable and introduce conflict. Above all, show your team how to do that while being kind.

Praise Those Who Take Accountability, Whether for Success or Failure.

One of the best signs of an improving culture is the admission of failure. In a recent client engagement, a team member sent me an email telling me of a problem they caused. It cost the company customers and money.

Here’s what I did next:

  1. Immediately thanked the person for bringing the issue to my attention
  2. Asked for their recommendation on how to solve the problem
  3. Requested they quantify the impact to the company and share the detail with me

This person knew they made a mistake. There was obvious regret. But they had the courage to step forward and make things right. No need to make them feel any worse.

It’s important in this situation to express gratitude that you’re now aware of the issue. Learn what went wrong. Hear recommendations from the person that brought it to your attention. You will get the best from your team if they can be honest with you without fear of retribution.

Quick story: A CEO and CFO were talking about a new salesperson. The CFO was angry that the rep messed up a $2 million dollar deal and recommended he fire the salesperson. The CEO responded, “Why would we fire someone we spent $2 million training?”

Be Open in Your Interactions with Everyone

A few years ago, I had been coaching a 25 person development team on the importance of building trust. I wanted people to admit when they didn’t know how to do something. I wanted them to be open when they made a mistake.

Then it happened.

I had been upgrading a Jira instance and something went wrong. Long story short, every single bit of data had been completely wiped from the system. Not realizing that had happened, I decided to head home and get back at it the next day.

The next morning everyone was frantic. Luckily, one of my colleagues saved me from embarrassment and restored Jira from a backup. Things were up and running again. All was good with the world, right?

Not at all. I needed to prove to the team that everyone, including and especially me, needed to be open. At a team meeting that afternoon, I opened with, “We found out who deleted the data from Jira.” A nervous silence enveloped the room as people looked around and tried to guess who was in trouble.

“It was me”, I said. “I made a mistake during an upgrade and I apologize if it caused anyone any trouble.”

The team was gracious and accepted my apology.

From that point on, people new that it was OK to be honest. That they could trust I wouldn’t hold myself to a different standard than I expected from them. Communication almost immediately began to improve.

You must be the example you want your team to follow. Asking people to be accountable, yet avoiding it yourself is only going to build cynicism in the team.

If you’re in a position of leadership, prove that you will hold yourself accountable. And prove that the standard isn’t any different for you than it is for your team.

It’s an Ongoing Process

You can have significant impact and begin to repair a tech culture by taking these straightforward actions. But it doesn’t stop there.

As a leader, you are the guardian of the culture you want to have. You will have to make occasional adjustments to process, technology, and, yes, people.

Sometimes they will be painful decisions. But make them anyway and learn as you go.

And when you’re wrong, tell the team, adjust, and keep moving. I promise you, it will be worth it.

[This post originally appeared on TheFractionalCTO.blog]

How a Recruiting Process Exposes Your Authentic Values

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If you’ve ever looked for a job, you know.

You know what it’s like to put time and effort into a resume, research a company, and write a thoughtful cover letter. You send it off and wait. And wait.

And a response never comes, or comes long after you’ve already found another role.

In one case, I received a rejection email from a company a full 6 months after I had already landed another role. And yeah, I’d already figured out they weren’t interested by then…

The funny thing was that this company heavily sold their culture in the job posting. They said that people were their focus, they valued communication, and acted with a sense of urgency.

Unless you’re an applicant.

Well, OK, I added that bit, but you get my point. My experience with that company conflicted with who they wanted me to believe they were.

[The article was adapted from Kevin Carlson‘s original blog post]

Show Applicants They’re Important: Respond

A few years later, I found myself in the position of being responsible for the recruiting process. The roles I posted to job boards generated hundreds of responses. Of those I received, many were not qualified and some didn’t appear to have read the job description.

Even so, I remembered my earlier experience, and wanted to make sure I responded to everyone, even if it was to give them bad news. As applications piled up, the task seemed like a tough one to tackle.

“I’ve been there”, I thought. “I know what it’s like to face rejection and now I have to do the rejecting.” It’s a normal reaction to want to avoid this step in the process. If that’s how you feel, congratulations, you’re human.

The solution for me was two-fold:

  • First, use the Applicant Tracking System we had to organize things. If you don’t have one, I’ve listed affordable options and alternatives at the end of this post.
  • Second, recognize that my silence helps neither the company or the applicant.

Use the Right Tools to Make Responding Easy

We used our Applicant Tracking System to post jobs to job boards and to our web site. It organized responses and made it easy to move candidates through the pipeline. It also made it very easy to send candidates a response.

Applicant tracking systems allow you to create email templates that request a phone conversation, an interview, or let someone know they haven’t been selected. Take the time to create a template for each type of communication you might want to send a candidate, including those for rejection.

As a rule, I would go through the new resumes first thing in the morning, and send each applicant an email:

  • We received your resume and are reviewing your qualifications…
  • We’d like to set up a phone conversation…
  • Could you answer a few questions for us…
  • Thank you for your resume. Unfortunately, you have not been selected as a candidate.

The first three? Pretty easy.

The last one is more difficult to send, and here’s why it’s so important: How you treat people outside of your company says volumes about the real values inside your company.

Actions show Authentic Values

Wall posters that display company values — we’ve all seen them.

Integrity. Honesty. Collaboration. Blah, blah, blah.

Seriously? Those values are table stakes.

If you have to tell people that you like to collaborate, are honest, and act with integrity, that’s a pretty low bar. When I see that, I’d rather ask your customers what they think your values are and get the real scoop.

Values must be in your heart and mind, not on the wall. People you interact with will talk about how they experience your values and culture. Your actions and inactions will have an impact.

How many great candidates don’t apply because a friend ridiculed your recruiting process? Might be only a few. Might be only one.

AND IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE ONE CANDIDATE THAT MATTERED.

So, take the time. Write the responses. Send the appropriate email now. With an Applicant Tracking System, it’s easy. Doesn’t matter if there are hundreds or even thousands of applicants. If you’re actually looking at the applications, it takes three seconds. And most savvy candidates know this.

What if Someone Responds to a Rejection?

You’ll get responses to rejections, no matter how tactful and kind you are. For me, they’ve varied from, “Your loss” to “Can you explain where I fell short?”

No, I didn’t respond to the first one. I have responded to many of the second type, though. Taking the time to help a candidate understand the skills or experience they need may result in their eventual hire. Ignore them and when they have the experience, they may ignore you.

The responses don’t have to be long. Send a simple note explaining there were candidates with more experience in certain areas (name them). Or perhaps tell them they need to brush on specific interview skills. It may help them and give them a little confidence to continue the hard work of looking for a job.

The “Thank You” Paradox

You’ll almost always receive a nice thank you note from those you hire or interivew. That’s common practice. Almost expected.

Yet I have received at least ten times as many emails from those that didn’t make the cut. The top responses may surprise you:

  • “Thank you for letting me know.”
  • “Thanks for your guidance.”
  • “Thanks for the encouragement.”

When this happens, you have preserved a future candidate. You may have given someone the boost they needed to write yet one more cover letter. You may have let them know that someone actually cares about the hard work they’re doing to find a job. They will remember you and your company. Your recruiting process, even in rejection, is showcasing your company’s values and takes a long-term view of candidate viability.

Recruiting is Early Proof of Your Values

When you’re faced with a lot of applicants, I encourage you to take the time to respond. You will prove your values and show that the culture you talk about is real. As I mentioned in a previous post on tech culture, you are the guardian of the culture.

Screenwriters have a mantra: “Show, don’t tell.” It’s the same thing when it comes to company values.

So, do what’s right and not what’s easy. Let candidates know where they stand so they can progress or move on. It will prove to them that your company — and you — are worth talking to.

INFO ON APPLICANT TRACKING SYSTEMS AND ALTERNATIVES

If you don’t have an applicant tracking system, don’t despair. There are a lot of them on the market with varying price ranges. Some cost as little as $25/month or charge a reasonable per job posting fee. Well worth the money. Below are links to a few that I have used or have that colleagues recommend.

If you’re on a tight budget, you can use something as simple as Excel to track candidates and responses. A little tedious, but worth it.

If I’ve missed an ATS that you have used with good results, please provide a link and your comments below!