It’s all about making a difference in Rachael’s market. We stole her for five minutes to discuss why joining a start-up is becoming more exciting for cloud talent as well as what they’re looking for, and the hottest job titles right now.

What have you found your candidates are looking for most in their next role?

• I’ve found that candidates, are looking for companies where they can make a difference and are excited about the work they are carrying out which is what they can get from a start up environment

• Joining a start up means they can see the impact they have and feel as if they have a voice rather than joining a huge partner and it’s something I’ve seen as a key motivator when they are choosing to make a move.

Why are people leaving their current role?

• Covid has changed how people want to work, and of course remote working is a common request. I have found around the Bay Area though those candidates are looking forward to get back into the office. Doing hybrid and getting to work amongst industry leaders and directly with the executive team within these start ups is something they are looking forward to as well.

• Salary wise, candidates know what they want now and what industry standard is. They are aware in California, the cost of living is high, and it is an expensive place to work/live. Because of this, I do see the average salary request significantly higher than any other state I work in, but luckily clients there are aware as well and are very good at offering the right range to clients.

What job titles are the most in-demand?

• Principal/Senior DevOps/SRE are a big thing, SDET are so important for start-ups, they need someone to build out test automation from scratch and this is a key role for early stage start-ups, Backend/Frontend Engineers are important too amongst start ups

What’s exciting about the US cloud space? What developments have you seen?

• The right candidate is all about their motivations when it comes to the kind of clients I work with. They need somebody who is excited about start up environments, and willing to put in the work to see the result. Being hands on is very important too.

• I really enjoy seeing some great candidates join my clients and sharing their excitement to join a company at the beginning and be a part of the growth. Seeing what they can do and hearing about the impact they have is great. I like hearing about all the cool things my clients are doing too and seeing their passion and vision for their start up makes it really fun working with them.

Racheal focuses on placing cloud professionals into startups in the US. If you’re looking to her a message on Linkedin