Getting Hired in Tech: Advocate for Yourself • Grace Hsieh

(Program Manager, Hiring Infrastructure at Google || CA USA)

“Recruiting for Google helped me realize that I wanted to pursue hiring strategy as a career. Today in my role as a Program Manager for Hiring Infrastructure, I have not only learned about how hiring works, I have also learned about how hiring processes may be more equitable. Improving diversity in hiring is not easy, because you have to get to the root of it. Individual-level change through training is not enough, since the goal for diversity, equity, and inclusion will need to be embodied on a systemic and organization-wide level to help make qualifications and opportunities more equitable and inclusive.

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My advice for women is to be an advocate for yourself. Know what you want in a compensation package and understand what companies can and can’t offer. For example, in many states, companies can’t check or ask you what you earned at your previous workplace, so do the market research and know your worth when presenting your case. If you’re working with a recruiter, make sure they know what your desired compensation is, and find out where there is room for flexibility. For example, if they can’t raise your base salary, you can ask for more stock, a sign-on bonus, or even relocation.

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A quote referenced in the book Lean In says, ‘men apply for a job when they only meet 60% of the qualifications, but women apply only if they meet 100% of them.’ You don’t need to meet 100% of the preferred qualifications for a job. And when you’re in an interview, talk about your accomplishments, because you’re your best advocate. As women, we should feel empowered to talk about them, because if we don’t, who will? It’s not ‘bragging’ if it’s based on facts. You can always tell your story in a factual way that highlights how great you are.”