Fika
Senior Software Engineer in 3 weeks. Fika is an Edinburgh-based mental fitness training platform helping teams build better workplace cultures.
The challenge
People & Culture Partner Lauren Salter found LinkedIn poorly suited to tech recruitment. As a startup, Fika wanted to do as much hiring as possible in-house and needed candidates who matched both the tech stack and the culture.
The solution
Haystack's Finder tool let Lauren search for techies on skills and cultural fit, while also building a pipeline for future growth. Senior Engineer Dan Mudd discovered Fika on Haystack, applied directly and was hired.
Finder lets me find techies that match not just the skill set we need but culturally as well. We were able to hire Dan as our new Senior Software Engineer.
Lauren, where did you first discover Haystack?
Through the In-house Recruitment network. I attended their webinar on Addressing the Shortfalls in Tech Talent Attraction & Retention and found the Haystack team really engaging. I was interested to learn more and see what they had to offer.
Why did you decide to partner with Haystack?
It was mostly because I was finding LinkedIn wasn’t suited to tech recruitment. I have worked with a couple of recruiters who I am still happy to use as a backup, but ultimately I am trying to do as much of our recruitment in-house as possible. I wanted to try something different and what Haystack have to offer felt like a good fit for me and for Fika. We are both start ups so there is synergy in that sense and I’m passionate about working with and supporting other companies of a similar size and stage.
How have you found working with Haystack?
It’s been very refreshing! I really like the opportunity it gives me to really show our employer brand and talk about our culture and the things that are important to us. I’ve found Finder to be particularly useful as it allows me to find techies that match not just the skill set we need in terms of coding languages but culturally as well. I also liked the fact that I was able to start building a pipeline of techies for the future, especially as we have plans for growth over the coming year. And most importantly, we were able to hire Dan who is our new Senior Software Engineer!
How is Dan settling into life at Fika?
Great! He has got stuck in really quickly, which is what we needed and seems to be embracing the Fika culture so hopefully there are great things to come!
Daniel, where did you discover Haystack?
I first heard of Haystack by word of mouth - I was recommended to look at the platform by a contact in my North East tech network. I signed up and casually browsed companies and roles and was sufficiently impressed to return at a later date when I was more actively looking for a new role.
What was your experience of using the platform as a user looking for new opportunities?
I found using Haystack is much quicker and easier than scrolling through endless irrelevant LinkedIn feeds. I discovered Fika who weren’t on my radar. I applied for their role and was able to make direct contact with Lauren who guided me through the hiring process to a successful conclusion.
How has your onboarding and start at Fika been?
It's been great! Fika has been really welcoming and supportive, everyone is very approachable and down to earth. It was nice to not get stuck in weeks of corporate onboarding and start having an impact immediately.
More case studies
Answer DigitalNiche tech talentAnswer Digital is an employee-owned consultancy in Leeds that helps organisations across healthcare, financial services and retail improve their digital capabilities.Read story
BYP NetworkTech hires in 3 weeks, 400% ROIBYP Network connects 50,000+ Black professionals across 5 continents with opportunities, mentorship and corporate jobs. Named one of the UK's 50 fastest-growing startups by SVC2UK, they needed to scale their tech team quickly without burning budget on recruiter fees.Read story
Ceto AICTO hired in 2 weeksCeto AI is a Newcastle-based start-up applying predictive analytics to the maritime industry, helping ship owners, managers and insurers reduce machinery breakdowns with real-time data.Read story