Hawke Media: Marketing consultancy headquartered in LA.
Hawke Media: Marketing consultancy headquartered in LA.
Location
Top 2 Source for Inbound Hires
In 2019, a few years into its partnership with Built In, Hawke Media was at an inflection point, marked by rapid growth, process change and a new office. With change, Hawke faced a degree of attrition. “We continued our Built In partnership to bring in people that wanted to go where the company was headed,” says Mackie Abergel, talent acquisition strategist, who adds that a new philosophy in hiring was also taking root at Hawke.
“When we were scrappy, we might have hired based on friends of friends,” she says. “Now it was more like: Let’s rethink who we want to bring in and how can we be more mindful about it.”
Hawke Media believes that content is king as far as piquing the interest of qualified talent. Its success with Built In LA led the company to expand the partnership, mirroring the company’s own geographic expansion and launching Built In New York and Built In Boston.
When we were scrappy, we might have hired based on friends of friends. Now it was more like: Let’s rethink who we want to bring in and how can we be more mindful about it.”
In 2019, Hawke participated in articles to showcase its new office, culture and people. The Spotlight was a bold example of what’s possible when branded content allows for transparency: It covered the growing pains Hawke faced because they scaled too quickly.
“It wasn’t about that glamorous PR placement,” says Abergel. “It was about showing we were the type of company that would own our mistakes and fix them. We knew that would be far more effective than a shiny happy story.” They valued the credibility boost of having a third party tell the story but chose their partner carefully.
“There was a safety in working with Built In, because we knew the writer wouldn’t lead us in some direction we didn’t want to go. At the same time, because the story was in Built In’s voice, it was as transparent as we wanted it to be.”
In reflecting on the perks and benefits section of the company profile, Abergel highlights an unexpected side effect: “Yes, that page is a great way to showcase our benefits. But if we don’t offer a quality or benefit on that list, it becomes a benchmark for us. We set a goal to add those qualities to Hawke’s culture because we know people are looking for companies that offer them.”
Abergel says Built In applicants “actually have the skills we’re looking for. On Built In, people only apply to what they’re qualified for. So, when they get here, they can jump on board right away.”
In 2019, Hawke hired 10 people from Built In, including in-demand roles like a social media expert, the head of finance and a senior recruiter, the latter of whom was, of course, instrumental in helping Hawke meet its hiring goals for the year. Those 10 hires represent 20% of Hawke Media’s total hires in 2019.
“Built In can help build an employee value proposition that stands out,” says Abergel. “It’s really easy to get lost when you’re featured on a platform that covers other tech companies. Built In does a great job of creating stories that reflect what’s unique about you.”
2019
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Live your purpose.
Work your passion.
