Rima Mahajan

✨🔥 “Imagine a platform where a candidate’s credentials, certifications, licenses, background checks, and structured reference feedback are all pre-validated and securely stored—ready to be shared with any employer, anytime. This future portfolio won’t just tell a story; it will prove it, backed by data from issuing bodies, educational institutions, and verified third parties.” - Elaine Orler of Match2

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Did you know that nearly 3 out of 4 U.S. employees have caregiving responsibilities? There are many challenges in balancing work and home life, especially for folks who are navigating being a caregiver for their child, spouse with a disability, or aging parent. To help employees thrive in their careers while supporting them as caregivers, Yelp strives to provide the benefits and structure they need to care for their loved ones and the additional support and community they need to take care of themselves, too ❤️ 🏡 Flexible Work Arrangements: Our remote work policy empowers employees with the flexibility they need. In a 2023 survey, 89% of Yelp employees felt equipped to manage both personal and work-life demands.  ❤️ Comprehensive Benefits: Yelp offers a monthly reimbursement for caregiving expenses, including childcare and eldercare services. In 2024, 30% of Yelp employees utilized this benefit, with 22% specifically for eldercare. 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Community Support: Yelp Employee Resource Groups, like YelpParents, YelpMoms, and Yelders, provide a sense of belonging and support. These groups host workshops and events to help caregivers navigate their responsibilities. 🎉 Celebrating Caregivers: Yelp cherishes caregivers with thoughtful gestures, like care packages for new parents, complete with Yelp-branded onesies and heartfelt notes. Learn more about how Yelp is supporting its caregivers here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gPPWzr8K #LifeAtYelp #FiveStarCareer

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12 days from "being happy" in their current role to head of department for us. Hiring doesn’t have to be slow or longwinded. It has to be clear, focused, and intentional 🔥 We just hired for a very senior key role in 12 working days - from initial outreach to signed offer. This is what made the difference: 1) We direct-sourced the candidate with a transparent, honest message - no hype, just real context and overview. Challenges aren't a blocker, for the right person, they're attractive. 2) Kicked things off with a casual, no-pressure intro chat to align on skills, expectations, and motivations on both sides. Key hires needs to understand the entire picture, not a portion. 3) Our team flexed fast - a director made time for an interview across a 6+ hour time zone within 24 hours. Superstar candidates are speaking with multiple amazing companies. Speed on process shows intent. 4) Our CEO stepped in quickly for the final round, showing real commitment to moving fast when it matters. He even discussed interviews on a Saturday if the candidate was free. Flexibility is king. 5) We kept feedback loops tight, decisions quick, and communication clear at every stage. No nonsense comparative understanding of skills vs need. The candidate experience? He told me how refreshing it was to go through a process that was thoughtful, respectful of his time, and free from unnecessary hurdles. 💡Here's the key takeaway: Being busy doesn’t mean pushing things back. It means having the discipline to prioritise the right things for delivering success. Speed doesn’t mean rushing. It means showing up, staying aligned, and making decisions with intent. That's how we win and how we stay the market leader 🚀 #hiring #candidateexperience #leadership #talentacquisition #recruitment #prioritisation #efficiency

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Oracle laid off 30,000 people. But they're not the only ones. Over a dozen companies have laid off thousands of people in Q1 of 2026. And I've been seeing a lot of Gen Z users post about experiencing their first layoff, and I empathize. As a Millennial, I've literally been there. the victim of a "business decision" or "restructuring." I know the last thing you want to hear is "keep going", especially in this job market. You don't have an easy road ahead of you, but you can still persevere. And come out the other side of this better than when you went in. Rooting & Recruiting for you, -Oscar from Linkedin 🫶🏽

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I’ve seen a lot of posts this week about the Amazon and Meta layoffs, and my heart goes out to everyone affected. I’ve been recruiting and hiring through some wild job markets, and I’ve seen how tough and heavy this side of the cycle can be. If you were impacted, here’s my honest advice: 1. Apply for unemployment immediately. It takes a while to process. Most states back pay you for the weeks it’s pending, but please don’t wait. There’s NO shame in getting what’s owed to you. Times are tough, and this is a safety net for a reason. 2. Take your time with severance paperwork (and NEGOTIATE!) You’ll likely get a packet from HR with a severance offer and a release form (basically: you accept the package they're offering you, and you agree not to sue for wrongful termination). That’s negotiable like everything in life. You CAN ask for more money, longer coverage on your insurance, more time to vest equity. There's no guarantee that you'll get what you want, but you won't know until you try. Read all of your paperwork carefully. Do not have these negotiations over the phone. Get everything in writing. You don’t have to sign anything right away. 3. This market feels rough, but there *IS* opportunity. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: the last few years have been wild for tech. The market’s uneven and highly competitive, but there are so many new AI and startup companies getting funded right now. When companies raise, they hire. Follow people like Tim He and Haley ONeill on LinkedIn - they frequently post about companies that are raising and hiring. Use LinkedIn, and honestly, use LLMs to help you research who’s raising and growing. 4. We're hiring at Evertune 💪 We’re building teams in NYC and Seattle. We’re hiring engineers, client services folks, a financial controller, and will be opening more roles soon! If you were affected by the Amazon or Meta layoffs, or if you’re just looking for a new challenge in AI, please reach out. If we’ve crossed paths before, or have mutual connections, I’d love to chat about what we’re building and how you could be part of it. This market is still very weird, but it’s not hopeless. Take care of yourself, protect your peace, negotiate, and don’t lose sight of the fact that there are better chapters ahead 🫶

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At Arm, innovation is about who builds it. Sharbani R. and her Seattle team are creating inclusive, human-centered AI technology that empowers all. The future of AI must be for everyone, by everyone. 🌍 https://okt.to/df19Ga

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To everyone at Amazon, Pinterest, and other companies going through layoffs right now, I know this is a difficult phase. If you’re impacted, or feel you might be impacted, here’s one honest piece of advice: Stay calm. Don’t panic. Be Proactive. Take action. Update your CV. Optimise your LinkedIn and Naukri profile. Stay active and visible on LinkedIn. Start showing what you’re capable of. Confidence matters more than ever in moments like this. Also, be mindful of who you spend time talking to. Avoid conversations that only lead to sympathy and negativity because they drain you. Instead, speak to people who can guide you, inspire you, motivate you, or help you move forward. I say this from my personal experience. When I went through a layoff recently, I did not talk to anybody because I wanted my space and did not allow anybody to show sympathy as I was busy doing what was required, attending interviews, talking to recruiters and hiring managers. this mindset genuinely helped me navigate it better and helped close an offer in no time. And one last thing. when the official email actually comes, pause for a moment. Take a day off. Eat your favourite food. Watch a movie. Have a drink if that helps. Go for a spa or a long walk. Reset your mind. Then come back stronger and start again. This phase does not define your talent or your future. It’s just a chapter. Stay strong. You’ll get through this. #CareerSupport #JobSearch #Layoffs #CareerTransition #ProfessionalGrowth #MentalWellbeing #StayStrong

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One thing that came up at our last AI & OJ breakfast with talent leaders hiring AI engineers: The pace of AI in 2026 is forcing companies of all sizes to rethink what "relevant experience" actually means. Several teams mentioned prioritizing engineers who joined companies during early growth stages — often valuing that experience over big tech logos. I dug into the data across Match Day, our AI Engineering careers marketplace, which probably has the densest concentration of AI-native startups hiring elite engineers anywhere right now. Out of 246 roles from 84 companies, more than half explicitly call out early-stage experience in the JD. "Founding team." "Zero to one." "Built from the ground up." 75% of companies mention it in at least one role. It makes sense when you think about what AI is doing to every engineering org right now. The tooling and workflows are new. The stack is changing fast. The playbook doesn't exist yet. That's true whether you're a 20-person startup or a 2,000-person company building out an AI team for the first time. Someone who joined a company at 10 to 50 employees had to build quickly, make tradeoffs, and operate without polished infrastructure. They shaped systems, influenced hiring, and set technical direction while everything was still moving. That's the muscle companies need right now — not someone who spent five years optimizing inside a mature org. We'll be digging into more tactics like this at NY AI Engineers next week: https://lnkd.in/dMBb2Ayy

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Layoffs and restructuring are everywhere in tech right now. The reality is, the tech industry is not for the faint of heart. I’ve personally experienced layoffs twice in my career, and my spouse, also in tech, has gone through it too. What I can say is that each time it happened, the next opportunity ultimately led to positive change. As a recruiter, one of the most common questions I get from people impacted by layoffs is: What do I do next? How do I even start looking for a job? Especially from people who haven’t had to search in 10+ years. Job searching is hard. Very few people enjoy interviewing, and the rejection that can come with multiple conversations can feel devastating and demoralizing. You know you’re good at what you do, but interviewing isn’t your actual skill set, it’s simply the process required to land the job. And honestly, interviewing can feel incredibly unnatural. Companies are evaluating how you perform in a high-pressure environment that often looks nothing like the actual day-to-day role. Sometimes you have to wonder how relevant that really is. The good news? As you navigate this new chapter, you have something incredibly valuable that people often underestimate: your network. Your network opens doors. It starts conversations. It helps you land on your feet. One thing I hear often is: “I don’t want to bother people by asking for introductions or help.” But think about it this way, if the situation were reversed, and a former colleague was unemployed while your company had an opening they’d be perfect for, would you help them? Of course you would. As Canadians, we’re often polite to a fault, especially when it comes to asking for help. But reframing that mindset is important. You’re not burdening someone, you’re potentially helping them strengthen their team with a pre-vetted, talented professional. You’re helping fill a gap and contributing to a company’s success. And in many organizations, referrals even come with financial incentives. One thing I’ve learned over two decades in tech, especially Canadian tech, is that the people in this industry are incredibly supportive and generous. Time and time again, I hear stories of people landing amazing opportunities simply by reaching out to their network. So my advice is this: reconnect with your friends and former colleagues. Post your update on LinkedIn. Let people know you’re looking. You may be surprised by how willing people are to help, and by just how broad your network really is. What are you waiting for? Start reaching out today, ask for the help, and land that dream job!

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It’s been a tough week for many talented colleagues impacted by the recent changes at Amazon. If you’ve been affected, please reach out. I’m happy to help with mock interviews, resume reviews, and referrals through my close network. For those preparing for what’s next, I wanted to share a framework that’s helped me — both while interviewing and mentoring others — on Coding Patterns and System Design. 💻 LeetCode — Focus on Patterns, Not Memorization When preparing for interviews, don’t just aim to “cover” hundreds of questions. Instead, understand why certain approaches work — the underlying problem patterns that keep showing up in different forms. Common examples include: - Sliding Window / Two Pointers - Binary Search patterns - Intervals & Sweep Line - Graph Traversal (BFS / DFS / Toposort) - Tree & Heap patterns - Dynamic Programming templates Once you see the pattern, you can reason through any variation — without relying on rote memory. 🧩 System Design — It’s Not One Right Answer System design isn’t about producing a perfect diagram. It’s about thinking in layers, evolving the design gradually, and balancing trade-offs. Here’s a practical way to approach it: 1. Start with the problem definition — who’s the user, and what are you optimizing for? 2. Define functional and non-functional requirements — scale, latency, availability, cost. 3. Sketch a simple baseline design with core components (APIs, storage, caching) and outline your data models and APIs. 4. Iterate deliberately — identify bottlenecks, then layer in replication, sharding, queues, or caching only where it’s justified. Good design is rarely static — it’s a conversation between constraints, trade-offs, and evolution. I’ll follow up in my next post with identifying key patterns and approaches for System Design, including real-world examples from products we use every day. Let’s keep learning, building, and supporting each other. 💛 #amazonads #adtech #EngineeringLeadership #CareerSupport #TechCommunity #hiring #mentoring

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Hiring in 2026: Reflection Post A little over a year ago, I moved from Product & Engineering Ops into Talent Management. Coming from operations, strategy, and delivery, I’ve always viewed talent differently not as a checklist, but as a lever for outcomes. Now, as we enter 2026, a pattern is becoming hard to ignore: We don’t just need people to fill roles. We need people who can orchestrate systems, tools, and momentum. Here are the four capabilities I’m seeing separate teams that scale from teams that stall in all my research: 1. Systems Thinking Can they see how their work connects to the broader machine, not just their lane? 2. Real-Time Problem Solving When the plan hits reality, can they pivot without losing velocity? 3. Tool Fluency Do they know when AI and automation accelerate delivery and when they only add noise? 4. Learning Agility How fast can they unlearn what worked yesterday to adopt what works now? Not having a traditional HR background means I don’t start per se with job families or frameworks. I start with a different set of questions: – Will this accelerate the business or slow it down? – Can this scale with the organization? – Does this genuinely elevate team output? Hiring isn’t just an HR function anymore…it’s an operating model. Grateful to the talent partners and business leaders who continue to challenge assumptions, share what’s working on the ground, and turn strategy into reality. As you think about your hiring strategy for 2026, what’s the one shift you’re leaning into most?

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I’m always fascinated by companies that aren’t perfect but still manage to retain their talent. Being in the San Francisco Bay Area for the last 6~ years, it’s pretty normal to see someone switch roles every 2–3 years. I’m never surprised when I look at a resume and see a handful of hops. I get it. More pay. Better benefits. More flexibility. Not loving the team or manager. There’s always a reason people move on. But I just read an article about Nintendo, a company with a 98% retention rate! Yes, you read that right, ninety-eight percent. Their Japanese employees stay an average of 15 years (the national average in Japan is 11, which is already impressive). And this is in an industry known for being absolutely cutthroat with layoffs and turnover. Gaming has always been ruthless... even before COVID. Yet Nintendo keeps winning. Their stock price has been sitting at one of its highest points ever in as of 2025, probably thanks to the Switch 2 launch (which I still think was overpriced, but clearly it didn’t matter). I’m sure the company isn’t perfect. No company is. But the external success speaks for itself. Many employees point to the same thing: deep institutional knowledge and the kind of expertise you only build by sticking around. There’s something there. And I think a lot of startups and fast-moving companies could learn from Nintendo’s approach to retention and longevity. Full article in the comments. #retention #employeeretention #hiring

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It’s important to call this what it is: a strategic business pivot, not a “culture issue.” Framing layoffs of this scale—especially when they heavily impact engineering, product, and mid-level technical talent—as a culture problem is both inaccurate and unfair to the employees impacted. Large-scale reductions like these typically reflect shifts in business priorities, evolving skill needs, and investments in areas like AI, automation, and platform consolidation. Companies don’t eliminate nearly 40% engineering roles because of culture; they do it because they’re restructuring for a different future. What’s equally important is how those decisions are carried out. When efficiency moves faster than empathy, layoffs can quickly feel dehumanizing. It’s a reminder that a “profit over people” mindset may deliver short-term gains but often leaves long-term cultural scars—undermining the very culture companies claim to protect. Strategic pivots are sometimes necessary. Transparent and humane execution is always necessary. #Leadership #HRLeadership #FutureOfWork #Layoffs

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Our TA team just ran their second AI Build Day in six weeks. How it works: 15 min kickoff, 4 hours heads down (solo or paired), 45 min share out where everyone presents. Five protected hours. The whole team building, pairing, and pressure-testing each other's work. Here are some of the skills & automations they shipped: • Daily hiring sweep that scores every incoming candidate against a 5-signal rubric and drops a Strong / Worth a Look / Pass digest into Slack at 8am • Debrief prep builder that pulls Ashby scorecards and BrightHire transcripts and turns them into a thread the whole panel reads before the interview • Chrome extension a sourcer built to dodge a quirk in LinkedIn Recruiter, saving ~10 seconds per candidate across 30+ tabs Plus pipeline trackers, sourcing automations, background check monitors, and referral workflows. All built by recruiters, sourcers, and ops folks using Zapier inside Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex. A recruiting team that builds on the same AI platform we sell can back it up when we tell candidates AI fluency matters here. We sharpen our fluency, build real automations, and improve our product at the same time. Run this 1-2x a month across every team. See what happens.

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"Offer me enough that I don't feel like a fool for turning down $1M/year." Closed that Staff Engineer for $235K and 20 bps. They turned down massive offers from two giants to say yes. We won on mission, team, and culture. I've hired hundreds this way. Your startup can too, but you have to deliver a few vital things: 🧭 Mission Does the work actually matter in the world? What stories will they tell at 85? ⭐ Quality Will they have the tools, goals clarity, and communication to deliver their best work? 🤝 Talent and Culture Will they work alongside great people they can learn from? Who push them further, faster? Are these people they want to spend the majority of their waking hours around? 🪨 Staying Power 90% of startups fail. You can't promise you cross the chasm, but do you have the TAM, early proof points, and sound biz strategy to go the distance? They wouldn't be talking to you if money was the most important factor. They would be signing the $$$$ offer already. So make sure you have designed a process that helps them interview your company as much as you interview them. Tell the legendary stories. NDA and dazzle with demos of what's coming soon and how you solved your biggest challenge. Bring folks onsite to sit with your team. Absolutely give them 30 min with the founders to hear a passionate pitch for the mission from its origin. Ask yourself, does our process make it reasonable, appealing, and satisfying to work here if we get to offer? I promise you that incentives matter, and folks work for money. You can't offer them less than their financial life is currently built around. If they tell you they need $500k liquid for their financial life to work, believe them. But if their floor is $220k and that's in range? You can close them if you can deliver the full package. But don't try to win on money. As my morning Starbucks run reminds us, that's a never-ending and expensive battle, and one we will eventually lose. ---- 👋 Hi! I'm Kate Kruizenga, Fractional Chief People Officer and founder of Phero Collective. We help founders Seed to Series C build and scale your People and Talent foundation to unlock engagement, growth, and revenue. Learn more at withphero.co.

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#Block’s $29B acquisition of #Afterpay in Jan 2022 was an overpaid M&A miss, according to analysts and investors saying it caused significant loss of shareholder value. Now 4,000+ layoff comes. Was it because of #AI or an #expensive #nonprofitable asset?

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Hey Job Seekers, I’ve spent years recruiting across the San Francisco Bay Area, partnering with incredible brands like KQED, San Francisco Opera, Ziff Davis, CNET, Oracle, Monster, GDC, Burson-Marsteller (Intel, HP), Vacasa, Rodan + Fields, Avast, Impossible Foods, Amazon, Just Egg, Nike, Warner Bros Discovery, Slack—and many more. One of my favorite parts of this work? When candidates ask thoughtful, curious questions that spark real conversations—about culture, growth, innovation, DEI, tech stacks, and even what I do for fun outside of work. Here are some of the best questions I’ve received over the years: 💼 Industry-Specific What trends are shaping hiring in Bay Area tech and media? How are CPG brands evolving post-pandemic? Are retail and food companies shifting toward hybrid or remote? Who’s investing in creative talent and brand innovation? 🎯 Role & Fit What do hiring managers look for beyond the resume? How can I pivot across industries—say, media to tech? What resume mistakes do you see most often? How do I stand out in a crowded startup market? 🧠 Career Strategy Which companies offer strong mentorship or mobility? How should I approach a career pivot? What’s your take on using AI tools for resumes? Are there emerging roles I should be watching? 🤝 Networking & Outreach What’s the best way to follow up after applying? Should I reach out to hiring managers directly? How do I build authentic industry connections? Any local events or meetups you recommend? If you’re job hunting, curious about the market, or just want to chat—I’m here. Let’s make your next move a meaningful one :)

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TA at the Table: Aligning Talent Strategy with Business Strategy This time of year, many companies are deep in Annual Operating Planning defining priorities, investments, and what success looks like for the year ahead. Too often, Talent Acquisition is brought in after those plans are set. The headcount is already fixed, timelines are compressed, and the focus becomes “how fast can we hire?” But the real value of TA happens when we’re involved early, as part of the strategic conversation with CFOs, CEOs, and business leaders. In my past roles, I’ve partnered directly with executive teams during AOP to: **Map out what growth actually looks like; by region, function, and critical skill area. **Align workforce planning with revenue goals and product roadmaps. **Build hiring scenarios that model cost, timing, and talent availability. That kind of alignment transforms TA from a reactive function into a strategic enabler of the business plan. It also helps leaders make smarter decisions, because talent availability, market data, and hiring velocity all impact what’s realistic to achieve. When TA has a seat at the table, workforce planning becomes a competitive advantage.

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