- Netflix received more than 350,000 job applications last year.
- Business Insider asked its head of recruiting what candidates should do if they don't get hired by Netflix the first time around.
- Valarie Toda, vice president of talent acquisition, said candidates should keep in touch with Netflix's recruiters and let them know how their career evolves.
- One employee, Toda said, went through the interview process three times before getting hired.
- Click here for more BI Prime stories.
One employee interviewed at Netflix three separate times before landing a job at the streaming company, its head of recruiting told Business Insider.
Netflix is one of the most-sought after companies to work for in media and tech. It fielded 350,000 job applications in 2019. By comparison, it had fewer than 6,800 full-time employees.
Valarie Toda, vice president of talent acquisition, said job candidates shouldn't get discouraged if they don't get hired the first, or even the second time, around.
Some candidates may not have the skills that hiring managers are looking for at the moment. In other cases, they may be applying for managerial roles and don't yet have enough experience. A year or two of additional experience can make a big difference.
"Keep in touch with us," she said. "Let us know as your career evolves."
Netflix's needs may change, too.
"I've been here for awhile and what we're looking for today, and what we looked for 10 years ago are very different," Toda said.
Ask the recruiter what other roles might be a good fit
Outside staffing experts said how candidates respond to rejection is crucial.
"Most candidates would respond with, 'If anything changes, let me know,'" Ryan Sutton, a district president at Robert Half Technology, said. "The problem with that response is you're putting it 100% on the recruiter to guess what you might be interested in."
A better response might be:
Thank you for the opportunity. I'm still very interested in Netflix. Are there any other roles I could apply for in your eyes?
This can start a dialogue with the recruiter about other roles you might be a fit for.
Sutton also recommended reaching out to the recruiter or hiring manager if you see the company post other job opportunities that interest you. Let the recruiter know you're interested in the position, and apply online. You don't want to miss out on an opening if your contact doesn't respond right away.
You can ask, 'Why am I not getting hired?'
The candidate who interviewed at Netflix three times before being hired asked the recruiter during his final round of interviews, "Why am I not being hired?" Toda said.
"I loved his openness," Toda said. "They had a really hard but really open conversation and we ended up hiring him."
Netflix hires for culture, as much as skill. A real desire to work for Netflix can go a long way, even if it takes a few attempts. (The company's famed culture document, by the way, is a must-read for anyone interested in working at Netflix.) The company also values how its employees "are extraordinarily candid with each other," as it says in its current culture memo.
In this case, the candidate had built new skillsets since he interviewed the previous times, and also showed he was a culture fit by engaging in an open and honest conversation with the recruiter.
Toda recommended working your network to get advice on the right skills to build over time. Look for Netflix employees who you have something in common with — maybe you worked at the same company or attended the same school.
"Be really specific about what you want out of those connections," Toda said. "Like, 'Hey, I want a coffee just to get some advice on skillsets I should build over time, or how I can break into an industry.' There's lots of stories of how, long term, those relationships really pan out. It just takes a little bit of investment."
Read our full BI Prime guide on how to get hired at Netflix in 2020:
The ultimate guide to getting a job at Netflix. We talked to its head of recruiting, former employees, and staffing experts to learn exactly what it takes to get hired in 2020.
See more of our Netflix hiring coverage on BI Prime:
- How to get a job interview at Netflix with the help of employee referrals — and what to avoid doing, according to company insiders: Recommendations from Netflix employees can get prospective candidates noticed by Netflix recruiters. Former employees shared their top tips on getting referrals, and using them to land a job.
- Netflix's 5 toughest job-interview questions, according to company insiders: These are some of the job interview questions prospective candidates should be prepared to answer at any stage of the hiring process.
- The best Netflix teams and roles for entry-level job seekers, according to former employees and current listings: While Netflix doesn't have many entry-level jobs, it does have some opportunities for talented people who are starting their careers.
- The top 10 slides from Netflix's groundbreaking first culture deck that experts say had the most impact: Netflix's culture deck is a must read for prospective candidates. Recruiters explain what sets Netflix's culture apart from other tech companies.
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