Talent Acquisition Leads, Mannie Vuong and Judyta Polak have been shaping the recruitment process at our new Toronto office since its opening. We asked them about everything you need to know before attending one of our recruitment days.
Hello Mannie and Judyta! First of all, how exciting has it been to be part of this new product development hub, and what is your part in it?
Mannie: Joining Klarna has been the most humbling experience. You get to work with folks who are extremely passionate and talented in what they do. Being a part of building the Toronto Product Development Hub has been exciting as Judyta and I have been able to hire top talents and create initiatives to take Klarna to the next level in North America!
Judyta: It is an incredible time to be a part of Klarna’s hyper-growth! We are currently building several new engineering teams that will help influence the shopping experience for our customers. As a part of the Talent Acquisition team, Mannie and I are responsible for hiring the best talent in Toronto.
We have heard about the success of the first recruitment days in Toronto. Please tell us what they are and why they are so great?
Mannie: The Recruitment Day is a special event where we invite a number of engineers to participate in a one-day assessment process at our brand new office. Then, within 24 hours of completing the recruitment day, the engineers will receive feedback or are presented with an offer.
Judyta: As the engineers come into the office, they have the opportunity to get a personal feel of what it would be like to work at Klarna. They meet potential colleagues and team members, plus they are given a tour of the office.
How can an engineer attend the recruitment day?
Judyta: We invite engineers who have successfully completed a short initial screening with one of our recruiters.
What is it that you’re specifically looking for in candidates during those recruitment days?
Judyta: We are looking for engineers who are not afraid to challenge the status quo and are customer-obsessed! They also need to understand the big picture and be open to change.
Mannie: Also, a strong coding ability and experience with modern tools and programming languages are a must. In addition, it’s important that candidates are able to collaborate within small teams and own their problem space.
Do you have any advice about how engineers can prepare for the recruitment day?
Judyta: First of all, I think it’s crucial that the candidates learn about Klarna’s 8 Leadership principles and are prepared to ask questions during the interview.
Mannie: Our Leadership Principles are vital to everything we do, every day. So I definitely recommend doing your homework to identify if this is something you value and stand by while also preparing concrete examples. I also recommend identifying your own motivation and passion, so we can be transparent with you about how joining Klarna would align with your personal career goals.
At Klarna, you will have the opportunity to tackle many exciting challenges as we continue to build on our success during a period of hypergrowth. If you’re interested in finding out more, apply here!