We sat down with Paolo Melacrinis on our IoT & Robotics team, to discuss his 11 years of experience in recruitment! Check it out below…
You’ve been working in recruitment for over a decade now, can you tell us a little about your background and what brought you to recruit in the US tech market?
“Wow that seems a lifetime ago! In 2013 I started as a young Tech Recruiter focusing on all things Development. By 2015 I was working with several IoT / Robotics startups based in the same building as me, and that’s where working within the industry all started! It was just an industry I truly loved recruiting within.
In 2021 I joined a VidTech startup, JW Player, as there Technical Recruiting Lead. It was there that I solely focused on hiring tech talent in both NYC and San Francisco. Searchability opened their Austin office a few years ago and with their footprint growing within the US, I jumped at the chance to head up their IoT & Robotics team!”
You specialize in Internet of Things (IoT) & Embedded Software Recruitment – what type of roles do you cover?
“Within the IoT space we generally support hiring for roles such as (not limited to) Software Engineers, AI/ML Engineers, and Hardware/Firmware Engineers.
Within the Robotics sector we mainly support roles such as (again, not limited to) Mechanical/Electrical/Mechatronics Engineers, Robotics Software Engineers, Computer Vision/Deep learning Engineers, and AI/ML Engineers.”
What excites you most about recruiting within the IoT / Robotics industry?
“For me, it’s the innovation behind both industries. For instance, we are currently working with an Agriculture IoT business who’s in-field crop monitoring sensor feeds back crop intelligence, such as temperature, humidity, moisture levels etc. in order to help farmers optimize sustainability and profitability! (I think it’s just crazy how these ideas are created!)
I think in short IoT & Robotics is just an area in tech that we will see evolve in great speed – the industry certainly allows me to create genuine excitement when discussing a new opportunity with candidates.”
What companies are at the forefront of innovation in the IoT / Robotics space?
“I think naturally you’ve got to mention the likes of Cisco (Network IoT), John Deere (AgIoT), Siemens (IIoT), iRobot (Consumer robotics), ABB (Manufacturing), and Anduril (Defense & NS). They’re definitely leaders at an enterprise level. There are also some incredibly innovative startups out there – Simplisafe (SmartHome), Latent AI (AI IoT), Sense (EnergyIoT), (Augean Robotics/Burro (Robotics), and Apptronik (Robotics), to name a few!”
Which Cities / States are a hotbed for IoT / Robotics talent?
“The main regions we currently hiring quite heavily in are San Francisco, CA / Toledo, OH / Boston, MA and certainly worth a mention is Pittsburgh, PA where there is a large Robotics presence!”
What is your biggest piece of advice for candidates looking to secure a new role in this sector?
“Set yourself a target! With the number of sub-industries within IoT & Robotics, my advice would be for candidates to work out where their passion lies. For example:
- What is the tech stack you’re passionate about?
- What area of IoT or robotics does your expertise or passion lie?
- Do you wish to join an established company or startups?
- Do you wish to be on-site/remote or hybrid?
With all these preferences in mind it makes your job search more streamlined and easier for you to decide when that offers comes in!”
What can clients do to attract the best IoT / Robotics talent for their tech teams?
“Due to the nature of the work within IoT / Robotics companies, there is a large requirement for on-site working, so creating a positive on-site environment/culture is a huge attraction to candidates. Another key factor is to make the interview process enjoyable. Key factors of that include, keep your interview process to 2 or 3 rounds, providing detailed feedback to candidates throughout the process and of course showcase your product and company as much as possible during these rounds – it’s a very competitive market!”
How can a specialist IoT / Robotics recruiter help a company looking to hire this talent?
“I think it’s key to remember that it is not alien for an Internal Recruiter team to work alongside a Recruiter from a specialist agency like us – it’s actually extremely common and something a high % of our clients do.
For startups it’s quite important to continue to focus on the delivery of their product into the market and, of course, the hiring of tech talent is very important. Thus, meaning by entrusting Searchability to take care of that area, it enables companies to focus mainly on their product delivery and release.”
Get in touch!
If you’re a candidate or hiring company working within the IoT / Robotics industry and you’re seeking help with finding a new role or finding the perfect candidate for your team – get in touch with Paolo directly:
📞 (737) 301 8850 / (737) 290 0009
