FollowGroup deal sites are booming, putting them in a great place for hiring, and that’s exactly where LivingSocial is. In January 2010, the company had 33 employees and 12,000 members in 6 U.S. markets — today, it boasts more than 1,600 employees and 30 million members in 13 countries. The company hires about six new people per day, so if you’re in the market for a job, there’s probably one for you at LivingSocial.
What kind of applicants stand out?
“We want folks who have drive,” says Griffin. “We’re growing really quickly, and we’re excited to be helping local business attract new customers and help all of our members figure out what the cool stuff is in their neighborhood.” Believing that the company has the power to affect GDP and help small businesses all around the world, the company hires wisely. “We want to make sure that everyone we hire has that drive and passion to affect that change and bring those audiences together.”
No matter your age or experience, there’s probably an opening at LivingSocial. Obviously a VP of marketing and commerce will probably have had experience launching new ecommerce companies, but there are also marketing coordinator positions that are great for new graduates. In the Adventures division, there are many new grads — a LivingSocial “experience coordinator” is on the ground with the customers at an ice skating party or a Canadian turkey night — and this is often their first job. In the Escapes division, teammates have worked in travel and know how to work with everything from a bed and breakfast in Vermont to a big resort in Cabo, says Griffin.
What kind of positions are available?
The company is based in D.C., but its growth is global — the company has boots on the ground in more than 260 markets. “Literally everywhere that we are and that we’re going, we’re looking to hire local folks, everything from sales people to our editorial staff,” says Griffin. In the editorial department, the company wants writers who are familiar with businesses and can make local references. Positions may be full-time or freelance, and there’s a “robust internship program” that runs on a semesterly schedule.
If you’re interested in seeing what positions are available, check out LivingSocial’s job board. Griffin notes that “it’s a very long page,” and it’s divided into various departments, each of which has its own required skill set listed.
“Everything is growing really rapidly, all at the same time,” Griffin says. “As the company gets larger and goes into new markets, you need sales, editorial, marketing and design people — there’s symbiotic growth amongst departments.” And that’s great news for job seekers.
After you apply, you’ll receive an email saying whether you’re moving forward in the application process or if your skills don’t match any of the needs that LivingSocial currently has. Then comes the interview — you’ll have a few phone interviews, and if all goes well, you’ll be on your way to the D.C. office or the office in your local market for in-person interviews.
If you make the cut, you’ll have onboarding on a Wednesday — every new hire class begins on a Wednesday with orientation. There, new hires learn the ropes and discuss what LivingSocial does and why it does it. After a thorough introduction to the company and its goals, hires meet with their respective teams to get a better look at what their day-to-day routine will be like.
Company Values
LivingSocial abides by a handful of company values, and employees are expected to also embody these values. Whether the company is hiring an intern or a VP, LivingSocialites use these principles to guide their work:
- Make strong moves.
- Recognize others.
- Surprise and delight.
- Live hungry.
- Champion good ideas.
Griffin says the four founders started as “hungry machines” and sought to figure out how to improve upon what they were doing and how they were living. This ambition drives the company culture today, and LivingSocial is an open-minded, collaborative environment. If you’re not a team player, don’t bother applying.
“It doesn’t matter who an idea comes from — if it’s a great idea from an intern that we think is really going to help us, we’re going to try it,” says Griffin. Something else that’s necessary — though it sounds cliche — is passion. “We look at it as an energy source, and it really drives everything that you do in your work,” says Griffin. And the company will test that passion on day one: New dev teammates need to create something that touches the members on their first day at the company. “It could be figuring out a better interface for when a member is doing me+three, or it may be something that a member won’t notice has changed but that makes the process easier,” she adds.
Griffin says she previously worked for a massive corporation and she is “thrilled and in awe of the fact that we are now 1,600 — it still feels like when I first started last November and we were a mere 400.” Despite the rapid growth, LivingSocial’s culture team works to make sure the company still embodies the entrepreneurial spirit that got them where they are today, and that includes team socials within each market.
One employee is a Washington Wizards dancer who hosts a dance class, and someone on the sales team is a cross-fit trainer who trains the staff. They had a lunch-and-learn with Miriam’s Kitchen, they went to see Super 8 at the Uptown Theater, they go to dinner at Ben’s Chili Bowl, and they support colleagues who are in bands by attending their shows. And when one office does a blood drive, the other offices host one, too.
Company-wide, the team makes sure that everyone is included by broadcasting their all-hands meetings all over the world and hosting an internal award show to recognize individuals for their great work at LivingSocial.
Benefits and Compensation
Full-time employees get a very competitive benefits package, commensurate with their role and experience. Employees receive 15 days of vacation, full health benefits and “all the usual suspects.” According to the website, other benefits include stock options, life insurance, flexible spending accounts, short- and long-term disability coverage, commuter benefits and a “never-ending supply of Snapple, fruit snacks and chips.”
Social Media Job Listings
Every week we post a list of social media and web job opportunities. While we publish a huge range of job listings, we’ve selected some of the top social media job opportunities from the past two weeks to get you started. Happy hunting!
Source: mashable
