Case Study: How Veritas Made 13 Engineering Hires from One HackerX Event
When Chad Spotts, Global Talent Acquisition leader at Veritas, first attended a HackerX event as a sponsor in Minneapolis, he saw potential. What happened next exceeded all expectations: a single private HackerX event yielded 13 engineering hires—a record that demonstrates the power of focused, face-to-face tech recruiting.
The Veritas Challenge
Veritas helps organizations transform their data into information, with solutions used by nearly 90% of Fortune 500 companies. Like many enterprise technology companies, they faced the challenge of scaling their engineering team while competing for talent against flashier consumer-facing tech brands.
Starting with a Public Event
Veritas journey with HackerX began cautiously. They sponsored their first public HackerX event in Minneapolis, testing the waters before committing to a larger engagement. The experience was positive enough to warrant the next step: a private event tailored specifically to their hiring needs.
The Private Event Advantage
In December 2016, Veritas hosted a private HackerX event in Roseville, Minneapolis. Working closely with the HackerX team, they targeted specific candidate profiles matching their open engineering roles. The result? Thirteen new hires from a single event.
Key Success Factors
Chad Spotts attributes their success to several factors:
- Embracing the format: “Embracing the experience is the biggest thing. Because HackerX concept is so different from others, approaching it without any expectations can help the whole experience.”
- Staying open: “Being open was the main reason we were successful.”
- Quality networking: “Private or public, HackerX events provide quality networking opportunities. The ability to meet people I have not met is a good reason to give HackerX a shot.”
ROI That Speaks for Itself
Consider the math: traditional recruiting through agencies typically costs 20-25% of first-year salary. For 13 engineering hires, that could easily exceed $500,000 in recruiting fees. A private HackerX event delivers candidates directly, without per-hire commissions, making the return on investment exceptional.
Lessons for Enterprise Recruiters
The Veritas success story offers several takeaways for enterprise talent acquisition teams:
- Start with a public event to understand the format
- Graduate to private events for targeted hiring at scale
- Approach the experience with openness rather than rigid expectations
- Focus on genuine connections, not just resume collection
For companies with aggressive hiring targets, the Veritas case study proves that HackerX private events can deliver results that transform talent acquisition from a bottleneck into a competitive advantage.
