This Newly Minted Seattle Unicorn Is Hiring — Here’s How Talent Can Stand Out

On the heels of the company’s latest funding, Swiftly’s chief HR officer gave a glimpse into what areas of the team are poised to grow.

Written by Stephen Ostrowski
Published on Oct. 05, 2022
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For a growing company, securing additional funding can help close the gap between current and future success. Their teams are enabled by the funding to move ahead on certain goals at a faster pace. 

Meanwhile, to job seekers, a funding announcement shows that said company might be a fast-moving ship worth hopping aboard — especially when their talents are needed to bring the company’s aspirations to fruition.  

Thanks to a couple of big wins this year, one such fast-moving ship — and former Built In Seattle “Startup to Watch” honoree — finds itself poised to charge ahead while seeking to add to its team. 

After announcing a $100 million Series B in March, digital retail platform provider Swiftly closed a Series C round in September, entering the esteemed “unicorn” territory with the added $100 million. The Series C funds will be used to power growth, add to Swiftly’s product portfolio and expand its footprint. 

The post-funding future sounds nothing short of busy for the Seattle-based company. In a recent conversation with Built In Seattle, Chief HR Officer Toni Richins estimated a number of new hires in the coming months, with engineering and data experiencing deepened headcount. 

So how might a talented professional resonate with the company's talent team? “At Swiftly, we value individualism, so bringing your authentic self to the interview is highly important,” Richins said. 

Read on to learn more about what’s next for Swiftly and how aspiring team members can leave an impression with the team. 

 

About Swiftly 

Swiftly bolsters the digital presence of physical retailers by equipping them with a platform to reach online, in-app and in-store shoppers. The platform’s capabilities include tools for loyalty programs, promotional offerings and campaigns. “Our mission is to empower brick-and-mortar retailers to move from analog to algorithms, as winners in this new era of commerce will be determined by how fast they can reinvent their business to capture shoppers digitally and monetize those digital relationships," Swiftly Co-founder and CEO Henry Kim said in the announcement of the company’s Series C. 

 

Image of Toni Richins
Toni Richins
Chief HR Officer • Swiftly

 

How much did your company raise in funding, and when was it announced?

Swiftly announced a $100 million Series C funding round on September 19, 2022, which was led by BRV Capital Management. This is the second $100 million investment Swiftly has secured in the last 6 months, bringing the company’s total valuation to more than $1 billion and earning the company “unicorn” status.

 

Which teams are your company's biggest priority for headcount growth right now?

We expect our engineering and data teams will see a substantial amount of growth. We estimate these teams will nearly double in size during the next year. Over the past few months, we have welcomed new leaders to Swiftly who will focus on building out teams to support the e-commerce, retail platform and data spaces. Additionally, Swiftly expects to hire an additional 40 to 50 new team members over the next 6 months.

We expect our engineering and data teams will see a substantial amount of growth.”
 

What's the best way for a candidate to progress to a phone screen with you?

At Swiftly, we value individualism, so bringing your authentic self to the interview is highly important. We want to learn what motivates and drives you, why you’re interested in Swiftly and what we can do to help you further develop your career goals. We also appreciate those candidates who have questions for us during the interview as well. It not only helps you get to know Swiftly better, but it helps us set you up for future success throughout the rest of the interview process.

 

Responses have been edited for length and clarity. Images via listed companies and Shutterstock.