This is how you get hired at Xero

When we sat down with Tracey Wells, Head of Talent Experience at Xero, we discussed how potential employees can learn about the fintech field and land their ideal position.

The New Zealand-based software company specializes in cloud-based accounting software and has offices from New Zealand and Australia, to the UK and the US.

What top tips can you offer candidates looking to join the industry?

“It depends on the role you’re applying for, but you really want to understand what problems the industry is facing, how companies are looking to solve those problems, and who the current market leaders are and why,” explains Wells.

Wells explains that candidates should know their strengths and strive to join a company they can describe as great. The candidate should have in mind how they can bring their skills to the team and what kind of company they want to work for in terms of culture, products and customer engagement.

What does Xero want from their ideal candidates?

Xero places great emphasis on new hires sharing their customer values, Wells details, and it is important that candidates follow Xero’s values. When looking for new talent, she looks for candidates who have relevant technical skills and experience and a desire to see small businesses thrive.

“It’s critical that we hire for the long term and not just to fill a role in the fastest possible time. That’s why we ensure candidates understand the fast-paced nature of our business, can navigate change and ambiguity and are solution-focused. It is important that they challenge us positively and highlight the ways in which we can work better.”

What roles is Xero currently hiring for?

Xero is currently hiring for positions across the board, including in marketing and communications, business services and customer operations. See their full list of vacancies here.

Why work at Xero?

Xero holds monthly forums to discuss events and company culture with the goal of regularly checking in with employees to improve their happiness and comfort in the work environment.

Wells continues: “Our focus is to deliver positive impact for small businesses and their accountants and bookkeepers, whether that’s providing mental health support for business owners or lobbying the government to take greater action around late payments. The work we do has an impact on the health of small businesses – and the economy as a whole – which is hugely rewarding for our employees.”

What can Xero do for you?

Xero emphasizes the holistic health of its employees by providing a wellness center and mental health tools to managers of their teams. The company also offers a bereavement and compassionate paid leave policy along with replacing the term “sick leave” with “wellness leave” to encourage employees to place the same emphasis on mental health as they do physical.

The company gives 26 weeks off paid maternity leave and also offers six weeks paid partner leave, and 10 paid ‘keep in touch’ days.

Wells states that Xero has a very open and flexible hybrid working policy that allows employees to work where they feel comfortable, although they are required to be based in the same country as the payroll. People who work remotely are asked to come into the office four times a year to keep in touch with other employees.

Tell us success stories about employees who have risen through the ranks of Xero.

“A large number of Xero employees have started in one role, only to expand their expertise, learn new skills to become even more central to the company’s success. For example, we have helped over 31 specialists join the customer experience team in the UK and EMEA team to pivot into broader roles in education, product, sales operations, analytics and more, says Wells.

“Because of their proximity to other teams, they are able to graduate, work on projects that expand their scope and experience and enable them to be ‘front of the line’ when roles on that team arise.”

Want to see more fintech opportunities? Visit the Finextra Job Board for hundreds more roles and bookmark the link for regular check-ins.