Tech:NYC Digest: July 27

Tech:NYC Digest: July 27

July 27, 2023 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

Thursday, July 27, 2023

In today’s digest, what tech job seekers actually look for during their search, OMNY hits one billion tap-ins, and keeping cool during the NYC heat wave.

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  • The heat wave is here to stay … at least through tomorrow. The National Weather Service has issued an Excessive Heat Warning for the city through Friday night. (NY1)

    • The “heat island effect” makes NYC feel about 9.5 degrees hotter than it actually is for the average New Yorker, and tomorrow’s heat index is expected to climb to as high as 108 degrees.

    • Here is what to do if your apartment is too hot — including what rights you have to a working A/C unit, where to find a cooling center, and the signs you need medical help. 

  • Customers have now tapped into the subways and buses using the OMNY fare payment system more than one billion times, the MTA announced. (Gothamist)

    • Nearly half of all subway riders are now using OMNY to swipe their fares.

  • New York state has approved a project to build a mixed-use tower with 1,200 housing units at the 5 World Trade Center site, promising a third of the housing stock would be affordable. (New York Daily News)

In other reading:

  • A Trash-Eating Sea Monster Appears in the Hudson (The New Yorker)

  • Kids' Night on Broadway Plans Summer Return; See Which Shows Are Participating (Playbill)

  • The first Wegmans in Manhattan is opening in October (Eater NY)

We’ve said it before: Don’t let the headlines fool you, there’s still intense competition to hire tech talent. 

A survey conducted by the hiring platform Indeed and global insights agency Skim found that 70% of tech workers had more than one offer when they landed their current role, Tech Brew reports. 

So what exactly are tech job-seekers looking for? 

  • Transparency, for one: 77% of job-seekers said they are most interested in learning about salary and benefits when applying for a job. 

  • The top reason tech workers cite for not moving forward in completing an application is not knowing compensation details.

  • On that note: 68.5% of NYC tech employers are disclosing a salary range in their job posts, as required by the city's pay transparency law, according to Comprehensive.io. That's ahead of the 59.8% of California tech employers operating under a similar law.  

Hybrid work is still popular. 

  • Job postings that offer hybrid work arrangements have higher click-through rates than fully remote or fully in-office roles, Indeed found.

A focus on work-life balance factors into why workers stay at — or leave — a job.

  • Tech workers polled by Indeed listed a lack of work-life balance as the top reason they would leave a job. 

  • That presents a potential advantage for tech industry employers: Tech workers at tech companies are more likely to work just under 40 hours per week, Indeed found, while tech employees in industries like banking, aviation, and defense more often exceed a 40-hour workweek.

Get the full Indeed report here (and don’t forget to explore our Tech:NYC Jobs Board — new roles come online every 24 hours!).

In other reading:

  • ​​How-to guide: Pitching in a VC downturn (PitchBook)

  • Why Companies Can — and Should — Recommit to DEI in the Wake of the SCOTUS Decision (Harvard Business Review)

  • Fully remote companies have an advantage in hiring workers, new data shows (HR Brew)

  • Croissant, a NYC- and Nashville-based online checkout and buyback software provider, raised $24 million in seed funding. Participating investors include Portage Ventures, Third Prime, BoxGroup, 25madison, Twelve Below, and a group of individuals.

  • Flipturn, a NYC-based EV fleet operations platform, raised $4.5 million in seed funding. Accel led the round and was joined by Comma Capital and Background Capital.

  • GlossGenius, a NYC-based business solution for the beauty and wellness industry, raised $28 million in Series C funding. L Catterton’s growth fund led the round and was joined by Bessemer Venture Partners and Imaginary Ventures.

  • ReflexAI, a NYC-based call center training company, raised $3.3m in seed funding. Footwork led the round and was joined by Emerson Collective, Altman Capital, Gaingels, and other angels.

  • August 2: In-person: AI Tech for Good Pitch Contest, featuring finalists Azul Bio, InterviewMaster, Libbie Health, Pajama Cats Media, and Tilosia. Hosted by Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. Use code TechNYC for a complimentary ticket while supplies last by registering here.

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