One of the hottest segments in TA tech in 2020 is video interviewing and assessments. Today we're seeing one of the leading players in the space continue its expansion. Modern Hire was born last year, the result of the merger of Shaker International (assessments, and not to be confused with the marketing agency) and Montage (video interviewing). The announcement today that Modern Hire was acquiring Sonru continues that approach.
Incorporating Sonru into the Modern Hire brand expands Modern Hire's client-facing presence to include offices and staff in Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, enabling Modern Hire to serve most major regions and time zones around the world.
Speaking in a live-stream to discuss the announcement on Talent Product Plays, Sonru CEO Ed Hendrick explained: "From a geographic perspective, our focus is on EMEA. Modern Hire is mainly focused in their market (North America), so it became a no-brainer for us in terms of that perspective... and we're seeing increasing demand from our clients for a platform that combined interviewing and assessments. From a product and geographic perspective, it made sense. And, there was such a strong cultural fit. That was incredibly important to us."
Brian Stern, CEO of Modern Hire, added: "The pandemic has provided an opportunity to talk about the virtual nature of our product... While some organizations had taken advantage of that, now its all companies... And, with rapid hiring, we're seeing companies who hold off hiring and then suddenly need to hire 500 people, so there's a need for tools that can help there."
In a statement, Stern said: "Modern Hire has established itself as the innovation leader trusted by known brands to modernize their virtual hiring process, with a focus on the candidate experience. The combination with Sonru was compelling due to our tremendous alignment in culture and values, and Sonru's success in the EMEA and APAC regions. This will increase our in-market presence in major growth geographies and enable us to better anticipate the changing needs of our global buyers. We welcome Sonru to the Modern Hire team, and look forward to supporting their clients with the strength of our technology, team and reach."