In this quickfire Q&A, we talk to Vapour’s friends in the tech sector to get their insight into upcoming trends, misconceptions from their industry, and why their business might be one to watch.

Next up, it’s Scott Riley, director at TechBuildr…

Tell us about your role at TechBuildr and the role you play in the tech sector

I’m the director at TechBuildr – an independent tech sales recruitment business. We recruit sales and marketing staff for growing tech firms, which means that I have to be on top of trends and insight across the industry to ensure we are able to support our clients as best we can, to maximise their recruitment opportunities.

What innovation was the turning point for your organisation to get it to where you are now?

LinkedIn is the single biggest innovation for the recruitment industry. A live and organic database full of talented potential employees, it is an essential tool for us day to day.

And where’s next for your business?

We’re looking to add more of our clients into our Recruitment as a Service (RaaS) model – outsourcing their entire recruitment process.

The biggest misconception faced by the tech sector is…

From a recruitment perspective, one misconception is that most candidates’ priorities have changed when looking into a new role. People want freedom, autonomy and company values they can relate to – but often these get overlooked by organisations keen to expand.

What do you think will be the biggest tech trend over the next 12 months?

We’re seeing a big growth in AI, data integration and SD-WAN. Gaining greater insight into consumer behaviour is also becoming much more accessible.

What top tip would you give to an individual trying to excel their tech career

Keeping a broad view of the wider tech market will give you insight into which solutions are about to grow quickly – companies in this space will offer the greatest growth opportunities, development, and training too.

The next purchase on my personal tech wishlist is…?

I keep ‘borrowing’ my daughters AirPod Pros, so I’ll have to invest in my own soon!

And what is your earliest memory of tech in your life?

My dad’s Sony Stack HiFi system – he was really protective over it when I was younger. I wasn’t allowed to touch it.

What is one longstanding piece of tech that you are shocked is still used today?

A home telephone with a fixed line. Now that everyone has access to a mobile, and with people spending much more time away from their homes, I would have thought we would have seen the last of them.

If you are without the internet for an hour, what would be the first activity you resort to, to pass the time?

I would get some vinyl on the record player, trying to convince my daughter that the 90s music scene was the best.