Day in the Life: Nihal Solomon, People Business Partner

Nihal, one of our People Business Partners, takes us through a typical day in his life in Magnite’s Los Angeles office.

Magnite’s Day in the Life series dives into the various people and teams that make up the world’s largest independent sell-side ad company.

How would you explain what you do to someone outside the industry?

I am the People team liaison for our Engineering division, providing guidance and support in employee-related matters. Whether it’s addressing their headcount and development needs to meet company goals, analyzing future workforce needs, being a trusted advisor and confidant, or implementing and communicating company initiatives impacting our employees, I wear multiple hats regarding employees’ experiences at Magnite.

How did you first break into ad tech?

It happened by chance, actually! My background in tech recruiting started over 20 years ago, working on the staffing agency side. Then, in 2013, I transitioned to working internally at internet tech companies. My first introduction to ad tech was when I joined Rubicon Project as a contract senior tech recruiter in 2016, and didn’t know much about the industry. Let’s just say that after three months, I was quite intrigued about the complexity of the ad tech ecosystem and the engineering behind our platform. I learned a lot about the industry; I loved the people I worked with and the work culture. When my contract ended, I was fortunate to join as an employee, and the rest is history!

How does your department help support Magnite as a whole? What other departments do you interact with the most?

The People team supports all departments in the company. We help onboard new hires, provide learning and development opportunities, process payroll and benefits, and create policies that bring standardization but also allow for individual needs. We make sure we get lunch/snacks every day, design seating charts, and create fun office activities. We are here if you just need someone to listen.

Within the department, I am part of the Talent Management team. I work directly with our Engineering team, while my other People Business Partner colleagues support other lines of business. Our team also consists of specialists in Learning & Development and Leadership Development.

Overall, we strive to create a positive work culture and career journey that enables our employees to be successful internally and externally with our clients.

What does a typical day at Magnite look like for you?

I try to start my day with a 30-minute run. Gives me a chance to start the day with the energy I need and clear my head before heading into the office!

Since I support the Engineering team globally, my day can start early Pacific time if I’m on a call with our team in Belfast or late in the evening if I’m working on a project with our team in Sydney.  During the day, I work on a multitude of requests from the Engineering team and spend time on People team projects. We have weekly team meetings, which keep us aligned on the company’s ongoing projects. This gives us an opportunity to collaborate and help each other as needed.

Talk about a recent project that you’re proud of yourself/your team for accomplishing.

Magnite has grown exponentially over the last three years, bringing six different companies and cultures together while working through the pandemic in a remote environment. Within this context, one of the big challenges was to create an innovative work culture where all employees could thrive in their current roles while looking long-term to grow their careers. 

The large project the team focused on was developing a growth framework while unifying and finding common job levels, titles, and compensation strategies between the six companies that were adaptable to the modern work environment. This was a project in which most of the folks on the People team played an integral part from start to finish. This laid a strong foundation where we can provide future career growth for employees. As all projects go, we look forward to enhancing and optimizing the work we started as the company grows.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I love that each day, I tackle something new and am able to work with an exceptional team that I can count on and call my family! Apart from that, I am passionate about helping people. In my journey from a senior tech recruiter in 2016 to a People Business Partner in 2021, I’ve seen the impact and growth of the folks I’ve helped bring to the company, and that truly brings me joy. I can say that my success has also been due to the people who helped me make an impact in my career, so I want to pay it forward.

Do you have any advice for people looking to learn more about ad tech or your particular department?

Before joining the company, I never thought of or cared to know about ads and how they work. I was just focused on recruiting engineers. However, after I started with the company, I began to understand the complexity of ad tech and the impactful role it plays in the lives of everyone globally. To understand what we do, I engaged with Sales, Marketing, Product, and Engineering folks and learned how all the pieces fit. I also networked externally with others in the industry to see what part they played in ad tech. It’s such a unique industry that changes every day, so it’s best to do research, read a multitude of industry articles to stay up to date, attend industry events, and join a few industry associations.

If you are looking to be in an industry that changes and challenges you constantly, ad tech is the place to be – especially at Magnite!

When it comes to the People team, remember that we are the first glimpse into the company. From the company career page to your first call with a recruiter and interviews, your first day on the job, your first lunch, your first paycheck, your first fun company activity, your first volunteer experience, your first merit/promotion, your whole career path, all the way to if you decide to leave us, the People team touches every part of your Magnite journey.