Angie’s List Adding Jobs in Indy
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe co-founder of Angie’s List says the merger with Colorado-based HomeAdvisor nearly three years ago has brought a renewed focus to the service provider review platform. Angie Hicks and Bill Oesterle created the company about 20 years ago, which at one point employed some 2,000 people in Indianapolis before being acquired by HomeAdvisor’s New York-based parent IAC (Nasdaq: IAC). Hicks says the company is now in a hiring push despite the pandemic.
In an interview on Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick, Hicks said the platform has seen increased use because of changing consumer behaviors.
“I really think the home is having a moment and I think it’s going to be long-lasting after the pandemic,” said Hicks. “Over the last six months, we have spent all of our time focused around our home. Vacations were put on hold and we turned to putting in pools and doing landscaping. It was interesting that a good portion of people were using their stimulus money to actually invest in home improvements and we’re seeing that as we continue to go through the summer months here, which is the high season for home improvement.”
The acquisition of Angie’s List was reportedly valued at up to $500 million, though a specific figure was not disclosed. IAC merged HomeAdvisor and Angie’s List to create ANGI Homeservices Inc. (Nasdaq: ANGI), though both brands continue to operate under their respective names.
Indianapolis is the second-largest location for Angie’s List, behind its headquarters in Denver. Hicks says the company is looking to fill a variety positions with its new hiring push.
“We have openings in our sales organization, both on the Angie’s List side and the HomeAdvisor side; we have a HomeAdvisor sales office in Indy as well,” said Hicks. “And on the corporate side, product and tech – those positions that are always in high demand. We’re looking for those, too.”
Hicks says the changing dynamic of the home as a result of the pandemic will impact the business going forward.
“I think it’s going to help push Millennials into becoming homeowners, who might’ve been a little hesitant, who had gone through quarantine living in an apartment. Also, the fact that many more companies are going to remote work, we might be able to attract some of those people that choose to live in New York on San Francisco because that’s where their job is. If they can work remote, they might come here to central Indiana and I could see that driving more home ownership because it’s obviously much more economical, especially in the Midwest.”