Companies that use Handshake

Source: Analysis of Linkedin bios of 39,531 companies that use Handshake

I noticed that Handshake's typical customers span an incredibly diverse range of industries and business models. These aren't just tech companies hiring developers. I'm seeing waste management firms, insurance brokerages, credit unions, accounting practices, restaurants and breweries, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, educational institutions, fitness studios, and manufacturing companies. What unites them is that they all employ people and need to recruit talent, but they're doing very different things in the market. Some are selling dumpster rentals, others are providing legal services to low-income families, and still others are running trampoline parks or brewing craft beer.

These companies skew toward established, mature organizations rather than early-stage startups. I see very few venture-backed companies, limited funding activity overall, and employee counts that cluster in the 50-500 range with many over 1,000 employees. The emphasis on decades of history, multiple locations, and proven track records suggests companies past the startup phase and into stable growth or maturity.

Source: Analysis of tech stacks from 39,531 companies that use Handshake

I noticed something striking about companies using Handshake: they're overwhelmingly large, established organizations with serious compliance and governance requirements. The combination of Ethics Point and Navex One appearing 266-267x more frequently tells me these are mature enterprises that need sophisticated whistleblower hotlines and compliance management systems. This isn't the tech stack of scrappy startups. These are Fortune 500s, major universities, and large public institutions.

The pairing of Proofpoint Security Training with these compliance tools makes perfect sense. Organizations this size face enormous cybersecurity risks and regulatory obligations, so they're investing heavily in employee training and awareness programs. Add Docusign appearing 112x more often, and I see companies managing thousands of employment agreements, vendor contracts, and compliance documents at scale. Meanwhile, Qualtrics showing up 304x more frequently suggests they're constantly measuring employee engagement, candidate experience, and institutional effectiveness through surveys and feedback loops.

The full stack reveals these companies operate through highly structured, process-driven models. They're not nimble or product-led. They're governance-led organizations where risk management, compliance reporting, and standardized workflows take precedence. The prevalence of Zoom Business rather than cheaper alternatives indicates budget availability and preference for enterprise-grade tools with proper security controls. These are companies in the mature stage with established HR departments, legal teams, and procurement processes.