Building a Candidate-Centric Recruitment Process

A smooth and thoughtful hiring process has far-reaching impact. But every once in a while, you come across a hiring manager who takes it to the next level. Not by doing anything flashy, but by mastering the fundamentals. Recently, I had the pleasure of working with a hiring manager who knocked it out of the park with candidate experience. The client had originally been trying to fill a role on their own. They were looking for someone with in-house experience in pharma or biotech, with experience working with cross-functional teams. From our very first kickoff call, it was clear this wasn’t going to be a typical search. The hiring manager came in prepared and focused. We aligned on the ideal candidate profile, compensation expectations, and interview logistics. We even discussed external factors that might slow things down, like summer vacations or competing priorities, and planned around them. Within just a week, we had strong candidates in play. But what made this process stand out wasn’t speed. It was intentionality. The manager designed a process that made each candidate feel seen and respected. It started with a 45-minute video screen (with a human, no AI here), followed by a series of 1:1 interviews with key stakeholders from both within and outside the department. Each panelist was briefed on the candidate’s background and assigned a different focus area to explore so interviews didn’t feel repetitive, and candidates weren’t asked the same questions by each person. Sadly, this approach is the exception vs. the norm in most interview processes. Hiring managers, take note! Before each round, candidates received a short, personalized briefing: who they were meeting with, what the conversations might focus on, and what to expect next. It sounds simple, but this small step made a big difference. It gave candidates the confidence to show up prepared and the space to have real, productive conversations, not just rehearsed polished talking points. The manager also prioritized closing the loop quickly. Candidates received timely updates and, when possible, constructive feedback. It wasn’t just courteous. It reinforced the company’s brand as a thoughtful and organized employer. Every touchpoint was handled with care. The result? Candidates walked away feeling like they were being recruited, not processed. Multiple people told me it was one of the best interview experiences they’d ever had. And it didn’t require bells and whistles. Just preparation, consistency, and a little bit of empathy. So often we overcomplicate hiring. But this process was a reminder that when you get the basics right—clarity, communication, respect, you don’t just make better hires. You build trust, elevate your brand, and turn candidates into advocates, whether they get the job or not. It’s not rocket science. But it is rare. And it’s something every team can aspire to. #interviewprocess #hiring #feedback

Top talent will NEVER join a company with a mediocre recruiting process. They assume the rest of your company matches that experience. Yet most leaders treat their recruiters like transactional rubber stampers — then wonder why they can't hire A-players. The reality: how you treat your recruiters gets reflected in your recruiting process. Treat them like cogs in a machine? That's EXACTLY how they'll treat your candidates. Here are 8 ways treating recruiters as strategic partners transforms your hiring: 1. Give them a seat at leadership meetings A biz recruiter pitched "we need an implementation specialist" for months. Candidates weren’t biting. Then she learned this hire would unlock a $2M contract. Changed her pitch to "we need this role to hit Q3 revenue." Filled in 2 weeks. 2. Make recruiting metrics visible company-wide When engineering managers check recruiting dashboards daily, magic happens. One team went from "where's my hire?" to "I see 3 strong candidates entering final rounds." Transparency turns recruiting from blame game to team sport. 3. Let them push back on unrealistic demands A recruiter shared w/ me why she quit her last role: "I was tired of smiling when they wanted senior engineers for junior salaries." Smart companies empower recruiters to say, "that's unrealistic." The rest lose their best recruiters. 4. Include them in offer strategy, not delivery Watched a startup land their dream candidate in 48 hours — beating higher cash offers — because their recruiter could negotiate on the spot. Most make recruiters deliver pre-baked offers like pizza. 5. Invest in their tools like engineering Teams tracking candidates in Google Sheets wonder why they can't compete. Companies investing in real recruiting tools see 4x productivity gains. Your engineers get the latest MacBooks. Why make recruiters work in spreadsheets? 6. Give them time to build relationships One Gem customer filled 70% of roles in 3 weeks. How? They maintained relationships with past candidates for YEARS. Most measure recruiters on this month’s roles they need to fill. So they spam everyone and start from zero next quarter. 7. Empower them with data "Trust me, the market's tough" doesn't move executives. "Your salary range is 25th percentile — here's the data" does. Give recruiters access to data and industry benchmarks. Watch them become business partners overnight. 8. Celebrate their wins like revenue That top 1% engineer who chose you over FAANG only happened thanks to your recruiter — celebrate them like AEs winning deals. Ring the gong. Most companies only notice recruiters when hiring stops. TAKEAWAY In this market — 2.7x more applications, 90% unqualified — the difference isn't headcount. It's whether you treat recruiters as strategic partners or paper pushers. Your recruiters are interviewing for new jobs right now. Still think they're just order-takers?

Most hiring advice is garbage. At Winc, I was responsible for hiring dozens of key roles, from General Managers of our key brands, to heads of departments like performance marketing, retention, data, and engineering. I made some A+ hires, but also made some terrible ones. Here’s how I would structure a hiring process if I had to redo it all again. 1. Ditch the corporate-speak job posting and source 10-20 quality candidates via LinkedIn The best candidates are not applying to jobs. You spend a ton of time drafting a job post, and even more time combing through unqualified or low-intent resumes. Instead, I’d get LinkedIn Sales Navigator and look for rising talent that is 1 level below the role you’re trying to hire for with experience at similarly sized (or slightly larger) companies . For example, if you’re hiring for a Director of Retention, reach out to Senior Retention Managers. This is similar to the approach a recruiter may take and will save you $25K+ in commissions. 2. Ask detailed, personalized questions in the interview Forget vague, templated questions like “Tell me your 3 biggest strengths and weaknesses.” Those questions are lazy, and most candidates are trained to respond to them in a scripted way. Instead, ask detailed questions about their accomplishments on their resume. “You said you increased revenue by 50%, tell me about how you did that and what role others played in that process?” 3. Grill them on current trends in their area of expertise Candidates that are passionate about what they do keep up with trends in their domain. For example, if you’re hiring an SEO manager, ask about the current landscape of AI-driven content and how that currently shapes Google’s organic ranking strategy. Listen for an understanding of nuance and the ability to hear and weigh an opposing standpoint. 4. Spend time with them in a non-interview setting You’ll learn much more about someone over coffee, drinks, or dinner in-person than you would behind a computer screen. Look out for characteristics like graciousness (when you pay for the meal), politeness (to service staff), decisiveness (when ordering), etc. See if they’re someone you’d want to spend most of your time with. 5. Give them a case study to complete Getting sample work is a great way to gauge whether or not that candidate’s work product exceeds your expectations. This shouldn’t have to be a paid engagement for the most part. Tell them not to spend more than 30 mins - 1hr on it. If they actually care, they’ll spend more time and it’ll show in the output. 6. Hire them fractionally first Most people can spare 5-10 hours for a couple weeks to “test the waters” at a new job. Work with them for a bit on a fractional basis to see how they integrate with your team. By hiring fractionally first, you’ll get a great read on them and they’ll be able to gauge whether or not your company is one they want to be at long term.

Too many founders "wing it" when building their teams—leading to misaligned hires, wasted time, and missed opportunities. If you’re serious about scaling, you need to be as deliberate about hiring as you are about building your product. Here are key lessons I’ve learned at Greylock about early startup hiring to help founders build world-class teams: • Hone your pitch. The best founders clearly articulate an exciting vision for their product or business that entices candidates. • Process makes perfect. From defining the role you're hiring for all the way through full interviews, every step should be measurable, repeatable, and scalable. Track what works, adjust what doesn’t, and document the entire process. • Candidate experience matters. How you treat candidates affects your brand, reputation, and future hires. Treat every candidate as if they will get an offer. Even those who don’t should leave feeling positive enough to refer others. • Take the long view. Every interview is a long-term relationship opportunity. Even if they’re not the right fit today, the candidate could become a valuable connection later. • Quality over quantity. Don’t cast a wide net—target a relevant candidate pool. Do your homework and approach them in a tailored way. High volume creates noise and inefficiency. • Be brutally transparent. Don’t sugarcoat the risks and challenges of a startup. The best candidates value honesty and will appreciate knowing the truth, how they’ll be supported, and how they can grow. • Always be recruiting (ABR). Top founders dedicate time to sourcing and reaching out to candidates. Early hires often come from the founding team’s network, but as that dries up (and it will), recruiting becomes harder. Invest in recruiting activities and leverage dependable resources like VCs, agencies, and investors. • Work with a talent partner.  A strong talent partner from your VC firm or network is more than a resume pusher; they’re a guide who can advise and deeply understand your needs while focusing on quality and fit. • Master the preclose. When you extend an offer, don’t rush. Schedule a call to share the exciting news and intent to prepare an offer. Express enthusiasm, revisit motivations, and address open questions. This is also the time to align on comp expectations. A thoughtful approach ensures a successful close. • Bring your best offer upfront. Lowballing or forcing candidates to negotiate can drive top talent away. Leverage startup compensation data, be transparent about your compensation philosophy, and offer competitive packages that reflect the risk and stage they’re joining. Invest in people so they become "unrecruitable." • Onboarding and beyond. Once the offer is accepted, the job isn’t done. Onboard well, and continue to support them as they grow within the company. What’s the biggest hiring lesson you’ve learned? Let’s discuss in the comments! #startup #talent #recruiting #growth

Wise advice for anyone in the midst of a hiring process. I’ve seen firsthand how small changes can make a big difference in how candidates experience interviews. The result? Candidates feel less stressed and more confident, leading to more productive conversations. Hiring teams build stronger connections with the right people. What can you do as a hiring manager? Start by creating an environment where candidates can be their best. Here’s what you can do: Build rapport to ease nerves Encourage candidates to use notes Avoid "trap" questions Give time for pauses and thoughtful responses Offer extra time if necessary Share interview topics/questions in advance These simple changes can lead to: ☑ Better interview outcomes ☑ Stronger candidate relationships ☑ More successful hiring decisions It might feel like a small shift, but it pays off big for both the team and the candidate. It’s not about following a set formula; it’s about creating a space where everyone can thrive. What’s your best interview experience? Share below!

Hiring team: "We need more applicants"  Also hiring team: “But no one qualified is applying…” The issue isn’t just sourcing. It’s your employer brand. Here’s what candidates don’t like: ✘ Generic careers page that doesn’t tell candidates why they should join. ✘ Ghosting, endless waiting, or vague next steps—82% of job seekers expect a clear hiring timeline. (Glassdoor) ✘ Job descriptions stuffed with corporate jargon instead of real reasons to apply—“dynamic self-starter” doesn’t tell them what success actually looks like. ✘ Bad online reviews—75% of job seekers research a company’s reputation before applying. (Indeed) ✘ Complicated applications—60% of candidates abandon long applications. (CareerBuilder) Here’s what candidates do like: ✔ Employee success stories—real career growth, not just perks. ✔ Clear, realistic job previews—no surprises post-hire. ✔ Smooth, transparent hiring process—first impressions matter. ✔ Actively managed employer reputation—responding to reviews and owning feedback. ✔ Simple applications—top talent won’t waste time. Your employer brand isn’t what you tell people it is. It’s what candidates actually experience. #employerbranding #candidateexperience #hiring

I once watched a company lose its dream candidate. Not because of money. Not because of competition. But because their interview process was a mess. ⏰ 15 rounds of interviews.  ⏰ 4 different presentations.  ⏰ 2 months of waiting. By then, the candidate was gone. Here's what no one talks about: Your hiring process tells candidates exactly how you run your company. Disorganized interviews? That's how you probably handle projects. Poor communication? That's how you likely treat your team. Endless rounds of repetitive questions? That shows how you make decisions. Look, I get it. You want to be thorough. But after years of watching this play out: Nobody needs to meet your entire team.  Nobody needs six rounds asking the same questions.  Nobody needs to prove themselves over and over. Think about great candidates. They're juggling multiple opportunities. They're evaluating you at the same time as well. What actually works? Simple stuff: ✅Know exactly what you want before you start ✅Ask the right questions once, not six times ✅Trust your gut when you find someone great ✅Move fast before they're gone I've seen companies turn 8-week processes into 2 weeks. Their quality of hires went up, not down. Remember, top candidates are interviewing you, too. They're watching how you communicate. How you respect their time. How you make decisions. Take a hard look at your interview process. Would you want to go through it? #Recruitment #HiringTips #TalentAcquisition #HR #RecruiterLife #Hiring #CareerAdvice #TalentManagement #RecruitingTips #HRLife

Ignoring the candidate experience is a damaging mistake that far too many companies make. Treating candidates poorly makes it harder to attract great talent, creates a negative brand halo, and can even impact the customer experience, and dent market share. You can avoid this fate, and the stakes are higher than ever in the age of AI-generated applications. 🤦♂️ First, I wish I didn’t have to say this but I do: Candidates for open jobs are human beings deserving of fair treatment, respect, and transparency. Far too few candidates get them from companies today. 🤖 Now recruiters and hiring managers face their own challenges – drowning in piles of applications as it gets easier than ever for candidates to apply to jobs, leveraging AI tools to automate major parts of the process. 📝 But there are also AI tools and automations that make it easier to schedule notifications to go to candidates, and to keep track of all the candidates. 📈 Clearly most companies aren’t fully leveraging those capabilities. What’s more, the increase in volume of applications means that you risk angering far more people. If you have an order of magnitude more job applicants for each opening, then the numbers get very big, very quickly in terms of candidates who would rather not be in business with you as either an employee or customer in the future. You can do better though. Here's how: 1️⃣ Think of the candidate as someone who you would like to feel better about your brand, regardless of the outcome with the hiring process. Starting from that position of wanting above all to leave the person feeling good about your company will fundamentally change how you think about the hiring process. My guess is you’ll part for more emphasis on it, and even prioritize it as something to focus on for your CX or Service Design team. 2️⃣ Communicate early, often and transparently with candidates. If they are one of 600 applicants for a job, help them understand that they are highly unlikely to get the job. Don't waste their time. At this point in the process, a form email is absolutely fine, so long as it's clear and leaves them with no doubt about where they stand. 3️⃣ When the situation changes, communicate that. Have they moved on to the next phase of the process? Have they been eliminated and are now longer under consideration? Don’t leave them guessing, wondering, drawing their own conclusions about where they stand. 4️⃣ When significant time has passed, you owe them another update. Even if nothing has changed, but a week has passed since your last communication, get in touch again. Keep them up to date. 💡 This is all basic, and yet would be a vast improvement over the situation today at so many companies. But that’s an opportunity. When the bar is lower, jumping over it isn’t too hard. Need some catharsis? Share your hiring horror story in the comments. #CX #employeeexperience