Ensuring a Consistent Candidate Experience Across Teams

While leading TA at Going, we implemented a search-based cohort hiring model, and it became one of the most impactful shifts in how recruiting operated. We’d open a role with a defined application window, move candidates through the process on a shared timeline, and make decisions with structure and clarity. It wasn’t rigid. We stayed flexible. Sometimes the right candidate wasn’t in that first cohort, or timing didn’t work out. When that happened, we’d reset and run the search again. But even with that, it was still far more effective than managing candidates in five different stages with no shared context or end in sight. Here’s what this approach unlocked: ✅ Aligned timelines and expectations Everyone knew what was happening and when. It gave hiring teams space to plan, focus, and reduce context switching — which led to faster, sharper decisions and a more cohesive process. ✅ Faster, more confident decisions Evaluating candidates side by side helped patterns emerge more clearly. Strong alignment stood out. Misalignment did too. ✅ Less recency bias When everyone moves through at the same pace, decisions become more objective. You’re not relying on memory from weeks ago. ✅ More consistent feedback When interviews happen in a tight window, feedback loops actually work. Interviewers stay engaged and hiring managers don’t lose context. ✅ Better candidate experience Candidates had clear expectations and timely communication. No wondering where they stood or what came next. ✅ Cleaner, more actionable data Because the process was consistent, the data meant something. We could identify drop-off points, optimize pass-through rates, and actually learn from the search. And the results spoke for themselves: 📉 We reduced time to fill by 41% ✅ We saw a 100% offer acceptance rate. ⭐ And a 5/5 QoH rating within the new hire's first 90 days. Was it perfect? No. It takes planning. It takes alignment. And yes, sometimes you’ll need to rerun a search. But in a fast-moving org, the clarity, speed, and quality this model gave us made it more than worth it. Hiring doesn’t need to feel reactive. With the right structure in place, it becomes focused, fair, and far more effective. Have you tried something similar? Would love to hear how it worked for you. 👇

Treat your recruiting team the way you'd want them to treat your candidates. Your recruiters can only deliver what you enable them to deliver. No clarity from hiring managers means no clarity for candidates. Here's what this principle actually means: 1. Give them real ammunition, not job descriptions Recruiters can't sell what they don't understand. Yet most hiring managers hand them a JD and say "go find someone." Then wonder why candidates aren't excited. Do a real kickoff. Create an intake doc. Brief your recruiters like you'd brief your sales team. Why does this role matter? What will this person actually build? Show them the real impact. When recruiters understand the mission & the role, candidates feel it. 2. Stop making them chase you for answers Imagine if you applied somewhere and waited a week for every response. That's what recruiters face internally. They message candidates "we'll get back to you soon" while waiting days for your feedback. They look incompetent because you're not responding. Every delayed decision is a recruiter losing credibility with a candidate who has three other offers. 3. Your urgency becomes their urgency When a CEO personally joins a recruiting standup or sends a quick note about why a role matters, everything changes. Recruiters move faster. They push harder. They believe more. Send emails on their behalf. Jump into nurture sequences. When hiring is treated as "HR's problem," recruiters feel it. And so do candidates. The energy you bring to hiring is the energy candidates feel in the process. 4. Let them shape the process, not just execute it Recruiters see hundreds of interviews. They start to see which questions actually predict success. They spot patterns you miss. Too many companies treat them like admins. Include them in designing interview loops. Let them flag when your process is losing good people. They're your early warning system if you actually listen. 5. They're selling your company 100 times while you're building it Every recruiter conversation is a brand moment. Every rejection handled poorly is a Glassdoor review. Every candidate who feels respected tells ten friends. Even your rejections matter. Give real feedback. Close the loop. Your recruiters are having more conversations about your company than anyone except customers. Treat them like the frontline brand ambassadors they actually are. When recruiters feel like partners, candidates feel it too. When they feel like order-takers, your hiring shows it. The best companies don't have recruiting teams. They have talent partners.

Every interviewer is looking for something different. One values experience. Another prioritizes culture fit. A third is focused on skills. This hidden hiring mistake is costing top talent. Most teams don’t even realize they’re making it. They think they have a solid hiring process. They screen. They interview. They discuss. But there’s one problem... No one is on the same page. Suddenly, a great candidate gets rejected, not because they weren’t the right fit, but because your team wasn’t aligned. Here is a playbook to fix it... ✅ 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗮 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱 → Define key skills and characteristics so every interviewer rates candidates on the same criteria. ✅ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 → Teach hiring managers to assess candidates consistently and avoid bias. ✅ 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 → Get aligned on what success looks like for this role before bringing in candidates. When your team is clear on what they’re looking for, decisions become faster, stronger, and more objective. The result? • Better hires • Less bias • A smoother process How aligned is your hiring team right now? Need help getting them there?