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Deep Dive on Recruiting:
- Sourcing
- Evaluating
- Closing
- Referencing
- Building an interview process
- 90 day plans
- Mistakes founders make
"The team you build is the company you build"
- Sourcing
- Evaluating
- Closing
- Referencing
- Building an interview process
- 90 day plans
- Mistakes founders make
"The team you build is the company you build"
It's important to get the first 10 hires right, b/c each employee will replicate themselves 10 times. So take your time.
Since you can't compete w/ Google, you want to find ppl that Google isn't chasing after but have even more talent & grit
Like drafting Tom Brady in 6th round
Since you can't compete w/ Google, you want to find ppl that Google isn't chasing after but have even more talent & grit
Like drafting Tom Brady in 6th round
What to look for in hires
- High slope & learning velocity
- Drive & grit
- Bias to action
- Micro-pessimist, Macro-optimist: https://twitter.com/rousseaukazi/status/1237252155884498944?s=20
- High integrity & low ego
- Curious
- Not only good, but known as good (so they can attract other great ppl)
- Long-term oriented
- High slope & learning velocity
- Drive & grit
- Bias to action
- Micro-pessimist, Macro-optimist: https://twitter.com/rousseaukazi/status/1237252155884498944?s=20
- High integrity & low ego
- Curious
- Not only good, but known as good (so they can attract other great ppl)
- Long-term oriented
Before you even start sourcing, make sure you have a good JD & reason why you want to spend $100K-200K hiring someone, b/c this should be last resort.
Clearly articulate what success looks like. If they're in the role for 12 months, how do you know that they've been successful?
Clearly articulate what success looks like. If they're in the role for 12 months, how do you know that they've been successful?
Before Hiring, figure out what type of role you’re hiring for:
Is it a value creation roll? (AKA creating value from scratch)
Or are you trying to preserve value? (AKA you’re already doing well and just want to make sure nothing gets screwed up)
Former is harder to hire for.
Is it a value creation roll? (AKA creating value from scratch)
Or are you trying to preserve value? (AKA you’re already doing well and just want to make sure nothing gets screwed up)
Former is harder to hire for.
Treat recruiting like a funnel.
Diagram the entire experience & identify potential leakage.
If you interview lots of ppl but don't make offers, that's either a poor evaluation process and/or sourcing problem
If you make offers but don't convert, something's wrong w/ your close
Diagram the entire experience & identify potential leakage.
If you interview lots of ppl but don't make offers, that's either a poor evaluation process and/or sourcing problem
If you make offers but don't convert, something's wrong w/ your close
Sourcing:
- If you don't have a good enough top of funnel, then you end up compromising at the bottom of the funnel
- Sell managers on the benefits of knowing how to do their own sourcing. ("If you want to be a leader, you'll have to recruit)
- Throw referral sourcing parties
- If you don't have a good enough top of funnel, then you end up compromising at the bottom of the funnel
- Sell managers on the benefits of knowing how to do their own sourcing. ("If you want to be a leader, you'll have to recruit)
- Throw referral sourcing parties
Sourcing:
- Hire in-house recruiter early. Ask sourcers to have 100 targets per wk.
- Like GTM, experiment w/ diff channels & double down
- Spend time w/ ideal passive candidates, recruiting over long time horizon
- Qualify leads ("Comp expectations? Ideal role & location"?)
- Hire in-house recruiter early. Ask sourcers to have 100 targets per wk.
- Like GTM, experiment w/ diff channels & double down
- Spend time w/ ideal passive candidates, recruiting over long time horizon
- Qualify leads ("Comp expectations? Ideal role & location"?)
Building a interview process:
Treat it like a scientific experiment—You have a control group and you keep the criteria the same.
Make sure that these candidates are asked the same questions in the same order. And you're evaluating them on the same thing so you can compare them.
Treat it like a scientific experiment—You have a control group and you keep the criteria the same.
Make sure that these candidates are asked the same questions in the same order. And you're evaluating them on the same thing so you can compare them.
Have a "scorecard" that has the attributes you're looking for in the candidate per position, how much they matter, & split up interviews accordingly.
Whatever your hiring process is, codify it, and make sure everyone has access to it.
Before interviews, have Q's ahead of time.
Whatever your hiring process is, codify it, and make sure everyone has access to it.
Before interviews, have Q's ahead of time.
Mistakes founders make:
- Decide too quickly whether they should hire this person or not. That's why it's important to have a checklist
- Pick five qualities that you want to hire for and design questions for every quality. Have interviewers rate 1-5 & compare. Calibrate raters
- Decide too quickly whether they should hire this person or not. That's why it's important to have a checklist
- Pick five qualities that you want to hire for and design questions for every quality. Have interviewers rate 1-5 & compare. Calibrate raters
Sample interview Q's:
- If you were me, what kind of candidate would you be looking for?
- If you joined & then left in 3 months, why would that be?
- What was your last boss like? How would they describe you?
More: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg/status/1125801455179436032
Not these ;) https://twitter.com/justindross/status/1075522218665209856?s=20
- If you were me, what kind of candidate would you be looking for?
- If you joined & then left in 3 months, why would that be?
- What was your last boss like? How would they describe you?
More: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg/status/1125801455179436032
Not these ;) https://twitter.com/justindross/status/1075522218665209856?s=20
Top grade interview:
Past performance is indicative of future performance, so dig in.
Go through last 5 jobs & ask:
"What were your accomplishments? Struggles? Who did you work closely w/ & how would they rate the candidate from 1-10, in your opinion?"
Then reference.
Past performance is indicative of future performance, so dig in.
Go through last 5 jobs & ask:
"What were your accomplishments? Struggles? Who did you work closely w/ & how would they rate the candidate from 1-10, in your opinion?"
Then reference.
Reference philosophy:
- On & off-book references.
- Decrease defensiveness to get better answers. Start by saying "We really like X and we'd be excited to work w/ them. Curious to ask Q's to best set them up for success."
- Do video to see body language.
- On & off-book references.
- Decrease defensiveness to get better answers. Start by saying "We really like X and we'd be excited to work w/ them. Curious to ask Q's to best set them up for success."
- Do video to see body language.
Q's to ask references:
- How do they react to frustration?
- What would that person's critic say? or last performance review?
- Describe the ideal role?
- Is this top 5% ppl you've worked w/? or Rate 1-10 but no 7.
- If this didn't work out, why not? https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg/status/1237201518119567361?s=20
- How do they react to frustration?
- What would that person's critic say? or last performance review?
- Describe the ideal role?
- Is this top 5% ppl you've worked w/? or Rate 1-10 but no 7.
- If this didn't work out, why not? https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg/status/1237201518119567361?s=20
When referencing:
- Sell the reference giver on why it's such an amazing opportunity!
- Ask them for referrals for other great ppl that should join
- Consider recruiting them if they are a fit & seem interested!
- Close the loop when you make them an offer. Make them an ally.
- Sell the reference giver on why it's such an amazing opportunity!
- Ask them for referrals for other great ppl that should join
- Consider recruiting them if they are a fit & seem interested!
- Close the loop when you make them an offer. Make them an ally.
Mistakes founders make: not optimizing candidate experience.
When you interview the candidate, the candidate is selling you. But you should also be selling them
Not only does that help you close the ppl you want to hire, but actually creates like word of mouth effect for others
When you interview the candidate, the candidate is selling you. But you should also be selling them
Not only does that help you close the ppl you want to hire, but actually creates like word of mouth effect for others
How to give a great candidate experience
- Clear expectations of role across team
- Consistent communication
- Transparent & sensible process
- Social time w/ the team
- Respect their time, particularly w/ take home work
- Make them feel special, not a cog
- Quality interviews
- Clear expectations of role across team
- Consistent communication
- Transparent & sensible process
- Social time w/ the team
- Respect their time, particularly w/ take home work
- Make them feel special, not a cog
- Quality interviews
Closing candidates:
If you're unable to close candidates, then all else is meaningless.
It's also demoralizing to existing employees who interview the candidates ("If they don't want to work here, why am I?"
Sell the mission, the team, & the opportunity. Make it compelling.
If you're unable to close candidates, then all else is meaningless.
It's also demoralizing to existing employees who interview the candidates ("If they don't want to work here, why am I?"
Sell the mission, the team, & the opportunity. Make it compelling.
Closing:
- Aim for ~70% close rate.
- Only make an offer when you're sure they'll accept. ("If we give you X,Y, Z, would you accept?")
- Identify who influences their decision and take them out to dinner w/ candidate (spouse? peer?)
- Enlist reference as an ally in closing.
- Aim for ~70% close rate.
- Only make an offer when you're sure they'll accept. ("If we give you X,Y, Z, would you accept?")
- Identify who influences their decision and take them out to dinner w/ candidate (spouse? peer?)
- Enlist reference as an ally in closing.
Closing:
Have the investor sell the candidate on why they invested, why it'll be an enormous outcome, & how they think about the team from an "unbiased" POV, and how the investor likes to invest in their employees future career success (perhaps even back their eventual startup)!
Have the investor sell the candidate on why they invested, why it'll be an enormous outcome, & how they think about the team from an "unbiased" POV, and how the investor likes to invest in their employees future career success (perhaps even back their eventual startup)!
Closing:
- Q4 is best time to recruit. Holidays are reflective, post Q4 bonus, ppl are most ready to jump
- Weather also helps. NYC kid comes in winter to SF & sees sunshine...
- 4 yr vest is natural, but don't be shy 1 mo after ppl join new co, in case it wasn't the right fit
- Q4 is best time to recruit. Holidays are reflective, post Q4 bonus, ppl are most ready to jump
- Weather also helps. NYC kid comes in winter to SF & sees sunshine...
- 4 yr vest is natural, but don't be shy 1 mo after ppl join new co, in case it wasn't the right fit
Mistakes founders make:
- Not allocating enough time to recruiting, esp. passive candidates.
- CEOs think they have to build, but after they raise money their job is to hire people who can build.
- Over 50% of founder's time should be spent hiring. They rarely spend enough.
- Not allocating enough time to recruiting, esp. passive candidates.
- CEOs think they have to build, but after they raise money their job is to hire people who can build.
- Over 50% of founder's time should be spent hiring. They rarely spend enough.
A hire isn't truly a hire until they've completed 90 day plan.
Have them write 1st draft of their annual review and co-define what success looks like, then back into a 90 day plan (which should have been backed into from the job description)
If after 90 days not good, can cut.
Have them write 1st draft of their annual review and co-define what success looks like, then back into a 90 day plan (which should have been backed into from the job description)
If after 90 days not good, can cut.
Double down on your stars & promote within
If you believe you have ppl who have 10x value creation, improving their abilities is more important than trying to fix ppl who won't create 10x value.
Management drag is created when too much time is spent helping struggling employees
If you believe you have ppl who have 10x value creation, improving their abilities is more important than trying to fix ppl who won't create 10x value.
Management drag is created when too much time is spent helping struggling employees
Mistakes founders make:
- Hiring too senior, too soon, when they try to do big co things in a small co setting.
- Hiring too senior too late is also bad b/c you got builders but you don't know what you should be building & how to scale & implement processes
- Hiring too senior, too soon, when they try to do big co things in a small co setting.
- Hiring too senior too late is also bad b/c you got builders but you don't know what you should be building & how to scale & implement processes
Mistake people make when hiring head of recruiting:
Hiring someone from FB/Google and expecting same output.
Find me someone who can sell a company with no brand and less pay.
Easy to sell ice cream. Hard to tell a cold hot dog.
When hiring one, make sure they can source too.
Hiring someone from FB/Google and expecting same output.
Find me someone who can sell a company with no brand and less pay.
Easy to sell ice cream. Hard to tell a cold hot dog.
When hiring one, make sure they can source too.
When to hire a head of HR?
When founders are spending more than 20% of their time on HR issues, then it's time to bring in a head of HR.
When founders are spending more than 20% of their time on HR issues, then it's time to bring in a head of HR.
No one cares like founders care.
No one's gonna personalize emails or sell in person like the founders will.
No one’s gonna have credibility like founder does.
If you're CEO, own the function initially, while building out a process so it can eventually scale beyond you.
No one's gonna personalize emails or sell in person like the founders will.
No one’s gonna have credibility like founder does.
If you're CEO, own the function initially, while building out a process so it can eventually scale beyond you.
Thanks to @elainewherry, @andychen, @maccaw, @rabois, Jose Guardado, and others for conversations & talks that led to this thread.
Interested in hearing feedback & other best practices.
Interested in hearing feedback & other best practices.
Follow up on hiring executives: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg/status/1239453515593859073?s=20
How to recruit against big tech companies: https://twitter.com/jaltma/status/1232114160034443264?s=20
