Interview to Close

About a decade ago, I got my start in startup hiring, executive search, and everything in between at a boutique search firm that was a startup itself. I was employee #1.

I closed searches with a pretty diverse array of industries, company sizes, and different roles. From financial and treasury analysts for a half-billion dollar public shipping company, a Director of Marketing for a frozen yogurt franchise, to an Office Manager who would end up acting as a Chief of Staff for a social impact SaaS company.

Back then, how the interview loops ran and the end-to-end candidate experience was designed and implemented was often not within my purview, but I knew when companies got it right, and when they didn't.

Here's what getting it right looks like:

• Your top candidates are moving from initial screening to Hiring Manager calls within 2 weeks of application or initial contact.
• You're able to share what your interview steps are in the initial call.
• With each conversation, you and the team have written feedback that builds conviction in who you are moving forward which leads to your offer decision. Same thing for the candidate. They have fewer reservations and more questions about onboarding towards the end.
• Your top candidates are getting excited about the prospect of joining the team, and you are talking about what working together and what you can accomplish together looks like.

And yes, ultimately, you close the person you want!

"Hiring the right people takes time, the right questions, a healthy dose of curiosity." - Richard Branson

The interview process should be rigorous yet inviting to help you identify the best candidates while also selling them on the startup’s team, mission and roadmap. And everyone involved needs to understand this and opt into being part of the process. That means documenting what questions they're using, and submitting timely written feedback. If you don’t have a system for it, even email or slack is great. This supports better decision-making.

Take into consideration the candidate's time/schedule, and yours. Great people are in demand. Your process can determine whether or not the candidate continues with you.

So let's talk about what an interview loop could look like:

Here's a guide:

1. Intro Call: Use this conversation to gauge motivations, timelines, values, and alignment with your stage of company, and mission. Be transparent about what working with you, the team, and at the stage of your company is like - the highs and the lows. Have candidates walkthrough 1-2 relevant problems and experiences they have with what you're looking to solve. Even more importantly, understand if they've done it with limited resources and ambiguity. Hone in on 2-3 areas that are non-negotiable to qualify what you need in a founding team member.
2. Technical or Role-specific Rounds: Use real-world challenges or problem scenarios related to the work and to your stage of company. As startups, you're building lean, experimenting quickly, and finding PMF. Factor this in when evaluating. We've had great success with things like time-boxed take-homes, and work simulations. Some tips:- If it's a more technical hiring challenge, going over it in a call and providing a high-level rubric can go a long way to having a candidate commit to completing it. - Don't request "free work". The scope and what you're asking them to do to prove their proficiency in their craft should be time-boxed. I prefer <3 hours max. It should also be work that you can't use for your company/product. All of this can help mitigate candidate churn and shorten the time to hire.
3. Meeting the team: Give prospective hires space to get to know the team. Under 6 people? They should probably be meeting everyone. This not only helps assess cultural add but also reveals possible collaboration dynamics. Pairing 2 to 1 works well here if you need to shorten the number of rounds.
4. Closing Calls + Verbal Offer: This is an important conversation for any questions or lingering reservations a candidate might still have. Get a sense of how they are making their decision and what's important to them. More than just ticking a box, these calls underscore that the candidate isn't just another number – they're a potential key player on your team. If they've got other offers on the table? This is your moment to spotlight why your company stands out. Plus, it's a chance to offer a glimpse of the onboarding process and the team dynamics. Remember, the way you conduct this call is a reflection of your company’s values and culture.

In our venture studio, we often embrace the phrase "progress, not perfection".

Hiring well, like anything else you do, takes practice and it also means taking risks. Many of the best hiring managers I work with are the ones who care a lot about building a great team. So much so that moments of self-doubt show up along the way, and biases creep in. That's where staying true to a thoughtfully designed hiring process shines.

Whether it's your first or 10th time building your founding team - recruit thoughtfully, and treat recruitment like the future of your company depends on it.