登录查看更多内容

Rehumanizing Recruiting

Ashby

Building people software for high growth companies.

发布日期: 2024年12月4日

Shannon Ogborn here, your host of Offer Accepted. In our latest Offer Accepted episode, I spoke with Mike Peditto , Director of Talent at Teal , about how recruiters can create a seamless and human-centric hiring process, even with limited resources. Mike shared his philosophy of prioritizing candidates’ experiences through transparency and empathy, revealing practical strategies to elevate hiring processes and team morale.

This conversation is full of insights for talent leaders looking to improve their recruitment processes. Here are the my top takeaways from our discussion:

Takeaway 1: Share Interview Questions in Advance ??

Mike's approach to transparency starts with providing candidates with interview questions upfront. This approach not only reduces anxiety but also builds trust, allowing candidates to engage in more meaningful conversations.

Why It Matters: Recruitment isn’t a “gotcha” process — it’s a collaborative effort to identify the best fit. By creating an environment where candidates feel prepared, organizations can foster a smoother and more productive hiring experience.

Quick Tips:

Send interview questions in advance for predictable stages of the hiring process. Start with recruiter screens and values interviews, where the questions remain consistent, and extend the practice to other stages when possible. This transparency sets clear expectations and reduces stress.
Educate hiring managers on the value of transparency. When introducing this practice, define its intention: It’s about empowering candidates, not giving them an unfair advantage. Emphasize that prepared candidates reflect real-world performance.
Iterate and refine your questions. Review your interview process regularly to ensure the questions are effective in predicting success for each role. Adjust and improve based on hiring outcomes and feedback.

Takeaway 2: Rehumanize Recruiting with Paid Work Trials ??

Candidates aren’t just resumes, they’re people. Mike discussed how maintaining a personal touch, even in resource-strapped environments, can improve satisfaction and strengthen employer branding.

Why It Matters: By prioritizing human connections, recruiters can create a process that candidates remember positively — whether or not they’re hired. This focus on relationships contributes to long-term recruitment success.

Quick Tips:

Reintroduce humanity into recruiting touchpoints. Avoid ghosting and generic rejections by offering thoughtful communication that acknowledges candidates' effort. Personalized follow-ups and gestures of goodwill, like free access to tools or resources (e.g., Teal Plus), show that you value candidates as individuals, even if they’re not selected.
Integrate paid work trials as part of your hiring process. Mike shared that Teal uses paid work trials to provide candidates with realistic challenges while offering insights into their capabilities. These trials allow companies to evaluate candidates in real-world conditions and give candidates a positive, transparent experience with the organization.
Create meaningful candidate experiences through transparency. Practices like sharing interview questions upfront and setting clear expectations help candidates feel prepared and respected, building trust and reducing the anxiety often associated with hiring processes.

Takeaway 3: Make Recruiting a Team Sport ??

Mike highlighted the importance of aligning with hiring managers and leadership to create an efficient, transparent hiring process. This collaboration ensures everyone benefits, from the candidates to the internal team.

Why It Matters: Recruiting doesn’t happen in isolation. Strong partnerships with hiring teams lead to better decision-making and a smoother experience for candidates.

Quick Tips:

Align on expectations early. Use kickoff meetings to discuss role requirements, define success metrics, and create structured interview scorecards. Ensure everyone is on the same page before engaging candidates.
Secure leadership buy-in for key practices. For example, if sharing interview questions upfront is a goal, work with leaders to model this transparency and communicate its value to hiring managers.
Support hiring managers through structured processes. Empower managers with templates for interview questions and clear workflows. Provide training on how to dig deeper into responses while respecting the candidate’s preparation.

What Hiring Excellence Means to Mike

For Mike, hiring excellence is about creating a seamless process where all parties — candidates, recruiters, and hiring managers — feel supported. “Excellence is when everyone involved thinks it was easier than it was,” he shared. By focusing on the behind-the-scenes work to make things smooth, recruiters can deliver outstanding outcomes.

Mike's Recruiting Hot Take ??

The hiring process isn’t broken. Instead, the challenges come from external factors like limited resources and increased job seeker stress. Mike advocates for addressing these external pressures with creativity and empathy to navigate today’s complex hiring landscape.