The process for sourcing talent

There’s no debating that the most important asset of your company is your team. So when building your team, why wouldn’t
you want to approach it with the same rigor that you approach building a product. With every new job requisition you
create, it’s critical to create a unique sourcing strategy to attract and hire the right candidates.

What exactly is a “sourcing strategy”? The process of finding candidates for a specific role. Different strategies will
attract different types of candidates. Once you have a sourcing strategy defined, you will be able to measure how efficient
your strategy is and make adjustments to improve the results. Recruiters use a combination of sourcing strategies for a
specific job requisition. There is not one single way to approach finding the right candidate. Most searches require a
combination of both inbound and outbound sourcing. The more niche/specific the search, the more outbound sourcing the
search will require relative to inbound sourcing efforts.

Sourcing strategies
Outbound sourcing: The process of building relationships with potential candidates by proactively reaching out to
candidates via phone and email. Often entails using tools such as LinkedIn, Github or Sourcing.io.

Inbound sourcing: The process of vetting candidate that apply to a posted job requisition or are referred to an specific
role by employees or external contacts.

Posting/Sourcing Resources
With hundreds of posting and sourcing resources out there, it’s difficult to know where to market your roles. We’ve
narrowed this list down to three resources that we believe are the best for posting and sourcing for all tech, product, and
G&A roles for start up companies.

LinkedIn Recruiter Premium

● What
○ Post jobs
○ Connect (view and contact anyone on LI)
○ Find the right talent with sourcing tools
○ Stock talent pool and create shortlists
● Cost
○ $150/month per seat
● Why and when
○ When you have someone on team who is ready to start doing outbound sourcing (InMails). You don’t need to
have an internal recruiter. You need to have an engaged founder/employee who makes recruiting/sourcing a
priority. This is the early stage where founders are spending approximately 50% of their time recruiting.
Sourcing emails are coming directly from the founder’s LinkedIn account. You can download Connectifier (a
tool for finding someone’s email and or phone number) so you can use someone’s email versus sending a
LinkedIn message. This may get a higher response rate with candidates. Once an internal recruiter is hired,
the recruiter takes over the management of all things LinkedIn.
AngelList

● What

○ Post jobs and source candidates (focus on start up companies)

Hired.com

● What
○ Hired.com has proven to be a good matchmaking source for engineering hires ranging from individual
contributor developer roles to lead engineer/manager roles. The time to use Hired is when you’ve exhausted
your internal and external resources but may not be ready to use a contingency recruiter. The cost of using a
contingency recruiter is slightly higher.

Triplebyte.com

● What
○ Triplebyte delivers companies technically pre-screened engineering candidates.
● Cost
○ We work on a fee per hire with a six month guarantee. There are no upfront costs.
● Why and when
○ Same as Hired.com

Underdog.io

● What
○ Post jobs and match with talent; limited to NY and SF.
○ Good for engineering, product and sales (all IC roles).
● Cost
○ 2 options:
■ Annual subscription for companies.
■ Contingency rates.
● Why and when
○ Same as Hired.com

Rainmakers

● What
○ Marketplace for sales hiring
 ○ Screened sales candidates (IC - VP level) matched with your company.
● Cost
○ 20% of first year salary

Automately.io

● What
○ Candidate sourcing as a service.
○ Good for all IC - Dir roles.
● Cost
○ Flat fee of 3K per month per role. No Contract.
● Why and when
○ Take sourcing burden off founders in early stages.

Fetcher.ai

● What
○ Candidate sourcing as a service.
○ Good for all IC - Dir roles.
● Cost
○ Flat fee of $700/per month with minimum 3 roles per month and minimum 6 month contract.
● Why and when
○ Take sourcing burden off founders in early stages.

Celentenial.ai

● What
○ Service for passive engineering & technical talent acquisition.
○ Built by top engineering talent
● Why and when
○ Take sourcing burden off founders in early stages.
● Cost
○ $8,000/month on a 12-month contract (Discounted from $10,000/month we are charging today)
○ 30 day paid pilot if requested

Applicant Tracking Systems

An ATS is candidate management software that helps recruit people more efficiently. Managing candidate flow on an
Excel spreadsheet or project management software is not scaleable. It may work when you are interviewing 2-3
candidates per week. However, when you need to start hiring and onboarding 10 people a month, you will need a system
to help track and manage every stage of the interview process, including recruiter and hiring manager phone screens,
various onsite interviews, technical screens, offer negotiation and potentially employee onboarding. An ATS can be used
to do some or all of these things.

Who does NOT need an ATS?

● You are a small company that only hires 1-2 people per quarter.
● You plan to stop hiring after building a team of less than 30 employees.
● You don’t have employees who are committed to learning how to use the ATS system.

Why do companies need to invest in an ATS?

● A good ATS is smart enough to help you find candidates, manage the recruitment process and deliver a solid
candidate experience. Some ATS platforms have the ability to go out and hunt for candidates that match posted
positions.
● You will save time and money in the long run. A good ATS will automate the time consuming aspects of recruiting
(e.g., sourcing, scheduling, collecting interview feedback).
● You will build a large, searchable candidate database that will be increasingly valuable over time.

Challenges of an ATS?

● ATS ranking systems are not always reliable so keyword searches in an ATS may not bring up a relevant pipeline.
Your database is only as good as your search mining tools.
● There is lots of room for user error. ATSs can be complex, with lots of bells and whistles. While most users see the
ATS system as a place to hold resumes and post jobs, the core value of the ATS comes from other functions, which
need to be used thoughtfully.
● If you build it they might not come. You can invest in a great ATS system with every function available to mankind,
but if your employees don’t know how to use it, you might as well not have one. Trainings and office hours are crucial.
Hiring managers must be aligned with C-level management to drive employee engagement so that everyone in the
company is effectively a recruiter.

Homebrew ATS recommendations

There are lots of applicant tracking systems and you could spend countless hours doing demos. We have narrowed it
down for you so that you can pick from two systems that we confidently recommend: Greenhouse and Lever.
We’ve outlined the pros and cons below after conducting our own evaluation and talking to customers in the Homebrew
portfolio. No system is perfect, but you will find your recruiting process significantly easier to manage once you implement
one of these systems.

Greenhouse
https://www.greenhouse.io/

Useful review: http://www.greenhouse.io/blog/how-we-chose-our-applicant-tracking-system-at-brightroll

Pros:

● Customization: Candidate workflows are easily customizable and the UI is pretty simple to navigate.
● Open API: Allows for integration with almost every other recruiting tool which eliminates a lot of administrative
hassle and simplifies a lot of the process.
 ● Customer support: Great, fast customer support. Easy-to-use chat bot on their site so you can talk to a real person
through their web app during work hours.
● Scorecards: Customizable way to rate candidates and great for longevity of candidate profiles. Easy to come back
months/years later and see prior feedback.
● Candidate duplication: Strong duplicate detection with simple setup.
Cons:

● Reporting: They don't have a customizable reporting platform yet so you have to use their canned reports, which may
not always align with your needs.
● Price: One of the most expensive tools on the market.

Lever
http://www.lever.co

Example customers: Quora, Lyft, Change.org, Finix

Pros:

● UI/UX: Really simple to navigate. This is a product you want to use, not just something you have to use.
● Minimal training required: Well set up to get and keep the whole team involved.
● LinkedIn integration: The Chrome Extension is great and makes sourcing from LinkedIn seamless.
● Customer support: The Lever support team moves quickly and responds to feedback. They will do things for you
behind the scenes by hand if their tooling isn't built for your task yet.

Cons:

● Feature set: Relative to Greenhouse, the feature set is limited and may not cover all recruiting use cases.
● Job board integrations: No integration with outside job boards, making posting a painful, manual process.
● Limited user-level access controls: You can't give admin-level controls over certain candidates or roles; just to the
system as a whole.

How effective is your process? Combining a well-defined strategy with an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), you should
be able to figure out the following:

● How many resumes, social profiles, names, etc., do you have to identify to result in a single hire?
● What is the efficiency of your sourcing/recruiting/hiring process?
● How do different messaging/engagement strategies and tactics impact your efficiency?
● What data would help educate your team about how much effort goes into producing a single hire and the effects of a
poor assessment/hiring process?

Agency Resources
When is it time to use a recruiting agency? There are several reasons companies turn to agencies. The #1 reason is
bandwidth. You are a small company with no internal recruiter or you have an internal recruiting team without the
resources or experience to do a specific search. You might also use an agency to conduct a confidential search. If you’re
looking to complete a search where someone is currently in the role, it can be easier for an outside agency to lead a
discrete search without disrupting the business.

Agencies pride themselves on the relationships they have and build over time, especially retained agencies. By hiring a
retained agency, you are hiring someone with long term relationships in your industry who will be making introductions to
your company. If you are an early stage company, branding and PR come along with the search process since your agency
is telling your story to every candidate they speak with.

A contingency recruiter earns a fee only when the company hires someone. The contingency recruiter will be a lot quicker
and deliver more candidates in order to increase the odds of making a placement. They work for many clients at the same
time and often send candidates to several clients at one time. * Please contact Beth for referrals to contingency agencies.

Fee structure. Typically, this is a percentage of the employee’s first year compensation package and can range from 20%
– 25% of that individual’s base salary. Once you have established a relationship with a recruiter and plan to use them for
several roles, try to negotiate a fixed fee per hire vs. % of salary.

When do you use a contingency search agency? Using a contingency agency is a supplement to the work your company
is already doing. The agency does not get paid until they make a placement, so they are doing high volume work. They
may be working on competing jobs for other companies (sending out candidates to your company as well as other clients)
so it is a fast, high volume, competitive cycle. It is best to have several contingency agencies working for you at the same
time. You should not have an exclusive arrangement when working with a contingency agency.

Retained
Retained search firms get a retainer (upfront fee) to perform a specific search for what is typically a senior role (VP+). The
firm will operate on an exclusive basis with the client and not work with other clients that would represent a conflict of
interest. * If you need to find a retained firm for a specific search, please contact Beth directly.

Timing. 90-120 days is a realistic time frame to complete an executive search (from contract signed to offer letter
signed). For this to happen, the client and agency need to establish upfront how much time will be needed to 1) collect
candidate feedback and 2) schedule interviews.

Fee structure. You pay an upfront, guaranteed fee to the retained search firm for their services. While all retained
recruiting contracts are different, typically retained agreements give the recruiter exclusive access to the open job
requisition.

● Fee structure #1: The agency charges a professional fee plus expenses for services. A standard fee is one-third (1/3)
of the projected first year’s cash compensation (base salary, target bonuses and signing bonus) for the new
executive, normally billed out to you over a three-month period.
● Fee structure #2: The agency charges a combination of cash and equity where up to 30% of the cash might be
charged as equity in the company.

When do you use a retained agency? Retained agencies are best for executive roles (VP and above) where the client is
fully committed and engaged in the search. If the search is confidential, a retained search is the best way to go for reasons
described above. A retained search requires a significant amount of time and money from you. To get the search
completed in 90-120 days (average placement time from contract signed to offer signed), you need to be fully committed
and engaged in terms of quick turn around time on candidate feedback and availability for meetings. There is always an
exclusive arrangement when working with a retained agency.

Container: A container model is a hybrid of a contingency and retainer model. Clients pay a fee upfront (anywhere from
$7-15K) to secure time and services. *If you need are interested in working with a container firm, please contact Beth directly for
referrals.

Fee structure. The agency charges a percentage of the candidate’s first year base salary (20-25%). The fee is usually
payable in 2 installments, with a deposit upfront (7K-10K) then the remainder at the time the offer is signed.

When do you use a container model? A container model is best for a role where you want an exclusive retainer process
but do not want to pay a retainer type fee. This model is usually best for Sr. Manager, Director and VP level roles. We
would not recommend a container search for C level positions because you will want the full commitment that comes along
with a retained agreement.

JOB DESCRIPTIONS
What makes a good Job Description?

● Describes the skills and competencies that are needed to perform the role
● Defines where the job fits within the overall company hierarchy
● Can be used as the basis for the employment contract
● Communicates the culture and values of the company
● Serves as a valuable performance management tool

Good resources for writing job descriptions:

● http://recruitloop.com/blog/how-to-write-a-job-description/
● http://www.marsdd.com/mars-library/job-description-template-sample-startups/
● http://support.simplyhired.com/entries/29761908-Tips-10-Secrets-to-Writing-a-Great-Job-Post

Links to sample job descriptions:

● https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/2014/04/job-descriptions-that-win-3-outstanding-examples
● http://www.greenhouse.io/blog/10-unique-job-description-examples

Writing job descriptions using the MOC Framework

In addition to the resources above, we are proponents of the MOC framework for helping develop job descriptions. Job
descriptions often get created for roles that don’t ever get filled. Why does this happen? The most common reason is
because there is not internal alignment on the role. How do you prevent this from happening? Go back to the basics and
walk through the MOC (Mission, Outcome, Competencies) framework before you go to market with a new executive role.
This framework can help answer why you need this person, what this person will do and how will this person contribute to
the organization? This process can be very helpful in creating the needed alignment so that you can conduct a successful
search.
The MOC framework creates alignment by starting with a good job description. Below is an outline of the MOC
framework, which can be used to arrive at a universal understanding of what the job profile is and why the company is
looking for this role. There are three components to the MOC approach.

1. Mission: What do we need this person to do over the next 12-18 months (essence of the job in 2-3 sentences, plain
English)
2. Outcomes: What specific outcomes are we looking for this person to achieve in their first 12-18 months (5-8
specific/important goals that support the mission, ranked by order of importance). Outcomes also influence the
reporting relationships that might need to be in place for the person to achieve the desired Outcomes.
 3. Competencies: How do we expect this person to operate in achieving the Mission and Outcomes? Competencies
have two levels:
a. What set of experiences / accomplishments does this person have that gives him or her a unique advantage in
achieving the Outcomes?
b. What competencies does this person need to meet the broader demands of our company culture?

By answering the questions above, and then creating a job description based on those answers, you’re more likely to have
the alignment needed to complete a search that lands the right candidate for the position.

Related articles/articles:
https://medium.com/@barmstrong/how-to-hire-executives-e2ee8e05cad3
https://medium.com/village-capital/two-tried-and-tested-ways-to-recruit-all-star-teams-d0dce2a7678b
https://medium.com/speroventures/the-end-to-end-guide-to-startup-hires-from-yelps-former-coo-90ddfaf94467
https://www.khoslaventures.com/the-art-science-and-labor-of-recruiting
https://medium.com/swlh/hiring-guide-for-startups-d98e9f7b8e4a
https://firstround.com/review/The-anatomy-of-the-perfect-technical-interview-from-a-former-Amazon-VP/
https://slack.engineering/a-walkthrough-guide-to-finding-an-engineering-job-at-slack-dc07dd7b0144

Updated 1.13.20

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