“The Breakthrough Hiring Playbook” – Issue 3
After ten years in tech recruitment, one thing still surprises me.
For all the talk of innovation in hiring, we still forget the most basic rule of recruitment: people join companies where they feel wanted. And I do not mean “we sent them a contract quickly.” I mean seen, understood, and excited about what is next..
Too many hiring processes still operate from the wrong angle. They are built around what you want as the company and forget to think about what matters most to the candidate.
So today’s playbook is not about tools, trends, or AI in recruitment. It is about mindset. Because the companies winning top talent in 2025 are the ones that have made one key shift: they think like candidates.
You would be surprised how often I hear hiring managers say:
- “They should want to work here we are X, we are building something great.”
- “We are paying market rate, that should be enough.”
- “We just want someone who believes in the mission.”
But this is what most strong candidates are actually thinking:
- “I am not desperate.”
- “I already have a decent job.”
- “If I move, it needs to be for the right role at the moment”
That disconnect is one of the biggest blockers to great hiring. Especially when it is baked into every part of your process from the top to the bottom. Here is a simple truth I see play out every week: Candidates do not join unless you give them a reason.
This is especially true for startups. I get it. You are all in. You left a stable job, sold your house, and went all chips in on your idea. This means everything to you. So when you interview someone, you want them to match your energy.
But they cannot. Not yet.
They have never heard of you. They are not emotionally invested. They are just curious and have so many other opportunities to consider.
If your approach is “this is a great opportunity, take it or leave it,” they will leave it. But if you take the time to sell the vision, share the mission, and explain what makes this step better than where they are now, they buy in. They join the ride and, more often than not, they stay until the end.
I have seen it over and over again. These are a few signs you are making it harder than it needs to be:
- Five to eight stages before an offer
- Slow feedback and just waiting for feedback without a plan
- Vague job specs and no mention of projects
- “We will know the right person when we see them”
To a candidate, that says:
- “We do not know what we want.”
- “We do not trust our own process.”
- “Your time is less valuable than ours.”
Even if none of that is true, that is how it feels. And it kills any potential excitement. Their head will start to look for other opportunities, and at that point, you have lost them. Let me be clear: many perfect candidates are not actively looking.
They are comfortable and things are fine. They are not desperate and need to move. So when they do take the call, or click reply, or show up for the first interview, this is your moment and most companies waste it!
What should be a conversation turns into a oneway interrogation and a hundred quickfire technical questions. What should be about their goals turns into a checklist of requirements. What could have been a great hire turns into another polite no because they feel exhausted and know nothing about you.
Want to know one of the biggest reasons good candidates walk away?
No one sells to them.
They get grilled, tested, assessed but never told what is in it for them (WIFT). They never hear why this company, this role, or this moment is right for them. Your sales team sells your product to win business so why do so many hiring teams fail to do the same?
By the time an offer comes, the excitement is gone. They are already waiting for another company who got all this right to offer!
It makes sense for hiring teams to do all this but many still do not. Why? Because they have hired before with a clunky or unclear process and made it work luckily. Often they forget all the other times that it didn’t work and don’t change. But just because it worked once, does not mean it could not be better, or easier?
So this is what I want every hiring manager, founder, and recruiter to think about in 2025:
What does your process say about you? Are you meeting candidates where they are? Would you join your company based on this experience?
What actually makes a hiring process good?
It is not about how many stages you have, how flashy your job ad is, or whether your interview room has a neon sign. (Although a neon sign is pretty cool). A good process makes the right candidates feel like the right fit from start to finish.
This is what a great hiring process looks like in 2025:
Fast, focused, and thoughtful: A mappedout process with clear next steps. No more than three stages. Stakeholders show up, make time, and are aligned on what a great hire looks like — before the first CV is even reviewed.
Feedback loops built in: Share interview feedback within 48 hours. It keeps momentum up and shows you are serious. After a great final interview, offer within 24 hours. That is not desperate — it is decisive.
Interview slots that allow for conversation: No rushed 45minute Teams calls that end midquestion. Let the candidate ask what they need. Let them speak, think aloud, and understand how you work.
Prebooked next stages: If someone does well in stage one, you already have time reserved for stage two. No chasing calendars. No lost momentum.
A clear role and realistic expectations: The job description should match a seven or eight out of ten candidate — someone with the potential to grow. That is how you hire for retention.
Human interaction and space to explain:Ask thoughtful questions. Make room for clarification. Some candidates need five more minutes to give you the right answer — and those five minutes can be the difference between a yes and a no.
No hidden hoops or surprises: Be honest about the process up front. Candidates should know what to expect. And what you promise should match the experience they actually get.
If you do this right, by the end of the process, the candidate should be thinking:
“This team gets it.”
“This role makes sense for my next step”
“No other company made me feel like this one does.”
With a process that makes people feel like they matter. Nothing I’ve shared here is rocket science. People in tech are smart, if they really put themselves in the candidate’s shoes, they would think exactly the same. 2025 is the year for us all to do better!
More to come in the next edition of “The Breakthrough Hiring Playbook”. The next newsletter is titled: “Are You Being Inclusive, or Could You Go Further?”
