Achieving Hiring Excellence at Sequence.

We should go above and beyond to close top tier candidates, in the same way we’d do what it takes to win a customer.

Extreme Ownership

• As hiring manager, remember it’s your responsibility to drive the goals and velocity around the hiring process. You should be sense checking regularly whether we’re getting the right type of candidates into the pipeline, whether our test is challenging enough, whether our mix of interviewers is correct etc.
• When we kick off a new role, we should set clear goals around what we want to achieve each week in the same way as we set customer related goals (x new calls, x demos, x new signatures), and it’s the job of the hiring manager to ensure the entire hiring team is aligned around this. Hiring must be treated as a number one priority.

Sourcing Candidates

• Targeting and hiring specific individuals. Sourcing with intent is really important. How do we make this happen?
  • Ask each team member to go through their networks to refer the best candidates they’ve worked with. Work hard to win those candidates over.
  • Ask leaders we respect who are the best people they’ve ever worked with. For example, if we’re hiring a designer, ask 10+ highly respectable PMs who the best designer they’ve ever worked with is.
  • Look for signals of excellence on Linkedin e.g promoted during their previous role, thought leaders in their field (medium posts/blogs)
  • Reference the fact that Sequence is hiring when speaking at relevant events/conferences e.g Websummit
  • Leverage high quality communities to source leads e.g. A16z Slack channel

Interview and Tests

• Make the test challenging (it should feel slightly uncomfortable) and ask difficult, probing questions as you discuss this with the candidate.
• Look for do-ers rather than people who need to hire a team to get things done.
• Look for signals that the candidate is hungry for this role and really wants to make their mark through it. Being capable of doing it is not enough.

Calibration and Referencing

• Polarising feedback is fine (even good), but we shouldn’t be making offers unless a candidate has at least 2 people give them 4/4.
• Need to walk away from a reference call feeling confident that this person was in the top 5% of performers in their previous company and their manager or colleagues would actively seek them out in the future.
  • Cultural fit is the most important thing. Use the culture interview guide to ask questions that help you gauge whether this person takes ownership, believes in executing fast, is curious to grasp the nuances of our market and space, is humble and will fit well with the team and drive clarity around complex problems to help us achieve our goal of magical simplicity.

Making offers

• Our approach to writing and sharing an offer with a top candidate should be highly personalised

  • Talent lead to organise a closing call with the candidate to a) talk them through the feedback b) ask them: on a scale of 1 to 10, how are you feeling about accepting a job offer from Sequence?
  • What would you need to get you to [their number +1]
  • Is there any more information they need in order to make the decision?
  • Give them the offer of a role and overview of compensation
  • Offer email should reference a) why we thought this candidate was a strong fit for the company - it has to be personal, authentic and a reflection of the interview process b) why there is meaningful potential upside for them by making the decision to join Sequence today. See example copy:

  Email Copy

  • Email or call from the founder outlining the company vision and opportunity for them
  • Email or call from the team lead/hiring manager reiterating the great team and the impact and progression opportunity they have at Sequence
  • Everyone on interview panel reaches out personally on LI after the offer.
  • For senior employees, offer calls with our investors.

Resources

Gokul Rajaram Linkedin Post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/gokulrajaram1_ceos-of-early-stage-startups-the-most-dangerous-activity-7090823824643932160-AZZN?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop