How Fast Hiring Attracts Top Talent

In the early days of Gem, a senior engineer walked into our hiring process with an exploding offer from a unicorn-status Airtable already in his pocket. He casually mentioned he expected offers from Stripe and multiple others by week's end. We hadn't even screened him yet. This is precisely the moment most startups lose their dream candidates. We didn't. Instead, we dropped everything. Scheduled his initial screen for that same day. Then blocked the entire onsite panel across that afternoon and the next morning. "We're getting everything on the calendar now," we told him. "We'll sync after the screen to confirm next steps, but let's have it all scheduled." Most companies would say, "Let's see how the screen goes first." Most companies also don't get their dream candidates. We ran the debrief immediately after his final onsite and delivered an offer within 48 hours. The candidate was legitimately shocked by our velocity. Even though Stripe and others came through with packages 30% higher than ours days later, he chose Gem. His exact words: "If you move this fast in hiring, I know I'm joining an engineering culture that actually values speed." I've watched this exact scenario repeat dozens of times since. Speed isn't just a “nice-to-have” in recruiting. It's everything. It matters for big companies, but it's literal life-or-death for startups competing against deeper pockets. Every day you delay is another day for competitors to make their case. Every extra step is another chance for the candidate to lose enthusiasm. Pro tip: When you're racing against the clock with high-value talent, proactively schedule all next steps at once - even if you're not sure you'll proceed. It signals serious commitment, creates momentum, and can compress your hiring timeline from weeks to days. The best candidates are evaluating your company by how you run your processes. Show them you move fast.

They say to hire slow. I disagree. I hire fast. In the tech world, where innovation moves at lightning speed, waiting too long to make hiring decisions can mean losing out on the best talent. I’ve found that a structured, efficient hiring process allows me to hire quickly without sacrificing quality. Here’s the process I follow to make fast hiring work: 1. Start with assessments.   ↳ For developer roles, I send technical assessments to 20-30 qualified candidates using tools like CoderPad. ↳ This step helps me quickly identify those with the technical skills we need. 2. Behavioral interviews.   ↳ I then conduct 30-minute behavioral interviews with around 8-10 candidates. ↳ This isn’t just about technical expertise—it’s about punctuality, communication skills, and how well they handle the basics, like setting up a Zoom call (amazingly, this can be an issue with some candidates).. ↳ These are critical indicators of how they’ll perform in a team setting. 3. Technical interviews.   ↳ The top 3 candidates move on to a 60-90 minute technical interview led by a team member or trusted colleague. ↳ This step ensures we’re confident in their technical abilities and cultural fit. 4. The two-week trial.   ↳ Once we hire, we’re transparent about a two-week trial period. ↳ The reality is, we often know within the first few days if someone is the right fit. ↳ If it’s not working out, we part ways respectfully and move forward. Why hire fast?  - The best candidates don’t stay on the market for long.  - A streamlined process saves time for both the company and the candidate.  - You can quickly identify who fits your team and who doesn’t. Of course, fast hiring isn’t without its challenges. It requires a clear process, strong communication, and the ability to make decisions quickly. But when done right, it’s a game-changer. What’s your take? Do you prefer to hire slow or fast? Let’s discuss.

Your team’s success hinges on the talent you bring on board. But a slow hiring process can sabotage that success before it even begins. Here’s why dragging out the hiring process is a hidden risk: ⏳ Top Talent Drifts Away: The best candidates aren’t waiting around. 60% of job seekers lose interest if the process drags on. Quick decisions keep them engaged. 🛑 Brand Reputation Takes a Hit: A lengthy process reflects poorly on your company. Negative candidate experiences spread like wildfire, scaring off other top-tier talent. 💸 Costs Skyrocket: Every day a position stays open, your costs climb. Lost productivity and extended recruitment efforts drain your resources. 🔥 Team Burnout: Your current team bears the load when roles go unfilled. This can lead to burnout, decreased morale, and even turnover. 🚪 Opportunities Slip Away: Business moves fast. A delayed hire could mean missed opportunities that your competitors won’t hesitate to grab. Here’s how to avoid the pitfalls: 🎯 Streamline Your Process: Cut unnecessary steps and move quickly. The faster you act, the better your chances of securing top talent. 📅 Set Clear Timelines: Communicate expectations up front. Keeping candidates in the loop maintains their interest and commitment. 🛠 Empower Your Hiring Managers: Give them the authority to make decisions swiftly. Don’t let bureaucracy slow you down. 💡 Focus on Candidate Experience: Even a fast process can be a positive one. Make every interaction count. Did you know that 80% of top candidates are lost to slow hiring processes? That’s a risk you can’t afford to take. In my upcoming post, I’ll share actionable tips to speed up your hiring and secure the talent your team needs. 🚀 Don’t let the best slip away. Act fast, hire smarter!

If your hiring process takes 90+ days, you don’t have a talent shortage, you have a speed problem. The best candidates aren’t waiting around. If your process drags on, they’ll be hired elsewhere. Ways to fix slow hiring: ✅ Set clear hiring timelines before posting a job ✅ Streamline interviews, do you really need five rounds? ✅ Move fast on top candidates, great talent won’t wait weeks for an offer Companies that treat hiring like a priority will win the best talent. Period.

Two trends in crypto hiring haven’t changed all year and they’re only becoming more true by the day: 1.) Everyone’s targeting the same web2 profiles. Founders, hiring managers, and leadership are all looking for the same thing: → Proven talent (this isn’t your first rodeo) → From strong companies, especially fintech → With real interest in crypto You don’t need to be crypto native, just curious, competent, and adaptable. That’s the sweet spot everyone’s chasing. 2.) Speed wins. Period. Companies that move fast in the hiring process consistently outperform those that drag. First-mover advantage doesn’t just apply to employers, it applies to talent, too. Top candidates don’t wait. If you’re moving slow, you’re not being “thorough”, you’re bleeding top-of-funnel to someone who already made the offer. In this market, the battle starts before the first call: → Talent knows what they want. The best candidates are intentional. They’ve done their research, asked around, and already have a shortlist of companies they’re excited about. By the time you reach out, they’ve likely been watching how you hire, who you retain, and what your team is shipping. → The best companies act quickly. They don’t just move fast, they move decisively. Clear scopes, tight feedback loops, empowered hiring managers. No delays, no “we’ll circle back next week.” They know top talent has options, and they treat every touchpoint like it matters. → Execution shows up in recruiting too. How you hire reflects how you operate. If your hiring process is slow, vague, or disorganized, talent will assume your company runs the same way. Recruiting is one of the first impressions and in crypto, it’s often the most revealing one. Crypto hiring is high velocity. Talent is your first product, ship it fast, or someone else will.

Q2: We’re officially in bonus season aftermath, and you know what that means... We’re already seeing a surge of talented professionals entering the job market now that their year-end bonuses have hit. And they’re not just browsing. They’re ready to make a move. So why are they looking? ➡️ Lack of growth or upward mobility ➡️ Poor or uninspiring leadership ➡️ Burnout from unrealistic workloads ➡️ Compensation that’s no longer competitive ➡️ A desire for more flexibility or remote options ➡️ Cultural misalignment ➡️ Simply... ready for a change If you're hiring this quarter, here's how to attract top-tier talent: ✅ Streamline your interview process. SPEED matters ✅ Offer clear growth paths and development opportunities ✅ Be transparent with compensation. Candidates ARE comparing offers ✅ Showcase strong, people-first leadership ✅ Offer flexibility: hybrid or remote options are still high value ✅ Share your company culture authentically. People want to "belong" ✅ Don’t lowball. Strong candidates know their worth Top candidates are out there right now, but they’re not going to wait around. If you’re planning to build your team this quarter, now’s the time to be intentional, competitive, and candidate focused. Now is NOT the time to play foolish games. Monarch Talent Solutions

I used to wait for the ‘perfect’ hire. Then I watched my top candidate accept an offer from a competitor—while I was still scheduling their third interview. The “perfect” candidate doesn’t exist. And while you’re overanalyzing resumes and dragging out interviews, your competitors are moving faster. They’re snapping up skilled candidates, leaving you with whoever’s left. The cost of waiting? Lost talent. Wasted time. Missed opportunities. If there’s one thing I learned while running my own staffing company, it’s that speed can be your biggest edge. When you hire fast, you’re not just filling a role—you’re sending a message. You show candidates you value their time and skills. You position your company as decisive and forward-thinking. And you secure the best folks before someone else does. But hiring fast doesn’t mean cutting corners. And at Pearl Talent, we’ve built a process that balances speed with quality. Instead of endless interviews, we limit the process to 2-3 rounds. Each round has a clear purpose: skills assessment, cultural fit, and final decision. Every candidate is evaluated against objective criteria—no gut feelings, no bias. This keeps the process fair and efficient. Hiring managers are trained to make confident, on-the-spot decisions. No dragging feet, no second-guessing. Because in the end, hiring fast doesn’t mean hiring perfect. It means hiring great—and trusting your process to develop them into exceptional. In this market, the best talent won’t wait. And neither should you. #startups #entrepreneurship #leadership #founders #careertips #growthmindset

One big challenge we're seeing with recruitment these days? 👇 Not moving quickly enough when you find an awesome candidate. If you want to land the best candidate, it's more important than ever to be very nimble. Once you identify your new rock star, keep the process moving. Every hour matters. Why is acting with such urgency so important?  The time between your decision-making and closing the deal is a ripe opportunity for their current employer to make extraordinary moves to try to keep them.  This time period also leaves you vulnerable to a competing employer making your candidate a better offer. (Pro tip: assume your candidate is a top contender in at least one other selection process).  The speed at which you can secure your candidate conveys how serious you and your organization are about attracting top-caliber talent. This approach may not be within your current comfort zone, but the market doesn’t care. If you want the strongest candidates, 9 times out of 10, moving expediently will be critical to your success. How have you increased the efficiency of your hiring process to hire the best candidates?

Stop scaring away great candidates through lengthy application processes. In a competitive market, your application process is either a competitive advantage or a talent repellent. Choose wisely. The hard numbers Top Talent Drops Out: ↳ 92% of job seekers abandon complex applications mid-process. ↳ High-performers typically drop out after 15 minutes. ↳ Every additional form field reduces completion rates by 50%. The Hidden Costs You're Losing Money: ↳ Extended vacancies cost an average of $500/day. ↳ Complex processes add 2-3 weeks to time-to-hire. ↳ Good candidates accept other offers while your forms load. You're Selecting Wrong: ↳ Complex applications favor the desperate, not the talented. ↳ The best candidates have options and won't tolerate bureaucracy. ↳ You're testing patience, not competence. The Competitive Edge Speed Wins: ↳ Top candidates are off the market in 10 days. ↳ First-mover advantage in hiring is real. ↳ Simple processes let you make offers while competitors are still scheduling round three. Quality Over Quantity: ↳ Simple applications + smart screening = better signal-to-noise. ↳ Focus on essential qualifications saves HR time. ↳ Shorter applications get more honest responses. The Modern Reality Power Has Shifted: ↳ Candidates now interview employers as much as vice versa. ↳ Complex applications signal organizational dysfunction. ↳ Your application process is your first impression. The Solution The One-Click Future: ↳ Resume parsing > endless forms. ↳ Portfolio links > redundant work history forms. ↳ Quick initial screening; save depth for promising candidates. What’s the worst application process you’ve seen, or how have you simplified yours? Share your thoughts below! ⬇️ Subscribe to the HR Uncensored Newsletter (link in bio) for weekly actionable advice. ♻️ Repost to help your network. ➕Follow Ricardo Cuellar for more content like this.

In business it’s both hard and rare to create win-win situations. When you do, it’s a thing of beauty.  I’m stoked because I think we just did it. Job applicants hate it when employers are slow to respond, or worse, they don’t respond at all. Major job sites like Indeed and LinkedIn now show how long it takes for employers to take action on job applications. Unsurprisingly, when job seekers see that an employer “often responds in 2 days” job advertisements perform better.  What you may not know is that this number is often updated daily using data that comes from an applicant tracking system like JobScore. What’s new is that JobScore now:  • Tracks whether employers have responsive employer status.  • Prompts them to take action when they are about to lose it.  • Notifies them when they lose it.  • Makes it easy for them to get it back. Getting and keeping responsive employer status is good for everyone: ✅ Job seekers get the fast responses they want and deserve.  ✅ Employers attract more talent and improve their candidate experience. ✅ Job boards see more quality engagement from everyone. I’m curious if talent acquisition professionals feel responsiveness is a core recruiting metric… and if they see the same rare win-win I do? Wanna see some videos showing how it works?   https://lnkd.in/e5cJPbfC