How to spot a great recruiter in the first 15 minutes
If your recruiter doesn't pass these tests on the first call, you're going to spend the next quarter wishing you'd switched.
If your recruiter doesn't pass these tests on the first call, you're going to spend the next quarter wishing you'd switched.
Do they push back on the spec?
A good recruiter will tell you what is unrealistic about your spec. A bad one will agree to everything and quote a fee.
Do they name candidates?
In the first call, a great recruiter should be able to name two or three people in the market who might fit. Not promise them, name them.
Do they ask about your last bad hire?
The question separates the recruiters who care about getting it right from the ones who just want to fill the role.
More from the Spinwell blog
How funded startups should structure their first 10 hires
Your first ten hires set the culture, the velocity, and the ceiling. Here's the order that actually compounds.
The flat fee model: why we stopped charging a percentage
Percentage fees punish founders for hiring well. The flat fee aligns the recruiter with the outcome, not the salary.
Equity for early hires: a non-lawyer's guide for founders
How much equity to give your first ten hires, how vesting actually works, and the conversations founders mishandle.
