Identifying talent outside your personal network can be challenging and a distraction from your more critical duties as company founder.  We recommend you use an external recruiter and have identified a vendor with contract recruiters who understand the need to move quickly and how to identify and evaluate talent for Pre-Seed companies.

When you’re ready to start the recruiting process, contact OCV’s Head of Talent for an introduction to our preferred vendors who utilize an on-call recruiting arrangement.

Working with external recruiters

Once you’ve chosen a vendor to work with you will set up a contract with a pre-negotiated hourly rate. The vendor will introduce you to their available recruiters and you will choose the one who is the best fit. Vendor will bill monthly based on the number of hours spent on the search. Once your roles are filled and you don’t need a recruiter anymore, simply pause the service. When you need to recruit again, you can restart the service by contacting the vendor.

To get the most out of your recruiter:

  1. Clearly define the role.
    1. Provide a detailed Job Description including required skills, experience, and cultural fit. SeeJob Description Guide
    2. Ask OCV’s Head of Talent to add the recruiter to the job in Greenhouse Open a new Job in Greenhouse
  2. Set expectations. Clearly communicate your timeline.
  3. Be accessible. Ensure that the recruiter can easily reach you for quick decisions or clarifications. Have a set recurring meeting with the recruiter until the role is filled.
  4. Provide timely updates and feedback.  Keep the recruiter updated on the hiring process, including feedback from interviews and any changes in the job requirements. Prompt feedback helps maintain momentum and keeps candidates interested.
  5. Trust them. Contract recruiters are often experts in their field. Listen to their advice on market trends, salary expectations, and candidate availability.
  6. Review the Process. This is your vendor relationship to manage. After hiring, review the recruitment process with the contract recruiter to identify areas of improvement. Adapt your working relationship based on what’s most effective