Balancing Data and Humanity in Hiring
About this Episode
In this episode, José Benitez Cong, Chief People Officer at Humane, dives into the difference between quality of hire and impact of hire, explaining why long-term success of a hire is the ultimate metric for recruiters. Drawing on his years of experience, José explores the role of post-hire evaluation, candidate trust-building, and authentic relationship management in transforming hiring from a transactional function into a meaningful and lasting advantage for organizations.
Topics
This Episode's Guest
José Benitez Cong
Chief People Officer @ Humane
José Benitez Cong is the Chief People Officer at Humane, bringing decades of experience from leading talent and people functions at iconic companies like Apple and Nest. His career has been defined by a focus on building generational talent and fostering human-centered hiring practices that drive long-term organizational success.
Takeaway 1
A Recruiter’s Job Doesn’t End at Offer Acceptance 🎯
José emphasizes that a recruiter’s role extends beyond the offer stage. As the most familiar face for new hires on day one, recruiters have a unique opportunity to set the tone for a supportive and successful transition, ensuring the promises made during recruitment are fulfilled.
Why It Matters: he recruiter’s involvement during onboarding builds trust and makes the process more personal, helping new hires feel welcomed and aligned from the start. By providing a seamless handoff and reinforcing commitments, talent teams can reduce turnover, foster early engagement, and lay the groundwork for long-term success.
Quick Tips:
- Show Up to Make Day 1 Memorable: José shared how attending new hire orientations (or sending a nice note on day 1), even when not required, makes a candidate’s first day feel more personal. Use these moments to strengthen trust and help new hires feel supported right from the start.
- Use Onboarding to Build Connection: José emphasized the importance of transitioning new hires smoothly into the company. Ensure onboarding reflects the promises made during recruitment, helping new hires feel aligned with the culture and confident in their roles.
- Bridge the Gap Between Hiring and Onboarding: José highlighted the recruiter’s role in ensuring a seamless transition for new hires. Stay involved by collaborating with people operations to ensure the experience feels human and supports the hire’s long-term success.
Takeaway 2
Rethinking Hiring Metrics: Focus on Impact ⚖️
José differentiates between quality of hire and impact of hire. Quality of hire reflects early-stage performance, while impact of hire validates their sustained contributions to the organization over time.
Why It Matters: Success in hiring isn’t just about the immediate fit — it’s about the long-term contributions a new hire brings to the organization. By focusing on sustained impact, companies can refine their strategies to attract, develop, and retain talent who drive meaningful outcomes. This continuous assessment ensures alignment with business goals, fosters stronger team dynamics, and mitigates the risks of costly hiring mistakes. It’s not just about filling today’s needs but creating a workforce capable of scaling alongside the organization.
Quick Tips:
- Ask the Right Questions Post-Hire: Regularly check-in with managers to ask: “Do we still think this person is as good as we thought? Are they better than expected? Or are they not quite what we hoped for, but worth mentoring?” This process helps talent teams validate decisions and uncover patterns to refine future hiring.
- Focus on High-Impact Hires: When hires exceed expectations, consider how they can create more value. José suggests working with managers to identify growth paths, such as giving these individuals more responsibility or exploring leadership potential. Highlight these success stories to inspire hiring strategy improvements.
- Learn and Adjust Quickly: Mistakes happen. If a hire isn’t a fit, collaborate with managers to address it promptly while gathering insights to refine job descriptions and interview processes. Talent teams play a critical role in identifying patterns to prevent similar issues in future hiring cycles.
Takeaway 3
Relationships, Not Transactions, Drive Talent Success 🤝
José stresses that recruiting is about more than filling roles: It’s about creating lasting connections with candidates and talent in your network. Building relationships over time ensures better hires, stronger referrals, and a more resilient talent pipeline.
Why It Matters: Recruiting isn’t a short-term transaction, it’s a long-term investment in relationships. As José highlights, exceptional candidates often know other exceptional talent. Keeping the door open with rejected candidates, engaging employees as ambassadors, and nurturing a strong talent pipeline all contribute to a resilient recruiting strategy.
Quick Tips:
- Turn Rejections into Future Opportunities: Even when candidates aren’t selected, stay connected with strong contenders. Share updates about your company or roles that may be a better fit in the future. José emphasizes the value of nurturing these relationships, as they can lead to future hires, referrals, or brand ambassadors.
- Re-recruit Your Employees: As aforementioned, José highlights the importance of staying engaged with top talent beyond onboarding. Regularly revisit employees’ career goals and ensure they feel supported and aligned with the organization. This proactive strategy fosters retention and strengthens referral pipelines.
- Focus on Trust to Build a Talent Pipeline: José stresses that trust-driven recruiting creates a sustainable talent pipeline. Prioritize authentic connections with candidates by understanding their long-term aspirations and aligning them with your organizational goals. This approach ensures a stronger, relationship-first recruiting strategy.
What Hiring Excellence Means to José
Hiring excellence is about balancing the art of connection with the science of decision-making. It’s not just about finding someone who fits the job today — it’s about hiring for long-term alignment with the company’s mission and goals. By focusing on sustained impact, José believes recruiters can play a pivotal role in shaping organizational success.
José's Recruiting Hot Take
Stop treating hiring as a transaction. He believes recruiting is about building trust, not selling a job. By fostering authentic relationships and focusing on long-term fit, recruiters can create a hiring process that benefits both the candidate and the company for years to come.
Timestamps
(00:00) Introduction
(02:37) Transitioning from transactional to strategic recruiting
(04:57) Redefining the hiring lifecycle: Onboarding to offboarding
(09:18) The importance of re-recruiting and retaining top talent
(14:38) Leveraging AI to streamline hiring processes
(16:51) Building trust with candidates through personalized experiences
(22:04) The balance of human connection and data in recruiting
(26:29) The future of recruiting in the AI era
(33:22) Achieving hiring excellence through strategy and empathy
Other Episodes
Reframing Thoughtful Rejections
In this episode of Offer Accepted, Selcan Sengul shares how her team at Taxfix redefined candidate communication with human-centered recruiting. From personalized rejection templates to DEI alignment, Selcan offers actionable strategies for creating a candidate experience that reflects company values and builds trust.
Boosting Offer Acceptance Rates with Active Listening Strategies
In this episode, we chat with Reggie Williams, Head of Tech Talent at Bain Capital Ventures to discuss how active listening strategies can boost your offer acceptance rates.
Join the Hiring Excellence movement
New episodes every month － subscribe here so you never miss out.
