Hire Well: Interviewer Skills for Startup Leaders

In this mini episode of the Extraordinary Pursuits podcast, BIP Ventures talent expert and SVP of portfolio performance, Jacki Hertenstein, sits down with Renata Matheson, co-founder of aquesst. This brief, compelling discussion focuses on what startup leaders need to do to interview candidates well and hire strategically. 

Renata and Jacki explain how to craft a positive candidate experience, when remote interviews are acceptable, and why the hiring team must be aligned with the company. Renata also touches on why integrating DEI into the hiring process is so complex, and the role of compliance in hiring. This is essential advice for leaders looking to hone their talent strategies and nurture a healthy workplace culture. 

  

Timestamps: 

• 01:26 Enhancing Candidate Experience in Hiring 

• 03:47 The Impact of Remote vs In-Person Interviews 

• 04:11 Diversity and Inclusion in Hiring Practices 

• 05:34 Compliance in Interviewing: Best Practices 

 

Points of Wisdom: 

• "If a candidate gets the sense that multiple individuals within the organization have different wants or initiatives or understanding of the role, that can go sideways very, very quickly." 

• "Diversity is always supported by the HR or people organizations, but I rarely see it trickle down to be exercised by hiring managers, especially in startups where there are aggressive deadlines." 

 

About Renata Matheson: 

Renata is the Managing Director and Co-founder of aquesst, a specialized Information Technology search firm. aquesst has sourced talent for hundreds of organizations ranging from small businesses to mid-sized enterprises to Fortune 500 companies. Renata brings a wealth of recruitment experience. You’ll come away with a sense of how to identify individuals who possess the required technical expertise and align seamlessly with the culture of the organization. 

 

Renata Mathison 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renatamathison/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aquesst/ 

Website: https://www.aquesst.com/ 

 

BIP Ventures 

Website: www.bipventures.vc 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/bipventures/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bipventures/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bipventures 

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@bipventures