talent-acquisition

What this skill does

# Talent Acquisition

The agent operates as a senior talent acquisition partner, applying structured hiring methodology to build high-performing teams efficiently and equitably.

## Workflow

1. **Define the role** -- Collaborate with the hiring manager to draft a job description using the template below. Confirm level, compensation band, and must-have vs nice-to-have requirements. Validate that the role is approved and budgeted before proceeding.
2. **Build sourcing strategy** -- Select channels based on the role profile (see Source Channel Matrix). Set weekly outreach targets and pipeline stage goals.
3. **Screen candidates** -- Apply the structured phone screen framework. Score against must-have criteria. Pass or reject within 48 hours.
4. **Run interviews** -- Use competency-based scorecards. Every interviewer scores independently before the debrief to prevent anchoring bias.
5. **Extend offer** -- Follow the offer approval workflow. Present a verbal offer, handle negotiation, and send the written offer within 24 hours of verbal acceptance.
6. **Close and onboard** -- Confirm start date, initiate background check, and hand off to hiring manager with a 30-60-90 day plan.

> Checkpoint: After step 1, validate the job description against DEI inclusive language guidelines before posting.

## Hiring Funnel Metrics

| Stage | Metric | Benchmark |
|-------|--------|-----------|
| Application to Screen | Conversion rate | 40-50% |
| Screen to Interview | Conversion rate | 30-40% |
| Interview to Offer | Conversion rate | 15-25% |
| Offer to Accept | Acceptance rate | 80-90% |
| End-to-end | Time to fill | 30-45 days |
| End-to-end | Cost per hire | $3,000-5,000 |
| Post-hire | Quality of hire (90-day performance + retention) | 80%+ |

## Source Channel Matrix

| Channel | Best For | Cost | Quality | Typical Yield |
|---------|----------|------|---------|---------------|
| LinkedIn Recruiter | All roles | $$ | High | 8-12% response |
| Employee referrals | Culture-fit roles | $ | Highest | 40-60% interview rate |
| Job boards (Indeed, etc.) | Volume hiring | $$ | Medium | 2-5% qualified |
| Agencies | Specialized / executive | $$$ | High | 50-70% submit-to-interview |
| Events / meetups | Early career, niche | $$ | Medium | Relationship-driven |
| Direct sourcing | Executives, passive | $ | High | 5-10% response |

## Job Description Template

```markdown
# [Job Title] - [Level]

## About [Company]
[2-3 sentences: mission, stage, team size]

## The Role
[What the person will own and why it matters to the business]

## Responsibilities
- [Action verb] + [deliverable] + [impact]
- [Action verb] + [deliverable] + [impact]
- [Action verb] + [deliverable] + [impact]

## Requirements
**Must have:**
- [X] years in [domain]
- Demonstrated skill in [specific competency]

**Nice to have:**
- Experience with [tool/framework]
- Background in [adjacent domain]

## Compensation
- Base: $[min]-$[max]
- Equity: [details]
- Benefits: [highlights]

## Hiring Process
1. Application review (48 hr)
2. Recruiter screen (30 min)
3. Hiring manager interview (45 min)
4. Skills assessment (1-2 hr)
5. Final panel (2-3 hr)
6. Offer
```

## Compensation Band Framework

| Level | Title | Base Range | Equity | Total Comp Target |
|-------|-------|-----------|--------|-------------------|
| IC1 | Entry-level (0-2 yr) | $70-90K | $5-15K | $80-100K |
| IC2 | Mid-level (2-5 yr) | $90-120K | $15-30K | $105-140K |
| IC3 | Senior (5-8 yr) | $120-160K | $30-60K | $150-200K |
| IC4 | Staff (8-12 yr) | $160-200K | $60-120K | $220-300K |
| IC5 | Principal (12+ yr) | $200-250K | $120-200K | $320-420K |

Position within band based on: scope of role, candidate experience, internal equity, and market data percentile (target 50th-75th).

## Interview Scorecard

```markdown
# Scorecard: [Candidate] for [Role]

**Interviewer:** [Name]
**Date:** [Date]
**Stage:** [Phone Screen / Technical / Final]

## Competency Ratings (1-5 scale)

| Competency | Weight | Rating | Evidence |
|------------|--------|--------|----------|
| Technical depth | 40% | | [Specific example from interview] |
| Problem solving | 20% | | [Specific example from interview] |
| Communication | 20% | | [Specific example from interview] |
| Culture alignment | 20% | | [Specific example from interview] |

**Weighted Score:** [calculated]

## Recommendation
[ ] Strong Hire  [ ] Hire  [ ] No Hire  [ ] Strong No Hire

## Key Strengths
-

## Key Concerns
-
```

## Behavioral Interview Questions (STAR Format)

| Competency | Question |
|------------|----------|
| Leadership | Tell me about a time you led a team through a difficult situation. What was the outcome? |
| Problem Solving | Describe a complex problem you solved. Walk me through your approach step by step. |
| Collaboration | Give an example of a successful cross-functional project you contributed to. |
| Conflict Resolution | Tell me about a disagreement with a colleague and how you resolved it. |
| Resilience | Describe a time you failed. What did you learn and what did you do differently? |

## Example: Hiring Funnel Analysis

A company struggling with a 45-day time-to-fill and 65% offer acceptance rate:

```
DATA (Q4, 12 open reqs)
  Applications: 600
  Screened:     288 (48% pass rate)
  Interviewed:   86 (30% pass rate)
  Offers:        14 (16% pass rate)
  Accepted:       9 (64% acceptance -- below 80% benchmark)

BOTTLENECK ANALYSIS
  1. Offer acceptance (64%) -- 36% decline rate
     Root cause: Offers extended 5+ days after final interview.
     Candidates accept competing offers in the gap.

  2. Interview-to-offer (16%) -- slightly below benchmark
     Root cause: Panel interviews adding 7 days to process.

ACTIONS
  1. Compress offer timeline: verbal offer within 48 hr of final interview
  2. Replace 4-person panel with 2 focused 1:1s (saves 5 days)
  3. Add "warm close" step: recruiter checks candidate sentiment before offer

RESULT (Q1, 10 open reqs)
  Time to fill: 32 days (-29%)
  Offer acceptance: 85% (+21 points)
  Cost per hire: $3,800 (-15%)
```

## Offer Approval Workflow

1. Recruiter determines initial offer based on compensation band and candidate profile.
2. Hiring manager reviews and confirms level and scope alignment.
3. HRBP checks internal equity and budget availability.
4. Finance approves if offer exceeds band midpoint or total comp threshold.
5. Verbal offer extended. Written offer sent within 24 hours of verbal acceptance.

## Employer Value Proposition

Structure the EVP around five pillars:

| Pillar | Key Message | Proof Points |
|--------|-------------|--------------|
| Mission | Why the company exists | Customer impact stories |
| Culture | How the team works | Glassdoor rating, employee testimonials |
| Growth | Career development | Promotion rate, learning budget |
| Rewards | Total compensation | Comp percentile positioning, benefits |
| Flexibility | Work-life integration | Remote policy, PTO structure |

## Hiring Analytics

| Metric | Formula | Benchmark |
|--------|---------|-----------|
| Time to Fill | Req open date to offer accept date | 30-45 days |
| Time to Hire | First candidate contact to accept | 14-21 days |
| Cost per Hire | Total recruiting spend / Hires | $3-5K |
| Quality of Hire | (90-day performance + 1-yr retention) / 2 | 80%+ |
| Offer Accept Rate | Accepts / Offers extended | 85%+ |
| Source Effectiveness | Hires per source / Cost per source | Varies |

## Reference Materials

- `references/interviewing.md` - Interview best practices
- `references/sourcing.md` - Sourcing strategies
- `references/employer_brand.md` - Employer branding guide
- `references/dei_hiring.md` - Inclusive hiring practices

## Scripts

```bash
# Analyze job descriptions for bias, readability, and quality
python scripts/job_posting_analyzer.py --file job_description.md
python scripts/job_posting_analyzer.py --file job_description.md --json

# Track candidate pipeline funnel metrics
python scripts/candidate_pipeline_tracker.py --file pipeline.csv