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managers during the process to ensure expectations are clear.
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Track conversion rates closely. If a stage has unusually low or high conversion rates, that’ s usually a signal to review expectations or refine how it’ s being assessed.
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Encourage collaboration between stakeholders. Get everyone directly involved – recruiters interviewing with hiring managers, hiring managers interviewing with the C-suite, etc.
• Create an open feedback loop. Share sourced profiles with
hiring managers or, better yet, ask them to share examples of their“ ideal” candidates.
Higher specialisation with maturity
Now that Alts Digital has matured further, our hiring needs have shifted once again. We’ re no longer prioritising generalists or even junior specialists. Instead, we’ re seeking experienced professionals with deep expertise who can deliver immediate value to our team.
This evolution has required hiring managers to become more discerning in their approach. However, we’ re still navigating the complexities of balancing this new phase with the demands of the previous one, which brings its own set of challenges.
Challenges we’ ve faced in the past year
• Extended time-to-fill for certain roles.
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Frequent iterations on candidate profiles. Finding the right profile often takes longer as expectations evolve.
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Greater difficulty attracting highly specialised talent.
Some managers are refining their understanding of what they need in a candidate while also figuring out how to assess whether someone truly meets the requirements
• Hiring managers are still learning. Some managers are
refining their understanding of what they need in a candidate while also figuring out how to assess whether someone truly meets the requirements.
Advice for recruiters
At this stage, as a recruiter, you need to step up your game. Here’ s
what matters most:
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Deeply understand the industry you’ re hiring in. This goes beyond surface knowledge; it means knowing where the best talent is and what motivates them.
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Be a true partner to hiring managers. Your role isn’ t just to support them, it’ s to guide and collaborate with them. Ask the right questions to educate and align. As a team, both of you need to understand the talent landscape: where to find the right candidates, what they value and how to assess fit effectively.
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Master the roles you’ re hiring for. Invest the time to learn the nuances of each function( e. g. What does an SEO specialist do in my company and what do SEO specialists do in other companies?) and how it contributes to the company’ s success.
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Master your employee value proposition. Highly experienced candidates will have higher expectations and ask tougher questions about your company. They’ ll want to know where you stand, both in terms of the industry and your internal growth.
Not a static process
Recruitment isn’ t a static process: it evolves alongside your company. At Alts Digital, we’ ve seen how each phase of growth brings new challenges and opportunities.
To recruiters on a similar journey, I hope these reflections offer some valuable insights. But I’ ll bet you this: a year from now, this article will look different. Things change quickly, and the best approach is always the one that aligns with your unique needs and values. What truly matters is staying open to learning and adapting as you continue to grow.
ABOUT ME
Rita Mendes has over 10 years of experience in the field of people, culture and human resources and currently serves as head of people at Alts Digital. She has worked in various environments, including consultancies, international tech companies and startups, primarily focusing on recruitment and selection, as well as people management and development. In private practice, she is a psychologist specialising in career development.
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