Recruiting tips: A Q&A with Dialpad’s Talent Acquisition Lead

Who better to get recruiting tips from than an actual recruiter?

Shab here—and I’m a content marketer, not a recruiter. But in this article, I interviewed Alice Guo-Albright, lead of talent acquisition on the human resources team here at Dialpad. (In other words, an actual recruiter.)

So if you’re currently looking for ways to attract top talent, keep reading to hear Alice’s tried-and-true recruiting tips and tricks!

Q: First things first—where do you find your candidates?

A: I find my talent pool in a few different places. It’s a combination of employee referrals through our in-house referral program, job seekers that come in through job boards or our career page, and sourcing candidates through LinkedIn. The latter is a valuable resource for me to do a more targeted search and identify qualified candidates who may or may not be looking.

Q: You found a candidate. Now what?

A: If a job candidate is interested, I’ll add them into Greenhouse, which is our applicant tracking system. From there, it starts with scheduling a call… and that’s where Dialpad comes in. I make the call through Dialpad which I love because it can create a meeting transcription for me to ensure I haven’t forgotten or missed any details afterwards:

During that initial call, in addition to going through some interview questions, my goal is to get to know someone well, to determine if they could ultimately be a potential employee. Other areas I cover include company culture and what to expect during the hiring process.

And to ensure we stay connected, I’ll let the candidate know that if they have questions or need anything, they can text or call me on my Dialpad number as I'll get back to them faster versus email. As a team, we use Dialpad for texting, phone calls, and video calls too, which is really easy and convenient:

Then next steps if things go well, I’ll set them up with the hiring manager for a video call. During this stage, they’ll dig in deeper and share additional details about the job posting, as well as give the candidate an opportunity to ask questions.

As far as aligning on schedules, it’s always easier to text or even hop on a call (both of which I do through Dialpad) instead of going back and forth via email. Once the candidate completes the interview process, I’ll meet with the interview team to go through the feedback and determine whether they want to move forward with an offer.

If the hiring manager decides to proceed, I’ll text the candidate via Dialpad to set up a time to connect. It’s a good opportunity to touch base, to not only see if they have any additional questions or concerns, but also to get a sense of how they’re feeling overall and ensure they had a positive experience. During this call, I’ll also request references and touch upon compensation again to ensure we have alignment.

Once I’m ready to officially extend the offer, we’ll hop on a video call so I can share my screen to go over the details and perks. This is particularly valuable when I walk them through the equity component and what the potential value would be, based on company performance and what industry analysts are saying. I have found being able to share a visual via Dialpad really helps make things clear so candidates understand the true value of their compensation package:

And if all goes well and the candidate accepts, HR will connect with them to start onboarding. They’ll receive new hire information leading up to their start date, including what to expect as a new employee and introductions to current employees they’ll be working with.

Q: How many candidates do you normally go through to find a fit?

A: My goal is to identify the right candidate within a handful of interviews because I want to ensure I’m being respectful to both the candidates’ and hiring managers’ time. This starts with taking the time to learn about the role and what the hiring manager is looking for, both technically and from a culture fit perspective.

And if I’m not getting it “right” after a few candidates, then it’s time for me to recalibrate with the hiring manager because clearly, I’m missing something. Ultimately, I want to be able to target exactly what they want, as quickly as possible.

Q: What tools do you use in your recruiting process?

A: Email, social media (LinkedIn), Greenhouse, and Dialpad. I find this combination of recruitment technology covers all my communication needs perfectly, and has been more effective and efficient than other expensive staffing or recruiting software I’ve used in the past. We're also looking into using recruitment chatbots to automate the process even more, while providing a more responsive candidate experience.

Q: How do you keep track of all your candidate communications?

A: What I really love is the ease and convenience of having all these different types of communications with candidates on one platform, which is exactly what Dialpad gives me. In previous jobs, I had to use different platforms and was constantly bouncing back and forth.

Dialpad eliminates having to do this and instead, streamlines my recruiting efforts, which not only saves time but helps me keep track of all the details since they’re laid out in one location. And even if I need to search for past communications, they’re so easy to find… All I have to do is type in someone’s name and everything is right there.

Q: Which Dialpad features help you the most?

A: Honestly, all the features are so helpful as I use them every single day… from calling, to texting, to video conferencing, and screen sharing. They’re all integral to streamlining my day-to-day workflow.

Then there’s the real-time transcription and call summaries, which lets me review conversations afterward if I want to ensure I didn’t miss anything:

Dialpad truly makes it so much easier to connect with candidates and internal stakeholders with those candidates. I love the live real-time connection that adds a little bit more of a human component versus using a template via email.

Also, I think it really helps keep candidates engaged. I use it to have more fun and personal conversations on the side which goes a long way in building the relationship. And in terms of urgency, if they're not checking or responding via email, I'll often text them to follow up and get a faster response. Or if we need to hop on a quick call, I’ll just generate a video link and copy and paste it into the text so they can join with just a click:

Plus it is so invaluable to leverage our own product during calls and show candidates how it works and give them a glimpse into our work environment. They get to see first-hand how easy it is to use and definitely further promotes the excitement of wanting to join an organization like ours!

Q: How do you tell a candidate they’re not a right fit?

A: My golden rule is you always close the loop with a candidate, regardless of whether you're moving forward with them or not.

I have heard so many people tell me that they've been ghosted and never hear back. So it is always a priority for me to treat everyone with the utmost respect by providing an update. Depending on the situation, it’ll either let them know by phone or email. And if it’s the latter, I personalize it and emphasize how much we appreciated their time and interest.

And as great candidates can be hard to find or maybe it just isn’t the right role, I always let them know that if they’re open, I’d love to hold on to their information for future job openings.

To me, it is extremely important to ensure whether a candidate gets an offer or not, they have a very positive experience and never walk away feeling negatively about Dialpad. Because the reality is they can share their testimonial with others (hello, Glassdoor), so we never want to hurt our employer brand or burn any bridges with future potential candidates.

I’ve had many candidates, who even if they didn’t end up moving forward, have expressed how much they appreciated my honesty and transparency throughout the interview process.

Q: What steps do you take to provide a positive candidate experience?

A: Constant communication.

I am constantly checking in with candidates, letting them know I haven't forgotten about them, and keeping them engaged throughout the entire process. I think part of my success is making a connection during the initial call, and continuing to build upon that relationship so they feel comfortable being transparent about what they want, and hopefully we can get to a win/win situation.

For example, I’ve had candidates who have multiple offers in addition to Dialpad in their job search and because of the level of trust we’ve built, they’ll share what the gap is if ours is lower. I can then take this information to the hiring manager and at times, there may be some flexibility to win the candidate over—the best candidates are in high demand, we get it.

Overall, I think this constant feedback loop keeps the candidate engaged, assures them they’re top of mind for us, and ensures everyone is on the same page.

Q: What’s your biggest piece of advice for other recruiting teams out there?

A: I think it comes down to 3 things. First, know your audience. When you initially meet with your client, the hiring manager, the focus should not just be about reading the job description but equally important is getting to know their style. I always tailor my approach based on that information, and it helps build a partnership.

Second, make a connection with candidates. As I mentioned earlier, this helps build trust so they are more comfortable being open about what they’re looking for and what’s important to them. This information can then be shared with the hiring manager, and help increase our chances that they will ultimately accept our offer.

Lastly, trust your gut. Even if you interview a candidate who does not check off every box but you feel they make up for it in other ways, it’s always worth making a case to the hiring manager because they may otherwise be missing out on someone amazing. I have done this countless times in my career and as a result, have recruited some stellar individuals.

For me, this has been the foundation of my recruiting strategy, and has helped set me up for success.