RepairPal Vice President of Engineering Jim Castillo came onboard five months ago and made one immediate decision: bring in Woo to help find quality talent for the company. Before Castillo joined the company, the tech startup was working with another recruiting firm that simply wasn’t a good fit. “While they were bringing candidates in, the annual fee was high and, for a startup, cost is extremely important.”
Castillo, who was at OpenTable for 13 years prior to RepairPal, had known about Woo for months, and knew it was the perfect solution for the startup. “When I talked to Woo, the price per candidate was much better,” he said. “We signed on with Woo because the cost was so attractive, but were pleasantly surprised by the great candidates we received.”
RepairPal Makes Its First Hire(s)
Within a week of using Woo, RepairPal made their first hire: Andur, an engineer. Once RepairPal found Andrew via Woo, they scheduled an initial phone screening through the site. When Andur passed the screening with flying colors, the startup set up an in-person interview and extended an offer the next day. The very next day, Andur was beginning his adventure at RepairPal.
“The nice thing about being a small, lean startup is that, when you find someone you like, you can get the ball rolling quickly,” said Castillo. “We can get them in their seat as soon as possible.”
A couple weeks after Andur was hired, RepairPal found their second hire through Woo. RepairPal was impressed by Robert, a product manager, from the start. Robert has exceeded expectations and become a perfect fit for the company.
“We’ve gotten into a great rhythm using Woo as one of the primary sources for our candidates,” said Castillo.
Fighting Against the Competition
Located in the Bay Area, RepairPal is up against some of the biggest tech companies around. “It’s a very competitive market,” said Castillo, “so it’s great to see candidates that are interested in you.” In fact, it’s not that different from online dating, he joked. Castillo is especially fond of Woo’s process, which ensures any potential candidates are interested in your company so you’re not blindsighted.
According to Castillo, it is also crucial to provide a clear understanding of the role to potential candidates. Make sure they know what they’ll be doing since the hiring process can be a stressful situation for potential employees. Castillo recommends that you let the candidates meet the entire team during the interview process, allow them to interact with senior leadership and make sure they get a feel for the culture. “Let them know what a great place they will be coming to work for,” said Castillo. “You spend a lot of time at work, it’s important that you give them a real peek into the company.”
How RepairPal Uses Woo
It’s important to understand whether or not a candidate you find on Woo will be a good fit, said Castillo. He notes that the candidates that reach out to RepairPal first are always reviewed, at least internally, since it is evident they will be motivated and excited to work for the company. “They obviously have seen our company page on Woo and feel they’re a decent fit.”
It is also important to screen potential candidates over the phone prior to bringing them in. “No matter how special a person looks on paper, we always make time to talk to them on the phone before scheduling an interview. This gives us a good feel for their personality and an understanding of what they’re looking for in a job,” said Castillo. “Luckily, Woo makes it easy to set everything up on their site, so this process is seamless.”
Hiring Trends for 2019
While it is still early in the year, Castillo has expectations that 2019 will be another tough year for hiring. It will continue to be a competitive market, notes Castillo, but that’s where Woo comes in. With Woo, you can specify exactly what you are looking for in a candidate—and vice versa. Those looking for a job can note if they’re looking for a big company or a small startup, what their career goals are, how important company culture is, etc.
Woo gives companies the ability to weed out candidates that may not be a good fit, and lets candidates turn down companies they aren’t excited about. “As a partner, Woo has been awesome and made the entire hiring process a breeze,” said Castillo. “They’ve been able to answer questions, been very responsive and acted as a virtual recruiting department on our behalf.”
“The proof is in the pudding,” he jokes.
