Hirearky

How we recruit

We operate like an extension of your recruiting team, on a flat-fee, success-based model. We don’t forward LinkedIn profiles. We identify high-potential talent, reach people who aren’t on the market, pitch your vision, screen carefully, and work with you to close.

Talk to a recruiterSee the six steps

The toolkit

Each Hirearky recruiter works with the tools an in-house team would buy, plus the relationships one would take years to build.

Reach

Every recruiter has a LinkedIn Recruiter seat and a ZoomInfo account, so reach is never the bottleneck. We search extensive candidate databases, not a job board.

  • LinkedIn Recruiter
  • ZoomInfo

Outreach

Personal and persistent: tailored cold email and the phone. We call candidates, sell the company, and explain the product they would be working on.

  • Personalized email
  • Phone calls

Network

Relationships at top schools and in startup communities, plus a pool of professionals we already know who specifically want to work at startups.

  • Top-school networks
  • Startup communities
  • Referrals & past candidates

The method

The same process for a founding engineer, a VP of Sales, or a Head of Finance. It’s also the playbook our own recruiters work from.

  1. Step 1: Targeted talent sourcing

    We build the long list ourselves. LinkedIn Recruiter and ZoomInfo for reach, direct outreach for the people those tools miss, and our own networks at top schools, in startup communities, and among candidates we already know.

    • LinkedIn Recruiter
    • ZoomInfo
    • Direct outreach
    • School networks
    • Startup communities
    • Existing relationships

    Step 1 of 6

  2. Step 2: Proactive candidate outreach

    The best candidates aren’t applying anywhere. We reach them with personalized emails, targeted campaigns, LinkedIn messages, and phone calls, and through direct introductions where we have them.

    • Personalized email
    • Targeted campaigns
    • LinkedIn messages
    • Phone calls
    • Direct intros

    Step 2 of 6

  3. Step 3: We pitch your startup

    Before a candidate meets you, they understand the company: the product, the founders, the funding, the market, the team, the compensation, and where it’s going. We sell the opportunity the way you would.

    • Product
    • Founders
    • Funding
    • Market
    • Team
    • Compensation
    • Growth

    Step 3 of 6

  4. Step 4: Screening and qualification

    Every candidate is screened on experience, technical or functional capability, startup readiness, motivation, and compensation alignment. You meet a shortlist, not a pipeline.

    • Experience
    • Capability
    • Startup readiness
    • Motivation
    • Comp alignment

    Step 4 of 6

  5. Step 5: Founder-led hiring partnership

    You work directly with your recruiter, not through a coordinator. We refine the criteria as the search teaches us, coordinate interviews, keep candidates warm, and help you navigate the offer.

    • Refine criteria
    • Coordinate interviews
    • Candidate updates
    • Offer strategy

    Step 5 of 6

  6. Step 6: Flat-fee, success-based

    One fee for any role: engineering, executive, go-to-market, or anything else. $0 upfront, $5,000 when a candidate we introduced joins.

    • Engineering
    • Executive
    • Go-to-market
    • Other roles

    Step 6 of 6

How we screen

Screening is a conversation, not a keyword match. Five things have to be true.

  • Relevant experienceStage, scope, and the problems they’ve actually owned.
  • Technical or functional capabilityCan they do this job, at your bar, now.
  • Startup readinessComfort with ambiguity, speed, and ownership, not just interest in it.
  • MotivationWhy this company, why this role, why now.
  • Compensation alignmentExpectations that fit your range before the first interview.

Any role, one fee

Agencies charge more for senior hires because the fee is a percentage of salary. Ours isn’t.

  • Engineering

    $0

    Founding engineers, senior ICs, eng leads

  • Executive

    $0

    VP and C-level

  • Go-to-market

    $0

    Sales, marketing, customer success

  • Product & design

    $0

    PMs, designers, researchers

  • Operations

    $0

    Finance, people, chief of staff

Questions about the process

No. We list open roles so candidates can find us, but the search doesn’t wait for applications. Most of the people you want aren’t looking, so we go to them directly through LinkedIn Recruiter, ZoomInfo, email, phone, and our own networks.

Start a search

Tell us the role. We’ll do the rest.

A quick conversation about the position and your team. $0 upfront, $5,000 when you hire.

Start a conversation