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Recruiting

 

Recruiting process

At OCV, we strive to provide a great candidate experience in our recruiting process. Here are general guidelines on how we recruit at OCV and our portfolio companies.

Job posting

The Hiring Manager and recruiting team will:
  • Establish the interview team and plan (stages and interviewer order)
  • Customize role-specific questions
  • Post the job to various job boards (for example, LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor) via the Greenhouse application tracking system

Resume review tips

General interview process

Candidates generally have three rounds of interviews (with case-by-case exceptions) due to the nature of the role.
  1. Initial Conversation with Recruiting: In this initial conversation, we want to know more about the candidate as a person and their interest in this role. The candidate should be prepared to discuss logistics such as location, availability to start a new role, and their preferred range of compensation.
  1. Interview with the Hiring Manager: In this second conversation, we evaluate the candidate’s skills, experience, and work history. The interviewer will also discuss more details concerning the project and the team. NOTE: For Engineering Roles: The interviewing team may ask the candidate to do a project as part of the hiring process.
  1. Final Round of Interviews: In the final round, the candidate meets with additional team members as appropriate.
  1. Team Debrief: The interview team has an internal discussion concerning the candidate and determines whether we move forward with the hiring process.
  1. Reference Checks: We request that candidates provide three references before making an offer. NOTE: Four references are required for manager roles. Candidates should provide managerial references, if possible. This helps us learn more about their areas for improvement and how to harness their strengths. In addition to assessing fit and gaining context on the individual, it also helps us learn how to best support their success in this role. We would like to connect with a current or former colleague in each of the following areas:
    1. The candidate’s direct (or former) supervisor - Someone who is familiar with their work
    2. A peer in the same role as the candidate - Someone who did similar work
    3. A cross-functional partner or customer - Someone who was a consumer of the candidate’s work
    4. if the candidate is applying for a management position, include someone the candidate supervised
    5. NOTE: We may ask for references prior to the Final Round.
      “Backdoor Reference Checks” - Reaching out to network connections who may know the candidate is great way to get valuable feedback during the recruiting process. NOTE: Prior to pursuing a “Backdoor Reference Check,” ask the candidate if there is anyone they prefer to exclude.
  1. Verbal Offer: Once we complete the reference checks (with satisfactory results), we move forward with a verbal offer.
  1. Formal Offer:
    1. Follow the process outlined here
  1. Onboarding: Onboarding will proceed after passing a background check

Looking for the right fit

Venture capital and early-stage startup life isn’t suitable for everyone for a variety of reasons (sometimes, it’s a function of timing). In addition to prerequisite skill sets and experience, we’re looking for team members who help us accelerate growth and accomplish the impossible.
Some of the questions we’d consider during the interview process:
  1. As the Hiring Manager, would you want to be in the trenches with this candidate?
    1. Would you want to spend a lot of time together and work through conflicts.
  1. We’re in a rowing race, aimed to win, are they paddling in the same direction as the rest of the team?
    1. Are they a team player or put their self-interest first?
  1. Would you see yourself starting a company with this person in the future?
    1. Are they entrepreneurial? Driven with big goals and self-motivated?
  1. Would you see them doing something amazing in four to six years?

Inappropriate Questions

When hiring in the USA it is important to not discuss the following topics about personal characteristics that are protected by law:
 
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