Could you please describe what Mint House does?
Mint House is building a better hotel for business travelers. We take residential apartment units, repurpose them, and operate them as a boutique hotel offering, all packaged and delivered using the best technology available.
How would you characterize Mint House as a business? Which stage are you at? What's the culture like?
We raised a $15MM Series A this past May, with plans to grow the team from 20 to 60 by the end of 2019. The culture is focused on the high upside of the business we're working to create - if we're successful, there is a multi-billion dollar company to build here. Even our most junior team members have a direct impact on the business, which creates a ton of buy-in across the board.
Which role does talent and recruiting play for Mint House?
Recruiting is central to our strategy right now. We've proven out the unit economics, and the fundamental model for the business works. Now it's time to bring in the right people to help us scale this thing through hyper growth - and we're hiring at every level (IC, Senior, Executive Leadership, etc).
What are some of the key challenges you're facing in recruiting talent to Mint House?
It's a super tight labor market, and talented candidates have a wealth of opportunities to choose from. You have to assume that the top job seekers are going to get offers from multiple companies at the same time you're making a play. We're fortunate to have an outstanding team that can articulate our long term vision to candidates - ultimately the more time a candidate spends with us, the more likely they are to accept our offer.
Upon joining a fast-growing startup like Mint House, what were your thoughts on designing your recruiting process?
I joined as the first recruiter, and there was very limited infrastructure in place. My priorities were the low-hanging fruit: I procured an ATS, designed a quick but thorough interview process, diversified the sourcing strategy with an emphasis on passive candidate channels (LinkedIn Recruiter, Vettery, new referral program), and worked on our employer brand. I just hired my first recruiter to join the team, which should add a ton of bandwidth for more recruiting infrastructure - my next focus will be interview training, on-boarding, and culture initiatives.
In choosing tech for recruiting, what are your key considerations?
Candidate quality, ease of use, and cost. Candidate quality is far and away the most important thing - if you show me good candidates, I'm going to hire them. I also look for an engaged user base - there's nothing worse that reaching out to a candidate only to be ghosted and never get a reply.
Describe your experience with Worksome?
I found Worksome via a quick Google search for a tech-enabled hiring tool for freelancers. I was in need of an admin temp, and was wasting a ton of time with recruiting agencies. Candidate quality was low, and everything was way more expensive than I had planned for. I had previously worked for the tech-based hiring marketplace Vettery, so I have a ton of faith in the power of technology to help with the hiring process. Worksome was quick, the candidates were strong, and I got my first temp hire done in 3 days.
Which goals did Worksome help you achieve?
Worksome is the first place I go to when a temporary staffing need opens up here. I have not found a better balance of candidate quality and cost anywhere else - not even close.
How does Worksome's technology help you work more efficiently?
The entire process is super streamlined. Starting with candidate search all the way through correspondence, bidding, and payment - everything is very intuitive and easy. This is the tool I would design if I had the opportunity.
What are some of your favorite aspects of working with Worksome?
I love being a recruiter because I believe in the idea that work doesn't have to suck. I love finding talented candidates and bringing them into an organization I'm passionate about. From the very beginning, it was clear that the team at Worksome shares this belief. They've been extremely supportive of my hiring efforts at Mint House and I know they're working to build something special with their platform.