Most companies hire badly
They post jobs and wait for applications, lose candidates to competitors who move faster and hire people who quit within six months.
Bad hiring causes other problems:
- Employment law violations from untrained interviewers
- Damaged reputation on Glassdoor and LinkedIn
- Burned-out recruiters who quit
- Projects delayed because the team is understaffed
- Each failed hire costs them $17,000 beyond the wasted salary
The best companies hire differently.
They do not wait for requisitions. They build pipelines of candidates before they need them. They train their hiring managers. They use data to make decisions. They achieve 90% offer acceptance rates.
We studied these companies and found they progress through five distinct levels of maturity.
The Five Levels of Hiring Maturity
Level 1: Reactive
You hire when someone quits or when a manager demands it.
You use spreadsheets or no system at all. Your HR team does everything—sourcing, screening, scheduling, offer negotiation.
You have no standards. Every manager interviews differently.
The cost: compliance failures, bad hires, candidates who accept other offers.
Level 2: Structured
You implement an applicant tracking system. You write down your hiring process. You assign dedicated recruiters. You track time-to-hire and cost-per-hire.
This eliminates the worst problems. You stop losing candidate data. You stop asking illegal interview questions. Your hiring becomes defensible.
Level 3: Scaled
You specialize. Sourcers find candidates. Recruiters close them. You build pipelines before jobs open. You measure quality-of-hire and candidate satisfaction.
Your time-to-fill drops. Your offer acceptance rate rises. Your recruiters become trusted advisors to hiring managers instead of order-takers.
Level 4: Strategic
You use market data to guide decisions. You prioritize business-critical roles and give them more resources. You train every hiring manager in interviewing technique. You measure hiring velocity and business impact, not just activity.
You become agile. When priorities shift, you shift with them. You do not get caught flat-footed.
Level 5: Hiring Excellence
You integrate hiring with workforce planning. Before you hire externally, you look internally. You redeploy people from sunset roles to sunrise roles. You use AI to handle high-volume screening. Your recruiters consult on succession planning, compensation strategy, and organizational design.
You waste nothing. You hire faster than your competitors. You turn your hiring function into a competitive advantage.
The Winter Supper Club
Join Us for an Exclusive TA Leaders Workshop in London
10 November 2025 | 12:00–6:00pm + Dinner
On 10 November 2025, a select group of senior talent acquisition leaders will gather in London for a high-impact afternoon of learning, discussion, and networking. This exclusive event, limited to just 25 participants, will feature leading voices in global recruitment and hands-on breakout discussions.
Meet the speakers
Johnny Campbell
CEO & Co-Founder,
SocialTalent
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John Vlastelica
CEO and Founder,
Recruiting Toolbox
Kerstin Wagner
Executive VP Talent Acquisition,
Deutsche Bahn
Matthew Howe
Head of Volume Recruitment,
BT Group
Spaces are Limited,
Secure Your Place Today
Why Attend
Gain fresh perspectives on reimagining TA from Kerstin Wagner (Deutsche Bahn), discover how to use AI to boost quality of hire with Matt Howe (BT), and engage with John Vlastelica (Recruiting Toolbox) in an interactive session.
You'll have a chance to participate in small, facilitated breakout groups for deeper insights and enjoy extended networking over an evening dinner in London.
Agenda at a Glance
12:00pm – Arrival at venue Uncommon Holborn & networking
12:30pm – Kerstin Wagner: Re-imagining TA + breakout
2:30pm – Matt Howe: Improving Quality of Hire with AI + breakout
4:30pm – John Vlastelica: Title TBC + breakout
7:00pm – Dinner at 42 Holborn