Most hiring funnels start with inbound applicants from job posts, which is the least effective source. Instead, prioritize a five-tier sourcing strategy in this order: 1) Your "squad" (past top performers), 2) internal talent, 3) referrals, 4) outbound sourcing, and only then 5) inbound applicants.
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To improve hiring decisions, founders should proactively meet top performers in roles they anticipate needing in 2-3 quarters. This isn't for immediate hiring but to build a mental model of excellence for that specific function and stage, which sharpens intuition when you do start recruiting.
Early on, HubSpot built its highly-effective support team by hiring employees directly from Apple Stores. They offered a compelling value proposition ('sit down at work') and then used this support team as an internal talent pool to fill roles in sales, customer success, and product, feeding the whole company.
The same marketing funnels used to acquire paying customers can be directly applied to attract and 'close' new employees. This reframes recruiting from a siloed HR function to a core marketing activity, allowing you to leverage skills you already have to build your team.
Your hiring funnel has an ideal customer profile, just like sales. Analyze your top-performing employees to identify common demographics, past experiences, and behaviors. Use this 'avatar' to filter applications and target your sourcing efforts, increasing the likelihood of success for new hires.
Treat hiring as a compounding flywheel. A new employee should not only be a great contributor but also make the company more attractive to future A-players, whether through their network, reputation, or interview presence. This focus on recruiting potential ensures talent density increases over time.
When contractors complain they can't find good people, it's often a culture problem, not a talent shortage. A great workplace turns existing employees into recruiters who attract other high-quality talent from their networks, creating a self-sustaining recruitment pipeline.
Despite receiving hundreds of online applications for a single role, the majority of candidates ultimately hired at competitive companies like Google already have a connection inside the organization. This highlights that building a professional network to secure internal advocates is more critical for job seekers than simply optimizing a resume.
By explicitly stating a preference for hiring from his audience ("OZ Nation"), Hormozi reveals a powerful recruiting strategy. His content acts as a filter, attracting individuals already aligned with his company's culture and philosophy, creating a high-quality, pre-qualified talent pipeline.
A holistic talent strategy requires a dual focus. An 'External Talent Cloud' provides on-demand access to specialized global skills, while an 'Internal Talent Marketplace' unlocks hidden skills within the current workforce. Operating both creates ultimate flexibility, allowing talent to flow seamlessly into and within the organization.
To move beyond reliance on job ads, structure a career path with three distinct stages: 1) Master selling, 2) Coach one other person to sell, and 3) Recruit and lead a team. This model incentivizes top performers to recruit and train their network, creating a scalable, internal talent pipeline.