Lessons in attracting and engaging amazing candidates through hiring practices that build respectful relationships based on trust and transparency
Domenica Chieffo leads Purppl’s People & Operations
As Purppl’s People & Operations lead, I recently had the chance to support our team through the hiring processes for two new roles. The experience reinforced my belief that how we hire is just as important as who we hire.
As a Community Contribution Company (CCC), Purppl’s team is constantly striving to balance and align the operations of the business with our broader impact goals. Having moved past the startup phase of our social enterprise, we now have the space and resources to be more intentional in designing operational processes. So we wanted to ensure that each step of the hiring process reflected our vision of a just, regenerative economy that advances collective wellbeing and the health of air, land and water.
In this post, I offer 10 ethical, inclusive hiring practices we learned and implemented during this recent round of hiring. These practices helped us attract and engage some amazing candidates while staying true to our commitment to equity and respectful relationships.
Whether you’re hiring for an entry-level role or bringing on a senior leader, I hope our experience inspires you to create a hiring process that truly reflects your organization’s vision and values, and helps build strong, lasting relationships that reinforce an equitable, diverse and inclusive social impact ecosystem.
Before diving in, I want to acknowledge that I’m not an expert in this space—I’m still learning, and these are some of my reflections as I continue to grow in this space. If you have thoughts, ideas, or feedback, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to reach out via email or connect with me on LinkedIn.
1. Post Salary Ranges for Transparency & Fairness
One of the first steps I took was ensuring transparency by posting the salary range of the role. This practice is essential in building trust and setting clear expectations from the start. It prevents any future misunderstandings and demonstrates our commitment to fairness.
Candidates deserve to know what they’re applying for and to make informed decisions based on that information. I imagine much time is wasted when an applicant completes a full hiring process only to find out the pay will not support their life circumstances.
When we post salary ranges, we’re not only demonstrating respect. We’re also aligning with current best practices, as governments around the world begin to implement regulations, such as the BC government’s Pay Transparency Act in 2023.
2. Value Candidates’ Time by Providing Honorariums
Job hunting can be a time-consuming and costly process. We all know this to be true, yet it can be overlooked when the person in charge of hiring hasn’t experienced job hunting in a long time.
To show our appreciation for the time and effort candidates put into our hiring process, we decided to provide honorariums. In so doing, we learned that this small gesture goes a long way in making candidates feel valued and respected, regardless of the outcome. It acknowledges their time in researching our company, preparing to speak with us, and the actual time spent during the interview.
When deciding on an appropriate honorarium for candidates participating in your hiring process, consider key factors like the time commitment required, the level of expertise of the candidate, industry standards, and your organization’s budget. Typically, honorariums range from $50-$200 for brief participation, $200-$500 for more extensive involvement, and $500-$1,000 or more for senior executives or specialized roles. The honorarium should reflect appreciation for the candidate’s time and effort, without becoming the primary motivation for their participation.
3. Share Interview Questions in Advance to Help Candidates Prepare
I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s walked out of an interview, kicking myself for not thinking of a much better example of my work during the interview itself. It’s the kind of thing that can keep a job seeker awake at night.
Interviews can be nerve-wracking, and in our recent hiring round, we really wanted to ensure that every candidate had a fair chance to showcase their true potential. Knowing that some people shrink under pressure, and that ultimately we wanted to hire folks who excelled at operations, not necessarily at interviewing, we sought ways to level the playing field.
Sharing interview questions before the interview was one approach that not only helped candidates prepare but also reduced anxiety, allowing them to present their best selves. But don’t just stop there. Share as many details as possible about what folks can expect at the interview to support candidates to show up feeling cool, calm and collected, such as who will be in the room (or on Zoom), dress code, length of the interview, how many questions will be asked, etc.
We want our interviews to be a conversation, not a power battle. By eliminating as many unknowns as we can for candidates, we’re helping them (and ourselves) to stay present and responsive so we can truly get to know each other. Because that’s the goal, right?
4. Be as Compelling as Your Candidates
Historically, the hiring process has placed power in the hands of the employer, but if we want to ensure we’re attracting awesome new teammates who are aligned with our vision and values, it’s crucial to rebalance this dynamic. Not only are we evaluating candidates, they are evaluating us, so we must be as compelling in presenting our organization as candidates are in presenting themselves.
For example, creating meaningful, long-lasting connections with social entrepreneurs and impact leaders is at the core of our work at Purppl, so we wanted to ensure that candidates were able to experience a sense of mutual care, respect and collaboration. Just as candidates were showcasing their skills, experiences, and values, we were demonstrating that by joining Purppl, they weren’t just filling a role but becoming part of a community. This approach helped us attract candidates who were genuinely aligned with Purppl’s theory of change and culture.
By putting effort into being as compelling as our candidates, employers ensure that the relationship is reciprocal from the very beginning. When candidates feel that we are as invested in them as they are in us, they are more likely to lean in and engage with respect and authenticity themselves.
5. Maintain Communication by Following Up with Applicants
One of the most common complaints from job seekers is the lack of communication after submitting an application. When I was in the job market, I had companies call me 6 months later for an interview – which at that point I had forgotten I even applied.
So when it was my turn to lead the hiring process, I made it a point to follow up with every applicant, providing updates on their status throughout the process.
This practice fosters a sense of respect and appreciation, and it reflects the values of our organization. It recognizes that the applicant took time away from their other relationships and responsibilities to apply to our organization. No matter how far they made it in the process, they deserve to hear back about whether they’re continuing or not.
Even if there is a delay, the closure in hearing they are not moving forward in the process allows applicants to move on with their job search and not hold out hope for something that will not happen.
6. Reduce Bias With Multiple Interviewers
Recognizing the importance of fairness, I’m keenly aware of how biases — like favoring someone who mirrors our own background or cultural context, or letting a candidate’s gender, race or age cloud our judgment — can subtly infiltrate the hiring process and undermine the inclusivity we aim to uphold.
And the thing is, bias is rarely conscious. Which means as a hiring manager, I alone could not reduce its influence. I needed help.
To mitigate the influence of bias on the hiring process, we included multiple interviewers with diverse perspectives to help ensure a fair evaluation of each candidate.
“Diverse perspectives” can include gender, countries of origin, life experiences, professions, lifestyles, and viewpoints. When assembling the interview panel, I tried to choose folks in our organization who have very different personalities and approaches to work from mine. This way, when we agreed on a candidate, this told us that they would likely be well rounded.
With multiple interviewers, it’s less likely that a candidate will be favoured simply because they share similarities with one interviewer and helps overcome the tendency to prefer candidates who are “like us.”
7. To Be Truly Inclusive, Offer All the Accommodations
Inclusivity is at the heart of our hiring process. We made it a priority to ask candidates about any accommodations they might need and to clearly communicate the available options. This practice ensures that all candidates, regardless of their circumstances, have an equal opportunity to succeed.
However, one thing I learned recently at a workshop on “Dismantling Professionalism in the Interview Process” by the GEDI Hub (Gateway to Equity, Diversity & Inclusion), is that you should offer every option available versus asking what they need. This removes the feeling of weakness in asking for an accommodation rather than selecting something that has been offered. And it’s more invitational, demonstrating the real privilege you as an employer have in exploring a committed, long-term relationship with the candidate.
Accommodations you can offer include video or phone interviews, making the location accessible, allowing flexible scheduling, ensuring a quiet space, allowing a support person or interpreter, providing assistive technology, and offering written responses as an option.
8. Design the Hiring Process to Match the Role
Every role has unique expectations and compensation, which should be reflected in a hiring process that is tailored to the specific demands of the position. For instance, our approach to hiring for the Operations & Administration role was designed to align closely with the job’s core responsibilities, ensuring candidates were not only prepared for the tasks they’d face but also evaluated on criteria that genuinely matter.
As well, entry-level positions typically require fewer rounds of interviews than C-level roles. While an entry-level role, a streamlined process with one or two interviews might be sufficient to assess basic skills and cultural fit, a C-level position demands a more rigorous evaluation process, involving panel interviews, case studies, and even real-time problem-solving exercises that mirror the challenges they would face in the role.
The number of interview rounds, the type of assessments, and the involvement of senior leadership in the hiring process should all increase as the complexity and responsibility of the role increase.
9. Involve Previous Role Holders
We involved individuals who had previously held the position in designing the hiring process. Their insights were invaluable in creating a process that accurately reflected the role’s requirements and challenges. This practice also provided candidates with a realistic preview of what to expect.
10. Ask Candidates for Feedback
An often-overlooked aspect of the hiring process is the value of seeking feedback from candidates.
At Purppl, we believe that continuous learning and improvement are key to achieving our long-term organizational goals. Asking candidates for feedback allows us to refine our processes, ensuring they are as inclusive, equitable, and effective as possible. It also opens a dialogue that can reveal insights we might not have considered, helping us identify any unconscious biases, structural barriers, or aspects of the process that could be more transparent or welcoming. Seeking feedback also helps us strengthen relationships with candidates and grow our community.
In our recent hiring round, we sought feedback via email, but in reflecting on this practice, I’ve realized that offering an anonymous, optional survey next time could provide candidates with a braver space for sharing more openly.
Ultimately, gathering feedback from candidates is about more than just refining our hiring process; it’s about embodying the principles that guide our work. By continuously learning and adapting, we ensure that every aspect of our work, including how we bring people into our team, contributes to collective wellbeing and advances our vision of a more just and equitable world.
The Proof Is In the Impact
While many of the things we experimented with in our most recent round of hiring were implemented with the experience of the applicant in mind, I have seen how the impact has benefitted our organization.
We saw an amazing turnout of applicants, including many, many people that we would have loved to work with. We saw lasting connections, and are still in contact with applicants sharing knowledge and building a relationship. We saw positive feedback following the hiring process, with people very appreciative to have heard back from us at every step along the way.
A key reflection is to remember that you’re dealing with people. Yes, we want amazing people to apply and prepare to speak with us, but we also must remember that people need a livelihood to survive and thrive in this economy. They take time from their day and sometimes their jobs to apply for our companies. They find childcare and may buy new clothing in order to interview with us. They take risks and put themselves into situations that can be uncomfortable and stressful. So while they are not part of your company yet, treat them as you would an employee because not only do they deserve that respect, but you just never know where the relationship will lead in the future.
