Recruitment Handoff
Purpose: Single handoff document for the incoming Recruitment Lead. Synthesizes the Hiring & Recruitment hub, Recruitment Process SOP, Interview & Hiring Decision System, Hiring Philosophy & Values, Hiring Guide, and all pipeline resources.
Last updated: 2026-02-19
1. Where everything lives
| Resource | Link / location |
|---|---|
| Hiring & Recruitment (main hub) | Notion – Hiring & Recruitment |
| Pipeline / Candidate database | Brainforge Applicants database (view from main hub) + Talent Database |
| Recruitment Process SOP | Full end-to-end pipeline, stages, drop-offs, tools |
| Interview & Hiring Decision System | How we evaluate and decide; scorecards and evidence rules |
| Hiring Philosophy & Values SOP | Bar, values, non-negotiables, decision framework |
| Interview follow-up emails | Ops sends outcomes by email; templates in Email/LI Reply Templates |
| Slack | Recruiting General — interviewers added here; Ops posts candidate updates |
| FigJam – Recruitment | Brainforge Operations board (Recruitment section) |
| Interview Scorecard & Rubrics | Google Sheet (linked from Hiring hub) |
| Default Booking Link | For scheduling interviews |
| Loom Request / Video Questions | Async pre-screening for inbound |
All recruiting runs through Notion (pipeline, candidate profiles, interview scorecard). Decision on Notion vs ATS lives in Recruiting OKRs.
2. Hiring philosophy & bar
Source: Hiring Philosophy & Values SOP
- Quality of hire > speed of hire. If evidence is weak, we pause or reject.
- Outcomes over credentials. We hire for demonstrated impact and ownership, not titles or years.
- Values are behaviors. We evaluate culture contribution through observable behavior, not vibes.
- Human + AI > AI. We value judgment about when not to use AI; we reject hype-driven, tool-first thinking.
- Ownership is non-negotiable. Lack of ownership evidence is an automatic downgrade.
Bar: “Hell yes or no.” First round is about disqualifying quickly when it’s not a fit. When in doubt, it’s a no. “I liked them” is not a valid hiring reason.
Core values we assess: Ownership & accountability, Judgment under ambiguity, Learning velocity, Communication clarity, Integrity & trust.
Non-negotiables (must have all): Clear evidence of ownership in prior roles; ability to articulate value in business terms; comfort in ambiguity; alignment with Human + AI philosophy. Failure on any one dimension requires explicit exec override.
3. Recruitment Process SOP — end-to-end pipeline
Source: Recruitment Process SOP
3.1 Entry paths (mutually exclusive)
- Outbound / Executive Referral: Entry via BF Chats (informal intro; no Loom required). Chat notes mandatory on candidate record.
- Inbound: Application form + Loom video. Candidates go into Brainforge Applicants; pipeline stages replace legacy triage.
Policy: Wherever the candidate comes from (LinkedIn, referral, campaign), they should be in the pipeline. For strong executive referrals, the form is still required for database visibility; interview path can be shortened by agreement.
3.2 Pipeline stages
| Stage | Name | Owner / Interviewers | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Application Intake | Ops (+ BF Chats assignee for outbound) | In pipeline |
| 1B | Intake Screening (SL Review) | Screening Leads | Pass → Initial Interview / Fail → Not Fit |
| 2 | Initial Interview | By track (see §5) | Pass / Fail |
| 3 | Second Interview | By track (see §5) | Pass → Interview Task / Fail → Not Fit |
| 4 | Final Presentation (Panel) | Panel by track (see §5) | Pass → Offer / Fail → Not Fit |
| 5 | Offer | Ops + CEO | Rate, start date, trial vs full-time, contract |
| 6 | Onboarding Handoff | Ops | New Hire Onboarding SOP; recruitment ends at handoff |
Screening gates: Screening after Intake, after Initial Interview, after Second Interview, and after Final Presentation. Every candidate is in exactly one stage; use Pipeline Stage and Status in Notion.
3.3 After each interview
- Decision belongs to the interviewer(s) for that stage: pass or fail only.
- Do not promise the next step in the room (e.g. don’t say “we’ll send you the technical assessment”). Say they’ll hear back from the team/Ops soon.
- Notes and feedback must be added to the candidate’s Notion profile. Required for both pass and fail.
- Communicate outcome to the candidate by email (Ops), not in the meeting.
3.4 Drop-offs
- Not Fit (evaluative): Skills gap, experience mismatch, communication concerns. Document reason; use rejection template; feedback shared externally is high-level unless approved.
- Lost: Salary expectations, scope mismatch, role closed, candidate withdrew, no response. Use standardized reason tags. Minimum 2 follow-ups before marking Lost – No Response.
Rejection email: Use approved template (“Brainforge Interview Result”); optional concise, constructive feedback.
4. Interview & Hiring Decision System
Source: Interview & Hiring Decision System
- Interviewing is a decision system: each stage reduces uncertainty and collects documented evidence. No single interview “wins” a hire.
- Scorecards define what is evaluated and weighting; rubrics define how scores are assigned (behavioral anchors). Both are mandatory where scoring applies.
- Every score must be supported by evidence. Notes must be factual; “good vibe” is not acceptable.
- Pass/fail philosophy: Multiple weak signals outweigh one strong signal; missing ownership evidence = automatic downgrade; values misalignment cannot be offset by skill.
- Executive overrides: Allowed only for strategic/referral hires; must be documented and reviewed retrospectively.
Final panel: Panel votes Pass or Fail only; no partial passes. Unanimous pass → proceed to offer. If not unanimous, brief discussion then Uttam and Robert make the final call.
5. Interview stages and team members by department
Use for scheduling and to know who runs each stage.
Data
| Stage | Interviewer(s) |
|---|---|
| 1st | Awaish |
| 2nd | Demilade |
| Final (panel) | Uttam, Awaish, Demilade |
AI
| Stage | Interviewer(s) |
|---|---|
| 1st | Sam |
| 2nd | Pranav |
| Final (panel) | Sam, Pranav, Uttam |
Strategy
| Stage | Interviewer(s) |
|---|---|
| 1st | Amber |
| 2nd | Greg |
| Final (panel) | Amber, Greg, Robert |
Interviewer prep: Know which stage you’re doing; have candidate’s Notion profile (Ops posts in Recruiting General Slack); use interview scorecard/sample questions; submit notes and clear pass/fail in Notion after the interview.
6. Systems, tools & templates
Source: Recruitment Process SOP, Hiring hub
| Process / tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| recruitment@brainforge.ai | Email for applicant messages |
| Brainforge Applicants (Notion) | Single source of truth for candidates and stages |
| Loom Request Email Template | Async pre-screening |
| Interview Scorecard and Rubrics (Google Sheet) | Consistent scoring and rubrics |
| Interview Exercise | Role-specific skill validation |
| Interview scheduling tool (Default) | Booking links for candidates |
| BF Chats SOP | Pre-interview conversation for outbound |
| Interview & Hiring Decision System | How we evaluate and decide |
| Email/LI Reply Templates | Next steps and rejections |
| Loom Video Questions | Inbound screening questions |
7. Hiring Guide — scorecard & screening (reference)
Source: Hiring Guide
- Scorecard: Defines outcomes and competencies for the role (not just job description). A Player = accomplishes those outcomes in a manner consistent with culture; only top 10% could achieve them.
- Screening (20–30 min): Four key questions — career goals; what you’re really good at; what you’re not good at or not interested in; last five bosses and how they’d rate you 1–10. Use “What? How? Tell me more” to probe.
- Who Interview (deeper): Chronological career walk-through — what were you hired to do; accomplishments; low points; who you worked with (names); why you left. Evidence-based; two interviewers recommended.
8. Recruiting AORs & OKRs (high level)
- Pipeline: ≥90% talent pipeline status updated weekly; ≥90% first response within 72 hours; scheduling so candidates move from application to interview.
- Standards: Triage/screening for Senior Engineer/Analyst; comp/benefits for senior roles; decision on Notion vs ATS documented.
- Handoff: Onboarding and hire-to-start handoff (recruitment-handoff template when handing off to Ops).
Details and owners: Recruiting AORs and OKRs doc (in Notion).
9. Quick reference
- Candidates DB: Single source for pipeline and interview notes (from main Hiring & Recruitment hub).
- Main Hiring page: Hiring & Recruitment — process, scorecard, Loom questions (FigJam), resources, Recruitment Pipeline views.
- Slack: Recruiting General — add new interviewers; post when a candidate is scheduled or moved so interviewers can pull the Notion profile.
- Interview outcome: Never promise next step in the room; Ops sends confirmation/rejection by email. Always log notes and pass/fail in Notion first.
- Responsibilities: Department heads/managers — role-specific second round or task reviews; CEO — final evaluation and hiring decision; Operations — end-to-end recruitment oversight, coordination, status accuracy, onboarding handoff.
Maintained by: People Ops / Recruiting. Update when panel assignments or process change.
Source: Hiring & Recruitment hub, Recruitment Process SOP, Interview & Hiring Decision System, Hiring Philosophy & Values SOP, Hiring Guide, Recruitment Resources, Recruiting AORs and OKRs, and current panel assignments.