[nateps]

Yes! This does in fact turn hiring on its head. Our vision for Lever is "Connect human potential to meaningful work." What we mean by that is that if we are able to help organize talent a bit better so that human potential is realized and the most meaningful work is done by talent that is the best fit for it, the world will collectively produce more value and people will be have a better experience of work itself.

Already, Lever believes that the talent acquisition is everyone in the company's job. This idea will become even more mainstream. While recruiters are only getting more valuable as hiring becomes more important, everyone in the company will think of the suite of hiring products as part of the tools that they use to do their job, not as the recruiting team's tool. Just like every knowledge worker in a company thinks of email or calendar as a tool to help them do their job, we believe hiring will be so much a part of everyone's job that they think Lever is a tool for them.

As well, we predict that 5 years from now, every company will be developing long standing relationships with potential, current, and future employees at scale. Talent acquisition will be about predicting attrition and strategically modeling future hiring for a company, anticipating pipeline development well in advance. There is a great model for this—sales is a function that has mastered this already. It will be a revolution in the strategic importance of talent acquisition into a key operational function at every company.

[jamestimmins]

Thanks for replying! That last point is quite interesting. So if I'm understanding correctly, companies would develop relationships with an employee potentially months or years before an actual job or application is on the table? If that's correct, what do you envision taking it from a casual relationship to an actual job getting offered?

For example, is it about getting in touch with prospective employees who are content in their current role but may be interested down the road when their circumstances change? Or perhaps about identifying people who seem promising, but aren't ready for the job yet, and maintaining the relationship as they develop? I'm curious because I've thought a bit about the latter option, of companies giving potentially promising candidates insight into how they can develop to become competitive for a role, and have wondered why that doesn't take place more often.

[nateps]

Yes, I think both scenarios you outlined are what the companies that are most successful in the changing world of employment will do. They will both get to know people far in advance so that when the timing is right, they are able to get the best of both worlds—highly qualified talent when needed.

In addition, companies will look ahead to anticipate which talent might be a strong fit in the future and keep tabs on them as they develop in their careers. I think the honest truth as to why it is not happening more today is that it is so difficult! One part of the solution is building software that has this model for hiring as key part of it works, and that is Lever's focus.

Thanks for asking such a great question and offering your commentary as well!