Why are conversations better than applications?

I was, still am, hiring for a front end lead. I was very honest with the people that I was reaching out to on cord and saying, "Look, this is a role that if you come in, there's some big shoes to fill."

I was surprised by the number of people who said, "Look, thanks, but maybe no thanks, because I'm not ready to make that jump to be a lead, and go into some big shoes straight away."

We were able to have a far more honest conversation without having to go through 10 rounds of interviews with people. You immediately know where you stand with the candidates. "Are you ready to take on this challenge or not? Then we'll work out whether you're qualified, but let's be honest about it. Because if you're not, we can stop the conversation and not waste anyone else's time."