Rehumanizing Recruiting with Mike Peditto, Director of Talent @ Teal

How can recruiters make hiring feel seamless and human—especially when resources are stretched thin?

Mike Peditto, Director of Talent at Teal, discusses rehumanizing recruiting by putting candidates first—even in a resource-strapped hiring landscape. 

In this conversation with Shannon, Mike explains why providing interview questions upfront is a game-changer for candidate experience, creating trust, transparency, and a smoother hiring process. He also shares practical ways to balance efficiency with empathy, showing how even small adjustments can elevate your hiring strategy and foster team morale.

Key Takeaways: 

1. Empower candidates through transparency: Sharing interview questions upfront sets candidates up for success, reduces anxiety, and fosters a more genuine, productive conversation. It’s a simple step that builds trust and encourages top talent to engage fully.
2. Rehumanize recruiting to elevate candidate experience: Candidates are people, not just resumes. Taking time to personalize interactions and maintain a human touch—even in a high-volume environment—improves candidate satisfaction and strengthens your employer brand.
3. Make recruiting a team sport: Aligning with hiring managers and securing leadership buy-in for transparent practices, like sharing interview questions, creates a smoother, more efficient hiring process. When everyone is on board, the entire team benefits.

Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction

(05:46) Common challenges in talent acquisition 

(10:20) The importance of humanizing recruiting

(14:02) Why transparency in the hiring process matters

(18:30) Balancing efficiency and human touch in recruiting

(22:15) The pros and cons of sending interview questions in advance

(27:48) Implementing paid work trials for better candidate fit

(31:55) How to handle pushback from hiring managers

(36:20) Building strong candidate relationships for long-term success

(40:15) Why the hiring process is misunderstood

(44:50) Advice on achieving hiring excellence