Yoni Lateiner, Nerd

NerdWallet

When was Nerd Wallet established? How many employees does the company have? How many new employees are you hiring this year?

We were established in 2009. We have approximately 380 employees, and are probably adding 100-120.

Historically, has NerdWallet done reference checks? If so, why do you think they are important?

Yes, but not in a manner that was as thorough or consistent as I would have liked. They were done by either recruiters or hiring managers. We find them important to learn more about a candidate from someone who had worked with them, to get additional insights and to help set a candidate up for success as a new hire.

When in the candidate application cycle did you typically do them? Did you do them on all levels of employee? How many reference checks typically per candidate did you do?

Typically in a later stage (like at offer stage, with an offer contingent on references). In theory, yes to all levels. In practice, less so at junior levels. Probably 2-3.

What were the biggest challenges with the old way of doing reference checks?

A few – time to get them done (back and forth to schedule, etc.), depth of questions (vs. people just trying to get it done), consistency of questions asked, consistency of format for feedback, having something to refer back to.

Using Crosschq, what do you see as the greatest benefits? Do you find the information useful in making decisions? Are you saving time? Does it remove bias from the old way? Benefits: automation, ease of use for everyone involved, consistency of questions, candidness of responses, ability to share with hiring teams.

It’s more useful for us in knowing what we’re getting and being thoughtful about how to set a candidate up for success (than in a hiring decision). Saving a bunch of time. And not having to fight with my team to get them to do it.

How do your team members in both Talent and Operations view the Crosschq reports and process? I know this is a workflow change for some. Have they been receptive?

At the moment, I send the reports to both recruiters and hiring managers. I get a lot of positive feedback about the reports. I want to change the workflow to make it more on the individual recruiters to send.

Are you using the Crosschq data in any other way than to assist with candidate vetting?

Not at the moment, but it’s something we’ve thought/talked about.

Any other comments?

Really like the tool, find it easy and like the data. Get good feedback from my teams and managers. Your support team is helpful and responsive.