# Hiring with Intention: An Executive Search Case Study (EP.93)

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/work-shouldnt-suck-717180/hiring-with-intention-an-executive-search-case-study-ep-93
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/work-shouldnt-suck-717180/hiring-with-intention-an-executive-search-case-study-ep-93.md
Podcast: [Work. Shouldnt. Suck.](https://stenobird.com/podcast/work-shouldnt-suck-717180)
Published: 2026-05-30T13:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.workshouldntsuck.co/podcast2/ep93
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/d7a23338-f620-431e-bd50-1a5713947a5c.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/work-shouldnt-suck-717180/episodes/hiring-with-intention-an-executive-search-case-study-ep-93
Duration seconds: 3398

## Resource

Most hiring processes were built in a different era, carried forward by inertia without much consideration, and optimized for the organization’s convenience rather than a candidate’s experience. This episode is about what happens when a team decides to proactively reimagine that dynamic. WSS host Tim Cynova is joined by Katrina Donald (Ever-so-curious), Julie Mae Lopez (People Power Solutions), and guest host for the episode, Jodi Cobalt (Yerba Buena Center for the Arts). The four of them collaborated on a search at YBCA in 2022-23 for an executive-level Head of External Relations role. This episode is a detailed reflection of what they and the organization tried, what surprised them, and what they’d do again. It’s a behind-the-scenes account of what intentional hiring looks like in practice, with enough specifics that you can take ideas directly into your next search. In this conversation: Why the typical playbook fails → information flows one way, candidates are kept in the dark for weeks, and “culture fit” bias goes completely unchecked. “Dot connector” screening calls built around one prompt: Connect the dots between where you’ve been and this role. Those calls can reshuffle the entire candidate list. Treating the job posting like a marketing campaign: multiple formats, audio and video assets, detailed comp and benefits information, distributed through the varied networks and channels where candidates are located. Why a $250 honorarium Venmo’d the moment a finalist leaves the room might matter more than the dollar amount suggests. Redesigning reference checks to ask “what advice would you give this candidate’s future supervisor?” instead of “was this person a team player?” Accessibility built into the process from the start: contrast ratios, audio versions of posti…

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## Transcript

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