I'll be the first to admit: I haven't always managed recruitment in the way I would want it handled for me. In the urgency of filling roles in what I now recognise as reactive, ineffective, and costly recruitment, I've relied on impersonal templated emails, delayed feedback to candidates, and, at times, unintentionally left people without a response. None of it was intentional, but none of it sat well either.
Looking back, I can see that much of this stemmed from a lack of proper planning, from not prioritising succession planning, to overlooking how our operational model should support the future growth of the organisation. And yet, I also realise how much weight these "small" actions carry. Candidates don't just remember whether they got the role or not; they remember how they were treated throughout the process.
What changed and why I care so much
At some point, I started asking myself a simple but powerful question: If this were my closest friend, my sibling, or my mentor going through this process, how would I want them to be treated? Or even more honestly, how do I want to be treated when I'm the candidate?
That reflection sent me back to my own recruitment journeys. I know firsthand how painful it feels to be ghosted after investing time, energy, and hope into a process, only to hear nothing back. And yet, I found myself doing the same to candidates, caught in the loop of reactive, unplanned hiring.
I recall a two-month process where I was asked to travel across South Africa, spend sleepless nights completing assignments, and attend round after round of interviews, only to be met with silence when the process ended. The role disappeared, and so did the communication. That kind of process doesn't just cost candidates their energy, it costs organisations their reputation.
On the flip side, one of my best recruitment experiences was also the simplest: a quick WhatsApp exchange, one in-person chat, and an honest, informal discussion about what the role would actually look like. That was it. No endless waiting, no obstacle course of tasks or tests. I landed the role, but more importantly, I felt respected every step of the way. And here's the twist: that very process brought me to where I am today, working at Kastelo, and it's what pushed me to rethink, revisit, and redesign my approach to recruitment altogether.
These experiences taught me something fundamental: recruitment doesn't need to feel like an obstacle course. It can be personal, it can be short, and it can still be thorough.
That's why we've worked hard to incorporate intentional practices into the way we recruit. Wherever possible, we keep it simple, one interview round (sometimes using tools like Wamly to save time), quick feedback, and making an informed decision about the candidate as soon as possible. For more technical or senior roles, the process may require more depth, but even then, we keep it tight, rarely stretching beyond three to four weeks. And if we do need more time because, let's face it, in FinTech things can change in seconds, we make a point of keeping candidates updated. They always know where they stand, why there's a delay, and what the next step will be. That balance gives people a fair chance to show up as their best selves, without turning the process into an exhausting obstacle course.
How to keep it personal and fast?
The natural question is, how do we keep this personal when volumes are high, sometimes with 200+ applications for a single role? The answer lies in something I shared in a previous blog: "We don't recruit based on location; we recruit based on exceptional, standout talent." It's a lesson I've absorbed deeply at Kastelo, especially through listening to the intentional stories and insights our CEO, Nicholas Burke, shares with me.
Recruitment is never about volume or filling seats for the sake of it. We remain cautious about creating roles that don't serve our bigger purpose. We're constantly assessing, aligning, and refining our focus because the danger of becoming an overinflated company is that people get boxed into rigid roles, and culture becomes an afterthought. That's the opposite of what we want. Instead, our approach to recruitment is one of the ways we keep our culture intentional, human, and true to who we are.
And the difference shows. Moments like this confirm that how we design and deliver our recruitment process is just as important as who we hire. The process itself shapes our culture and becomes part of our brand.
What I believe now
Every candidate deserves to walk away from a recruitment process with their dignity intact. The outcome may not always be in their favour, but the experience should leave them feeling seen, valued, and respected. A rejection is always disappointing, but paired with clarity and care, the process can also reinforce respect for our company and its culture.
Recruitment shouldn't exist in isolation; it must be aligned with our organisational culture, embedded in our unwritten rules, and reflected in the way we treat people at every level. How we interact with candidates is a direct reflection of who we are as a company, shaping perceptions not only of our product but also of our brand as an employer. Every thoughtful interaction, every respectful update, and every honest conversation contributes to building a reputation that attracts the right people and strengthens trust in our organisation, today and in the future.
I believe we, as People Teams, can and should do better. Let's stop ghosting candidates. Let's take the time to write thoughtful and kind messages, even when the answer is no. Let's own up and apologise when we've dropped the ball. And let's ensure that every candidate experience reflects our values as people leaders, not just the efficiency of our systems.
Recruitment is not just about filling positions. It is about shaping experiences. These interactions stay with people long after the interview ends and often long after they've forgotten the exact role they applied for. If we treat recruitment as human first, transaction second, we not only protect the dignity of those who apply, but we also strengthen the culture and reputation of our organisations.
