Greenhouse Benchmark Report with Sharawn Tipton, Chief People Officer

Added: 2026-05-12

[00:00:00]The greenhouse benchmark report is out.

[00:00:02]We'll break it down next on the Reg podcast.

[00:00:15]Sean Titan is the chief people officer at Greenhouse and she joins me now uh from the West Coast. It's nice to meet you, Sean.

[00:00:21]>> Nice to meet you, Chris. Thank you for having me today.

[00:00:24]>> Yeah, you're fairly new at Greenhouse. I think about six months in now if I'm uh looking at your profile correctly. How's it been going?

[00:00:30]>> You are correct. 6 months in. Um, it's been great. I feel like I've joined at precisely the right time in our industry. There's so much going on. Um, it's been super energizing to see all of the movement and changes in the HR space. A lot of it driven by the AI boom. Um, you know, if you see the the data in the higher standard report, it's it's not only cool to see the data, but what I'm really energized about is the fact that we as TA HR professionals can make an impact. So, this is in many ways our moment. Um, at Greenhouse, the first thing I've been tasked with is helping to accelerate our AI initiative. So really focusing on culture, um helping our team members move up the AI maturity model, making sure they have the right tools and um communication to just to make sure that we don't lose anyone. It's such an important journey and I want to take everyone with us and in a great time for opportunity. I think the biggest surprise uh for me uh at Greenhouse is not so much in the um HR space, it's more on around the culture.

[00:01:47]It is an extremely inclusive environment. Um it's low politics and I love that because I'm able to solve really big problems and get the support that I need from our leadership and our team members. So, it has been absolutely wonderful.

[00:02:02]>> Nice. on the as AI stuff you are specifically kind of uh you know bringing AI in houses and making it part of the whole greenhouse workflow for every department and things like that.

[00:02:13]Give me some more background there.

[00:02:14]>> Yeah. So it's really interesting. Um so not only are we infusing AI into our product, right? So there's that whole workstream going, but we're also spending a lot of time thinking about the tools and technology and governance that we need. And then my lane is really around our culture, right? And so how do we lead um with this curiosity mindset, right? And being open to new ways of working and being able to take a step back and look at our workflows and look for for gaps and then re-engineer them um with AI augmentation. And so it really is a time of experimentation. And so that's what I'm tasked with, encouraging our team members to experiment and take risks in a safe space and also making sure that they have the time to do that. We are all so busy, but it takes time to upskill yourself in AI and to play around and a lot of it, you know, I I am all for training. I think it's super important, >> but what I'm finding for myself with AI is the best training is on the job. And so actually utilizing the tools and seeing how I can be more efficient and how I can redesign my own workflows um has been where I've spent a lot of my time and so I want to make sure that our employees have that time as well.

[00:03:36]>> Nice. And you guys I think you're you're hiring right now. I saw about 27 open roles on your career site today when I was checking it out. So uh just give us a quick run through of what you're hiring for these days. What kind of roles? Give me some thoughts.

[00:03:46]>> Yeah. So, um, we always have open roles and, um, I don't know if everyone knows we're fully remote, which is awesome, so we can cast our net pretty wide when we're looking for talent. Um, we're hiring across product engineering. Um, as I mentioned, we're scaling our AI capabilities. So, a lot of roles are focused in that area. Um, we're also expanding our go to market and support teams. Um, there's a role that I am closely watching and very excited about.

[00:04:16]Um, and a lot of people will think it's the social media manager role because I think I get the most questions and inquiries about that one. It it's it seems like a pretty hot role that folks are interested in, but I'm hiring a VP of talent and that sits right in the intersection of our 2026 report. um you know candidates are are using AI um and recruiters are drowning just in all the report uh you know all the applicants that they're receiving and so this role is going to help Greenhouse internally find those signals where we are able to hire top talent right and so um not only are they going to be partnering with me to bring in great talent for our organization they also get to partner with our product team to make sure that we're picking up those signals in our tool. So, um it it is just an exciting time. Lots of great opportunity at Greenhouse.

[00:05:12]>> Nice. Very cool. That's great to hear.

[00:05:14]All right. So, the report's called the higher standards, your kind of benchmark report. And so, I love numbers and you guys do a great job with that. There's a lot of numbers in here which I want to talk about. So, uh let me run let me talk to the audience first. I'll say uh so according to the 2026 greenhouse benchmark report, the recruiting landscape has undergone a fundamental reset. you say driven by a massive surge in AI powered applications and a simultaneous reduction in recruiting resources. Despite these pressures, the data reveals that recruiting teams have significantly improved their productivity and efficiency. So, let's run through the highlights here. You start, we're going to start with the high volume pipeline trends, Chiron. Um, and here are the numbers for you folks.

[00:05:53]So, application search, uh, recruiters are managing 411% more annual applications than they were in 22. And kind of tied in with that reduced resources, recruited team sizes, organizations have been cut in half, 55% decrease since 2022. So what are your thoughts on that overall problem right now that seems like everyone's having an eye volume?

[00:06:15]>> Oh my gosh. Well, I hear it all the time when I talk to my friends, my peers, my family. It's not working for anyone, right? So you've got um applicants that are submitting all these applications.

[00:06:27]They're sometimes they're getting ghosted. They're not hearing back. And then on the flip side of that, you've got recruiters who are asked to do more now um with with less, right, with less team members. And so it's a very interesting time. And that's one of the things Greenhouse has really taken on to help solve is, you know, how do we weave through this this AI doom loom, right, to get to >> the doom loop. That's what Daniel calls it.

[00:06:53]>> Yes. Yes. Um and so it's just an interesting time. Um but what I am seeing is that um you know recruiters are despite this increased volume and small smaller teams they are improving outcomes and so it's great to see that and there is hope and I think on the candidate side um what I am telling my peers in the industry is remember when you were a candidate right and how you wanted to be treated um with respect and certainly understanding if you're applying for a role and that if they are utilizing AI to assess if you're a fit, you want to know that, right? And so there's a level of respect and dignity that I think we as HR professionals can provide to these candidates that sometimes is missing today.

[00:07:43]>> Totally. Yeah. Um the rate of applications per job according to the report increased by 111% rising from approximately 115 in 2022 to 244 in 2025. It's a that's a you know that's a big increase there. U this you know the resume black hole that every job seeker kind of feels stuck in. Um what do you tell your what do you tell your friends uh who ask you for for job hunting advice these days?

[00:08:13]Well, I tell them number one, it's going to be a lot harder than it's been in the past, right? This is unprecedented. Um I I don't recall a time and and you know, I have some tenure on me where it's been quite like this. And so I want them to be prepared, right? Um I also want them to uh be selective in their approach, right? So there are tools out there where you can massively apply for a bunch of jobs, but I really want them focused on cultures that they want to be a part of. Um jobs that do map to their key skills, core competencies, knowledge, ability, and passions. Like I think that's important. Um and then I would say there's there's work to do.

[00:08:54]And so, not only do um you want to be applying online, but you want to be connecting with people and tapping into your network um and utilizing all of that network currency that you've built up over your career because that's going to help weed through that as well. Um secondly, I would say you want to you want to understand the process and so um ask questions, you know, understand what you're walking into. A lot of companies now are starting to test on AI fluency.

[00:09:22]So, is that part of the interview process? What, you know, what are you walking into? Be curious. Um, job seekers love to see folks that are curious. So, that would be my advice.

[00:09:34]>> Yeah. Do you uh like for your VP of talent while you're looking for is that one of your questions like your like how do you use AI to find talent or >> Yeah. Heck yeah, that's one of my questions. And I'll take it a step further. Not only is it one of the questions, but at Greenhouse, we like to um you know test for AI fluency in real time. And so there's a simulation that um we partner with with our job candidates for this role in particular.

[00:10:00]And I just hired a um HR generalist the same thing. And it's like, so show me. I I think we've really pivoted from giving the correct answer in in the interview, right? Because now you can go on to AI and get the answer. like how did you get to the answer, right? And that goes back to when I was talking about really embedding AI into our culture. It's a mindset, right? And so it's like what prompts are you using? What questions are you asking? How are you validating that the information that's being thrown at you is accurate? And then once you have that information, we know in business um things change. It's fluid.

[00:10:37]It's not static, right? And so if you come back with an answer um we may say, "Okay, that's great. Now let's assume the scenario is X. How does that change your prompting and the the information that you would bring back?

[00:10:50]>> Yeah, very good. Here's a quick look at the report for the audience on YouTube here. Um let's talk about performance and productivity. Chiron um for recruiters >> used uh the report says monthly hires per recruiter jumped 122% between 2022 2025.

[00:11:05]>> The number of jobs closed with a hire increased by nearly 8%. annual interview scheduled per recruiter rose by 128%.

[00:11:14]That's a lot of that's a lot of that's a lot more interviews. Um how what's what's realistic for a recruiter today? How many interviews in a day can they do these days? Like is it has it increased over time? It sounds like >> you know what's interesting is I I think one it depends on the role the complexity of the role um the the internal process of the organization has to come into factor as well. But what I will say is also time while those those metrics and we've seen jumps, time to fill is actually up and so folks can look at that and say, "Oh, well, we're not being as efficient as we once were."

[00:11:49]But it but we actually are. It's like a deliberate um triage, right? So what I'm finding with our recruiters is that um AI is here to assist, but it does not replace your discernment, your judgment.

[00:12:04]Right? It's my grandmother um used to say this to me growing up. You know, anyone can have the recipe, but not everybody can cook. And I think that's such a great example of how recruiters should be using AI, right? It's like you've got tools to help you, but we still need your judgment and discernment. And so while we may gain efficiencies in some areas, we want to make sure we're taking that time um to to weed through that doom that AI doom loom and and see um what it is that we're actually getting from the signals and what we need to get that high quality candidate.

[00:12:41]>> Yeah, very good. Um there was one my probably my favorite favorite section of the report was the sourcing channel effectiveness. So, uh, you've got four sources here. Company job boards, which is your career site, external job boards, referrals, and recruiter sourced. Now, company job boards, your career site, 34% of hires, 23% of applications.

[00:13:03]External job boards came in second for 22% of hires and 49% of applications.

[00:13:09]Referrals were low. I mean, I thought they were low. 11.6% of hires, 3.2% of applications. and recruiter source, which is basically you you going out yourselves and sourcing those candidates, 9.7% as far as source of hire there. Interesting numbers there, Chiron. Um the the career site should be your number one, right? That's that's kind of a a standard these days. Um and I was surprised referrals was that that kind of lower. I thought they be a little bit higher there because some companies are like 50%.

[00:13:38]>> U organizations, but uh uh what do you guys do? What do you do? What do you do greenhouse there for referrals? Do you have your own system and stuff?

[00:13:45]>> We do. We do have a referral program and I think it is so great to tap into our networks and pull referrals. Um, but I but I think and I'm putting on my DNI hat as well. You also again want to make sure you're casting your net wide enough, right? And so I think it's a fine balance and I actually like the numbers that we're seeing around referrals because that means they're coming in at a healthy rate. Um, but we are still looking at the entire pool and ensuring as recruiters that we are hiring the best person for the role, not necessarily the person that's connected.

[00:14:20]And so, um, I would say keep doing what you're doing to recruiters like, yeah, let's tap into our networks. Let's see who who's out there and then let's truly assess, are they an uplift for this role? Do you have a favorite section of the report?

[00:14:35]Uh that >> Oh gosh, there was so many goodies in here. I also like you love data. I thought what was really interesting is the jump in folks that are now being interviewed by AI.

[00:14:50]>> So up 13 points in just six months. Um I also thought it was interesting to see the stats around those who are in the process but don't understand that AI is part of the process. And that's what I mean by this being this being an exciting time for us. Um, I think we as HR professionals have an opportunity to provide transparency and education to candidates um, and dispel some of the false narratives or myths that are out there around AI, but really give folks an understanding of what the process is and how AI is here to help, not to um, discriminate or not to um, you know, disadvantage anyone in any way.

[00:15:35]>> Yeah. And it just it's a sign of the times of of where we're going. You know, it's very interesting.

[00:15:41]>> Very good. Um there's a bunch of recommendations in here. I'm going to run through mention mention one of these and have you just comment on it. Um I think we've kind of touched on this as well, but embrace specialized AI. So what do you want to say about that?

[00:15:55]>> Yeah, I would say uh that's on both sides, right? So I think as a candidate coming in, you know, it's it's great. I think we all have an opportunity to educate ourselves and understand right um what the process will be and where AI is typically embedded and then of course you know I'm going to evangelize our our product um you want to utilize tools um that have AI integrated within them because it's going to give you a natural uplift especially tools that um have ensured that there isn't bias within the product and that you're able to run a fair structured um hiring process. And so I think um you know sometimes folks including myself can be slow adapters. We know that there's a real trust gap with AI.

[00:16:44]There's no secret. Um but I would say this is one where we as candidates and as recruiters, HR professionals really need to lean into. And the more you understand, I think the the less that fear drives you and you're able to um have that understanding and start to utilize in a way that is is extremely beneficial on both sides.

[00:17:10]>> One of the recommendations too was human centric interviews. So what do you guys mean by that?

[00:17:15]>> Yeah. So you know again AI is one piece of of the um process, right? But it all comes back to the person being at the center. And again, I think this is where when we talk about um respect, right?

[00:17:32]And and making sure someone understands the process. To me, that is putting the human at the center, right? AI um is here to help with our discernment and to pick up those signals from candidates, but it's not here to replace us, right?

[00:17:48]And and I think that is keeping the human at the center. So making sure for every process, every workflow that you have, yes, you have AI embedded, but there is a human that is accountable for that, that is accountable for that candidate experience. That is important.

[00:18:04]>> Yeah. Uh transparency as a differentiator. We're talking about AI here.

[00:18:09]>> Yes. So again, I think companies that are transparent about their process and the fact that they're utilizing AI, they are going to um get something from candidates in return and that is their trust and their respect, right? So you are starting that relationship. We all know the relationship with the candidate starts actually before they even apply, right? So every time they're seeing your company name, whether that's in the news, through a friend, um on a social media platform, you're starting to develop that relationship. So if you start that relationship uh with transparency around what the interviewer is going to experience and with some commitments, right? Like our commitment is we will close the loop, right? We're not going to ghost you. Um we're going to tell you what the process is. is we're going to have you understand how technology is embedded within this process, but we are going to treat you like a human. That is the goal and that's what's going to differentiate the companies that win versus those that don't.

[00:19:14]>> Yeah. And a lot of times that that doesn't require, you know, a machine to do it. Just takes some effort on the the recruiter's part just to, you know, send that communication out there and just stay on top of the the secret for them, you know.

[00:19:25]>> Absolutely.

[00:19:27]>> Uh last one is relationship building.

[00:19:29]Um, future relies on using tech to enable more human encounters, not fewer, right?

[00:19:34]>> Yes, absolutely. Like it all comes down to to relationships. I've heard um someone say uh business is personal and I love that quote because it really is, right? And it all comes back to relationships. So again, uh technology is here to help us to be more efficient and um you know, you've got all of these candidates in the market and it's like okay, how do we connect folks with their dream job, right? But in that again, we don't want to lose the human side of things and that is the relationship.

[00:20:12]Whether someone lands a role or not at Greenhouse, I want them walking away saying, "Wow, that was an amazing experience." I knew I was going to go through an AI simulation and how much fun did I have and how much did uh you know that interviewer engage with me throughout that process, right? And help me through that process. And so those are the the stamps of endorsements I want and the relationships I want to come out of that candidate experience regardless of the outcome.

[00:20:41]>> Yeah. How do you guys kind of give that consent? Uh Shironda, how do you what's the is it is it just a message saying, "Hey, here's what here's the steps you're going to go through. It's going to be AI driven." Give me some sense around how you guys do it there agree if if you can.

[00:20:53]>> Yeah, we're very again, we believe in a structured hiring process. So for every candidate that we have, we outline what that process is going to be. And I know because I was a candidate, so I went through this. So, I actually as I was interviewing with Greenhouse um received a workflow that said, "Okay, here is the process. Here's what you can expect.

[00:21:13]Who's here's what you're going to meet."

[00:21:14]And so, I had a ton of transparency walking into Greenhouse to understand every step of the way. And I think that's so important. I can't tell you how many times I myself have been in the interview process and at the end of the call you're asking, "Oh, well, what is the next step? When do you think I'm going to hear from someone? do I need to prepare a case study? You know, you don't know. It's like you enter this black box. And so, we at Greenhouse have been very intentional in designing that candidate experience to ensuring that folks understand not only where a, you know, where they're going to encounter AI in the process, but what the process is, right, and the relationships they're going to build along the way.

[00:21:55]>> Awesome. Well, Sean, I appreciate your time today. I think we'll end it there on that note and got to give you your time back there as the chief people officer at Greenhouse, but thanks for stopping by today in Reek.

[00:22:04]>> Thank you so much for having me, Chris.

[00:22:05]I had a great time. I'm looking forward to talking more later.

[00:22:09]>> Excellent. Yeah, come back anytime and we'll put a link to the report in the show notes for the audience there. That will do it for this episode of the Rec Tech podcast. Thanks Ky to Dalia for their sponsorship. Be sure to follow myself and Reg Techch Media on LinkedIn.

[00:22:20]See your podcast, video, and blog we publish. Thanks for tuning in everyone and remember, always be recruiting.