Exec hiring at PostHog
We deliberately keep our structure flat and we don’t believe in having a lot of fancy titles early on. However, as we grow, we will hire people into more executive-type positions.
With our exec hiring, moreso than normal, we are aiming for speed, and as always, quality. If a candidate is amazing but doesn't fit with a specific role need we have right now, we still aim to treat the hiring process with the same urgency as if posthog.com has gone down.
Executive hiring process
Preparation
Before we kick-off the hiring process for an exec role, we make sure to have everything we need for the role prepared:
- James or Tim to write job description, Exec team review
- Post the role - share in our networks (we may not publicize this in all our usual channels as these types of roles can attract a very high volume of candidates who are not relevant)
- Ask investors for referrals
- Agree on salary benchmark and equity level - this usually doesn't fit in our compensation calculator
- Decide on interview process - this might be bespoke (see below)
- The People team will build a market map and share it with the leadership team, outreach ideally coming from the founders
Interview process
In order to ensure speed, we aim to finish the process within 5 working days (assuming the candidate has availability). This is a rough guide that can be adapted
Day 1: Candidate meets Coua - 30-45 minutes
- Culture
- Important information: time frame, salary expectations (base/equity/bonus/other), visa, other open processes
- Answer open Qs
Day 2: Candidate meets James and/or Tim - 45-60 minutes
- History, mission, vision
- Role responsibilities
- Role outlook (team, development etc)
Day 3: Technical Interview with James/Tim + respective team - 60 minutes
- Background and experience
- Technical deep-dive
- Scenario-based questions
Day 3: Meet rest of the Exec team - Charles - 30-45 minutes
- Strategy and long term outlook
- Culture fit
Day 4: SuperDay (optional) or meet the team (standup or informal lunch)
Day 4: Wrap up call with James and/or Tim - 30 minutes
- Answer any open questions, potentially talk about offer details already
- Coua to follow up via email
Day 5: Offer out
- Coua to send official offer and comp sheet with James/Tim/Charles in CC
- James/Tim/Charles to drop a quick message how excited they are
- 🤞
Depending on the role, we might also schedule a call with one of our investors.
We take exceptional people when they come along - and we really mean that! Don’t see a specific role listed? That doesn't mean we won't have a spot for you.
In cases where a candidate reaches out without us having a role posted, we follow the same process as above, and work through all open tasks we would usually prepare for on day 1 and 2.