Worldwide Recruitment at Freeletics

How To Scale International Hiring and Find the Right People for Your Organization

“Freeletics is a multicultural team, there is no doubt about it. The fact that we are able to recruit worldwide and interview people with different backgrounds and experiences from literally all over the world is so unique and, in my opinion, is one of the biggest pros we have.” –Anca, Recruiting Manager

In the past year, our Freeletics recruiters have received an outstanding 5,521 applications from candidates all over the world. We cast our nets wide positive that we will connect with the right people to cut through the clutter. This process (now fully remote) is not always easy and the right profiles don’t always pop up overnight, however we have a few principles to live by when it comes to worldwide recruitment…

Be Clear: When it comes to communication, be sure to make your hiring process crystal clear from the start. At Freeletics we follow a simple four step process and strive to be transparent about this even before any applications are completed (the very reason this post has been written, you can thank us later 😉)

• Step 1: Apply to the advertised position or submit a generic application. We recommend our applications include a CV, portfolio or online profiles, and a cover letter that includes your motivation, and relevant experience.
• Step 2: Chat with our recruiter(s) through a 30 minute call. This time is the perfect opportunity for a candidate to make a first introduction, speak about past experience, and generally see if a place at Freeletics could be a good fit for both parties.
• Step 3: Complete an assignment. This can be in the form of a case study or technical interview with a live challenge. This helps our hiring team understand how the candidates think and approach challenges.
• Step 4: Meet the team. Involving your team throughout the hiring process gives them the opportunity to gauge how they could collaborate with the candidate on future projects. It also is a time for them to make sure your values line up and there is a solid team fit. This is the final step in the process where you will get a chance to have a relaxed team chat, present your case study (if you have prepared one) and get a glance at life at Freeletics.

Be Open Minded: Once you have narrowed down the search, aim to interview more than one kind of candidate for the position. Not only does a more open minded mindset promote a rich, diverse hiring process, but it especially works to remove the implicit biases that we naturally carry with us like age, gender, race and background which might be unconsciously blocking our decision making. Everyone brings something different to the table and it is important in the decision making process to see the different ways each interviewee might shine in the role.

Be Part of a Team: When we say that it takes a village to hire the right person, we mean it. Encourage your team to share open roles on LinkedIn and throughout their network. Empower them to be brand ambassadors for your organization. Share their story and give them a stage to speak on. At Freeletics, if an employee recommends a superstar candidate we offer them a bonus as our way of saying “thank you.” This is another way to incentive your team to share the open role and be more engaged in the recruitment process. Talk about a win-win-win situation. 🚀

Be Human: It is very important to hire the person that holds similar values to that of the organization. The best way to check this is to involve your whole team at some point in the hiring process. At Freeletics we explore the team synergies during step four. While it might seem like a secondary aspect of a candidate, understanding if they are a “team fit” is one of the most important characteristics of a new hire. Afterall, a highly collaborative and inclusive working environment directly correlates to happy teams and individuals.

Be Growth Oriented: When interviewing candidates ask out of the box questions that require them to demonstrate their growth mindset. No, I’m not talking about the decades old, not to mention completely intrusive, question “where do you see yourself in five years,” but rather a question that shows they have thought about the future of your company and product and shows their passion for the position. For example: “How can we improve our product offering in the next 6 months?” or “What are the biggest challenges you see facing our company/industry and how would you approach them?” These kinds of questions give the candidate a better chance to project their passion and ideas for growth.

Want to learn more about the team and daily life at Freeletics HQ? Then find us on LinkedIn or follow @LifeAtFreeletics on Instagram. If this sounds like just the kind of team you need in your life, check out our open positions now!