The belief that great candidates don’t apply online still runs deep, but it’s outdated.

Jim Miller, VP of People and Talent at Ashby and former recruiting leader at Google and FullStory, sits down with Shannon to unpack what really makes a high-performing hiring strategy today. From his early days building sourcing teams to overseeing millions of inbound applications, Jim shares how experimentation, data, and the right job title can radically shift how your team finds and evaluates talent.

He explains why internal mobility should be every team’s first stop, what most recruiters get wrong about job descriptions, and how candidate behavior has changed with the rise of algorithm-driven search. 

Jim also opens up about testing bold ideas, from limiting applications to transforming online inbound into a strategic advantage, and how recruiting teams can build credibility through experimentation and measurable outcomes.

Key takeaways:

1. Candidate behavior has evolved: Inbound isn’t just noise when you get discoverability right.
2. Internal mobility is undervalued: Moving people across roles builds culture and saves time.
3. Job titles matter more than you think: Standardizing language increases visibility and accuracy.
4. Testing is a muscle: Data-driven recruiters can challenge norms and drive lasting improvements.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Hiring excellence from Jim Miller

(00:16) This is Offer Accepted

(00:42) Introducing Jim Miller

(02:40) The myth that great candidates never apply online

(06:20) Using continuous improvement to strengthen inbound strategy

(07:17) Why internal mobility should be your starting point

(10:12) Turning job descriptions into scalable sourcing tools

(12:35) Where resistance to change in recruiting comes from

(16:37) Measuring volume, passthrough rates, and when to stop

(23:42) How vague job titles quietly ruin your pipeline

(29:04) Running experiments to validate and scale recruiting strategy

(38:25) Cohort hiring as a more equitable hiring model