Offer acceptance rate is the clearest signal of whether your recruiting engine is actually working.

Jordan Trott, Talent Lead at Taptap Send, joins Shannon to break down how his team maintains a 93% offer acceptance rate across global hiring. He explains why this metric reflects everything from role clarity to candidate experience, and where most teams lose candidates long before the offer stage.

Jordan shares the four practices that changed outcomes for his team, including tighter candidate profiles, culture-first interviewing, rigorous benchmarking, and a partner mindset with candidates. 

Key takeaways:

1. Clarify both sides of fit: Define not only who you want, but who will genuinely want your job.
2. Interview for values first: Design intentional questions that test cultural alignment.
3. Hunt for bad news early: Actively surface concerns and misalignment before the offer stage.
4. Own the talent bar: Build credibility by pushing back on unrealistic expectations and misaligned budgets.

Timestamps: 

(00:00) Introduction

(01:44) Meet Jordan Trott

(02:12) Why offer acceptance rate is a high-signal recruiting metric

(03:44) The four levers behind a 93% offer acceptance rate

(04:54) Building a candidate profile that answers “do they want this job”

(07:59) Interviewing for culture over content and why it changes the sell

(10:49) Benchmarking compensation at three moments in the hiring cycle

(12:31) The pre-close conversation that prevents late-stage surprises

(15:08) Treating candidate experience like a partnership, not a transaction

(20:03) Hunting for bad news early and using an “anti-sell” to build trust

(23:23) How this approach improves retention and reduces churn

(26:09) Where to connect with Jordan