📌 Frequently Asked Questions

Answers about how Short-Lists delivers a faster, fairer, and fresher hiring experience.

🔍 What is short-lists?

Short-Lists is a human-first hiring solution built by operators, not recruiters. Instead of pushing for placements, we deliver custom shortlists of 3-5 vetted candidates who are actively interested in your role — usually within two weeks. We help you hire better, faster, and with no placement fees.

❓How is short-lists different from a traditional recruitment agency?

Traditional recruiters focus on filling roles for a commission. At Short-Lists, we’re not chasing placements — we’re solving hiring. Here's how we're different:

  • We deliver a shortlist, not a stack of resumes

  • You pay for the search, not the hire

  • Every search starts fresh — no recycled candidates

  • You get real human support and a satisfaction guarantee

  • We’re built by operators, so we understand what growing teams actually need

✅ What’s included in a shortlist from short-lists?

Each ShortList includes:

  • 3-5 curated candidates who are qualified and currently interested in your job

  • Thoughtful candidate profiles with relevant context

  • Interview availability and next-step guidance

  • Optional support for outreach, follow-ups, or round two — we don’t disappear after delivery

  • 👉 Every candidate has been personally screened and interviewed by us before being added to your list

⏱ How fast is the process?

You’ll receive your first ShortList in about two weeks from kickoff. We work fast, but never compromise on quality or alignment.

👥 Who builds the shortlist?

Your search is led by experienced talent operators — people who’ve been in the hiring seat and know what a great candidate looks like beyond keywords. We don’t rely on bots, AI filters, or resume dumps. Every decision is human-led, thoughtful, and strategic.

💸 What does it cost?

We charge transparent, flat fees per project. No commissions, no percentage of salary, no surprise costs.
Plus, our satisfaction guarantee means if your shortlist isn’t working, we’ll do a second round at no extra cost, within reason.

📞 Contact us for pricing and details

🧭 What types of businesses can use short-lists?

We’ve worked with startups, scale-ups, agencies, nonprofits, and local businesses alike. Whether you’re hiring your first team member or building out a department, Short-Lists can help. You don’t need a huge budget or an in-house recruiter — just a clear goal.

📥 Can I hire directly from the shortlist?

Yes! The shortlist is yours. If you want to hire one, three, or all of the candidates — go ahead. There are no extra fees, no strings attached.

🧠 Do you use AI to generate shortlists?

No. While we use smart tools for research, your ShortList is manually created by real humans with real judgment — not chatbots or keyword-matching systems. We believe great hiring requires conversation, curiosity, and context.

🔁 Do you use a pre-existing candidate pool?

Never. We start each search fresh and only approach people who are a match for your role and interested now. We don’t recycle candidates or pull from a stale database — every shortlist is built from scratch.

🤝 What happens after I get the shortlist?

We stay involved. If you need help contacting candidates, moving through interviews, or clarifying fit, we’re here to support you. And if the shortlist misses the mark, we’ll re-run the search for free (within reason). That’s our satisfaction guarantee.

🌎 Where do you find candidates?

We source candidates based on your needs — not our own database. We tap into public channels, direct outreach, niche networks, and good old-fashioned conversations. Our goal is to find people who are qualified, aligned, and ready to talk to you now.