Why Netflix developed a culture of recruitment

With 104 million members across 190 countries enjoying over 125 million hours of TV shows and movies per day, Netflix is the world’s leading internet television network. But how do they recruit the right people to make this magic happen and sustain our weekend binge-watching habits?

The answer: establishing much closer, consultative relationships between researchers, recruiters and hiring managers. Netflix prides itself on their “Culture of Recruitment”, where recruiters work as strategic advisors to hiring managers who are empowered to make the ultimate decision on a candidate joining their team.

Recruiters appreciate this partnership because of the flexibility

Technical Recruiting Manager, Chrissy Running, says she’s never experienced a recruitment culture like that of Netflix.

“What I love about recruiting at Netflix is it isn’t prescriptive. The strategy really depends on the manager you’re working with and the type of role you’re trying to fill.”

She finds herself spending more time with her hiring managers than her colleagues or anyone else at the company to get a true sense of the team’s dynamic, needs and company impact to build a recruitment strategy.

Hiring managers feel empowered to find the best addition to their team

Hiring Manager and Director of UI Engineering, Chris Saint-Amant, agrees that recruitment at Netflix is unlike anything he’s previously experienced.

“Many times, hiring managers are in the back seat and are being fed candidates. That’s not the case here.”

Chrissy advises Chris on how to connect with desired talent, often leveraging LinkedIn to learn about a candidate’s interests and career trajectory.

Every new hire strengthens this culture

Heather Patterson, Technical Recruiter believes that this culture is perpetuated by the people they continue to hire at Netflix. “Here, everyone is treated as an equal.” That level of mutual respect is why the recruitment team never treats or refers to their hiring managers as “clients” or “customers.”

This partnership is felt by the candidates the team pursues. New hires Jemuel (Jem) Young and Marianne (Mars) Jullian both expressed how personal and unique Netflix’s approach felt to them.

“It felt like the recruiter and hiring manager were really paying attention to who I was as an engineer,” said Mars.

Jem noted the level of respect he felt from his recruitment team, “there was never someone telling me, ‘we know better than you." He felt the team’s genuine approach making sure he was a good fit for Netflix, but that Netflix was a good fit for him.

This is a strategy that doesn’t rely on brand or budget

Regardless of your company’s brand or budget, everyone has the capabilities to bridge any divides between recruitment teams and hiring managers. By nurturing a level of mutual trust and respect, teams can effectively partner to find and attract amazing people.