How Obsidi Went from Drowning in Bad Applicants to Make Two Quality Hires
The same company, same role but two different results. Castle HR replaced the old school job posting with a modern version and created a structured hiring process. Obsidi was able to attract the people it actually needed and hired two of them without paying any recruiting fees.
75%+ Fewer Applicants | 0 to 2 Hires | $0 Recruiting Fees
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“Honestly, I didn’t realize what was missing until we had it. We thought more than 400 applicants meant we had options, but that was just a waste of time. Castle helped us attract the people we were actually looking for, and we hired two of them without paying any recruiting fees.”
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Here is what happened: 400+ applicants produced zero remarkable candidates
Obsidi helps employers connect with talented professionals.
That made its own hiring challenge particularly frustrating.
The company needed to fill an account management role quickly when Castle HR was brought in. Castle reviewed the existing job posting and recommended improving it before launch, but the posting was already near the finish line, and the team wanted to get moving.
So Obsidi launched the original version while Castle helped navigate the search.
The result was a predictable one when more than 400 applications arrived.
Only 24 candidates appeared strong enough to contact.
Six advanced to a second stage.
Not one met Obsidi’s reasonable standards for an offer.
Leadership had wasted too many hours reviewing resumes, interviewing candidates and comparing options.
They were not willing to settle, they know where that leads.
The posting was attracting attention, but it was not attracting high performers.
The solution was actually speaking directly to their ideal candidates
Castle went back to the role and rebuilt the search from the candidate’s perspective.
Why would an excellent account manager choose Obsidi?
What would they own?
What would winning look like?
Why did Obsidi’s mission matter, and how would this person contribute to it?
The revised posting told a stronger story to make the opportunity, expectations, mission and culture easier to understand before someone applied.
Castle then paired the posting with a clear interview process and candidates were assessed with a scorecard instead of resume sparkle, interview charisma, or “gut feel.”
Days later, Obsidi took the same role back to the same talent market.
This time, the posting did some of the filtering before the first interview.
Systems Castle Helped Build
- Candidate-Focused Job Posting
- Employer Story and Mission
- Clear Role Outcomes
- Must Have Screening Criteria
- Structured Interview Process
- Candidate Evaluation Framework
- Offer and Contract Support
- Ongoing Senior HR Guidance
The value was not prettier copy, but it was a stronger signal to the market and a hiring process that allowed Obsidi to stay selective without staying stuck.
A better story with a sharper filter led to two strong hires.
The numbers behind this wonderful transformation
The upgraded posting attracted fewer than 100 applicants, saving leadership so much time!
20 were strong enough to contact.
12 advanced to the final stage.
2 received offers and became hires.
Obsidi had entered the search planning to fill one seat, but the final candidate pool was strong enough that the company chose to hire two people.
The first posting filled the inbox.
The second filled the role… twice.
Key Results
- 75%+
- Fewer Applications
- 0 → 2
- Hires
Value Beyond the Hire
Castle’s support did not end when the offers were signed.
Castle became part of Obsidi’s weekly operating rhythm, helping Marina navigate employment contracts, organizational changes, policy decisions, employee communications and questions that might otherwise have gone immediately to external counsel.
“Castle has drastically reduced how much we spend on external legal support. Instead of sending every question to a lawyer, we start with an experienced HR leader who usually gets us most of the way there.”
Marina Morgan
Operations Lead, Obsidi
“I look forward to our weekly Castle call because I know I am going to leave with clarity. It is not another status meeting. It is where complicated people problems become decisions.”
Drowning in bad applicants?
Get senior HR judgment, without hiring a department. Book a call with Castle HR. We’ll show you the systems that helped Obsidi and 50+ other growth-stage companies double revenue without doubling their HR overhead.
