Founding Recruiter

About the Company

Workstream is a mission-led business creating an end-to-end platform for HR, payroll, and hiring, designed specifically for hourly workforces. The company focuses on a large but historically under-supported segment of the global labor market and aims to provide technology that helps both employers and workers succeed.

Its customer base includes well-known brands across multiple industries, such as Burger King, Carl's Jr./Hardee's, IHOP, KFC, and Culvers. Workstream is a Series B company in a strong growth phase, expanding its product offering and supported by investors including Founders Fund, BOND, and Coatue.

Role Overview

The company is hiring a driven and entrepreneurial Founding Recruiter to join the AI agency startup being built and serve as the first recruiting employee focused on scaling the organization. This is a ground-up opportunity to design the recruiting function in a fast-moving startup environment.

In this role, you will work closely with founders and business leaders to shape hiring strategy, improve recruitment processes, and build the systems needed to support long-term growth. The position is well suited to someone from staffing, agency recruiting, or similar high-volume hiring backgrounds who enjoys building from scratch and operating with a strong sourcing mindset.

You will own the full recruitment cycle, from proactive sourcing and outreach through offer acceptance, while helping define operations, candidate experience, and hiring best practices. Success will depend on urgency, creativity, resilience, ownership, and the ability to deliver results in a high-growth setting.

Work Location

This is an on-site role based in Menlo Park, California. The position requires working from the office 4 to 5 days per week and collaborating closely with the co-founders.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end recruiting for multiple functions and hiring levels.
• Actively source candidates and drive outbound recruiting campaigns.
• Build talent pipelines through LinkedIn, job boards, referrals, networking, and other creative sourcing methods.
• Create outreach approaches that improve candidate interest and conversion.
• Screen, interview, and evaluate candidates against role expectations and company fit.
• Work with hiring managers to define hiring needs, align on candidate profiles, and support selection decisions.
• Manage pipeline flow, hiring metrics, and funnel performance.
• Maintain a strong pace to support aggressive hiring timelines and targets.
• Monitor and report recruiting KPIs, pipeline health, and hiring forecasts.
• Ensure candidates have a positive and professional experience throughout the process.
• Improve recruiting workflows, sourcing approaches, and operational practices as the team grows.
• Support additional US requisitions and other recruiting initiatives as needed.

Requirements

• At least 5 years of experience in agency recruiting, staffing, executive search, or high-volume recruitment.
• A history of meeting or surpassing recruiting goals and performance expectations.
• Strong sourcing ability, including building pipelines from the ground up.
• Ability to work independently and produce results with limited supervision.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and influencing skills.
• Strong organization and multitasking skills across several active searches.
• Experience with ATS systems, recruiting tools, and sourcing technologies.
• Comfort working in a fast-paced startup with changing priorities.
• High sense of ownership and accountability for outcomes.
• Willingness to work from the Menlo Park office five days a week.

Preferred Experience

• Background in staffing, recruiting agencies, or talent marketplace businesses.
• Experience hiring for startups or fast-scaling technology companies.
• Exposure to hourly workforce, staffing, or workforce management sectors.
• Experience recruiting for both technical and non-technical positions.
• Prior involvement in building or scaling a recruiting function.

Benefits and Perks

• Opportunity to join an early-stage, values-driven company focused on supporting deskless workers and local businesses.
• Chance to work as an early employee at a Series B hyper-growth startup alongside founders and experienced industry leaders.
• Competitive base pay plus equity participation.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage, with the company paying 95% of employee premiums and 85% of dependent premiums.
• In-office amenities and a stocked kitchen.
• 401(k) plan.
• Pre-tax commuter benefits.
• Learning and development stipend.
• Flexible paid time off.

Compensation

The base salary range for this role in California is $90,000 to $120,000 per year. The role also includes a target annual performance bonus of 10% tied to recruiting outcomes. Based on target bonus achievement, expected annual cash compensation is approximately $99,000 to $132,000, excluding discretionary bonus and equity. Final compensation will depend on skills, experience, scope of responsibility, and market data.

Additional Information

Workstream is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate or tolerate harassment based on race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, genetics, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other legally protected characteristic. This applies to all employment terms, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leave, compensation, and training.

The company is committed to full inclusion for all qualified individuals.