The 7 Types of Candidates You’ll Meet (and How to Handle Them)
Discover the 7 types of candidates every startup will meet—from the ghosters to the hidden gems—and learn how to handle them with structure, humor, and the right hiring tools.
Hiring is wild.
You post a job. You get resumes. You expect clarity. But what you actually get… is a parade of personalities.
If you've been part of any startup hiring sprint, you’ve likely met a few of these characters. Here’s your unofficial guide to the 7 types of candidates you'll meet—and how to survive them (without losing your sanity or your shortlist).
1. The Serial Applier
Applies to every role. Sometimes twice. Sometimes for roles that haven’t been posted.
Red flags:
- Resume feels generic
- No mention of your company
- Lists “teamwork” and “MS Word” as top skills (for a backend dev role)
How to handle: Set up solid screening questions and filters. Bonus points if your ATS lets you tag and hide repeat offenders.
2. The Essay Writer
Responds to your “2-line answer” screening question with 800 words. Adds cover letters in PDF and Word format. Probably wrote an intro paragraph in the file name, too.
How to handle: Don’t get overwhelmed. Look for the signal in the noise. A good ATS helps keep notes clean and lets the team skim through efficiently.
3. The Vanisher
Ace resume. Perfect answers. Great first call. Then? Poof. Ghosted harder than a high school crush.
How to handle: Time-to-response matters. Automate emails. Keep the process short and human. If they’re gone, tag and archive them. Don't chase—track.
4. The “I’m Just Exploring” Guy
They’re “curious.” They “love your vision.” But they’re also interviewing at 13 other places and “haven’t decided if they’re really switching.”
How to handle: Be honest. Be fast. Build rapport—but don’t invest too much unless they show intent. A comment thread on your ATS helps the team stay aligned.
5. The Almost-Perfect Fit
Great attitude. Great answers. Great vibe. Buuut missing a key skill. Or the timing’s just off. You don’t want to lose them, but you can’t hire them right now.
How to handle: Talent pool them! Tag, write context, and revisit later. A good ATS makes this easy—and worth it.
6. The Copy-Paste Monster
You ask, “Why do you want this role?” They reply, “I am thrilled to apply to [COMPANY NAME HERE] for the role of [POSITION] because I’m passionate about…”
Oops.
How to handle: Screening questions + vibe checks. If they’re applying at scale, you need to filter at scale too.
7. The Hidden Gem
Maybe their resume wasn’t polished. Maybe they answered in lowercase. But something feels right—and when you talk to them, it clicks.
How to handle: Don’t let rigid filters block instinct. Stay open. Use your notes, share impressions, and build feedback loops with the team.
Final Thought
Every applicant brings something to the table—even if it’s just a funny story.
The trick is not letting your hiring process get buried under spreadsheets, missed follow-ups, and gut feelings gone unchecked. Structure helps. Collaboration helps. A system helps.
You don’t need a giant HR team. You just need tools that are as nimble and smart as your startup.
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