Founding Recruiter

Workstream; Edison (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

401K Plan

Flexible PTO

Learning stipends

Job summary

Workstream is seeking a Founding Recruiter to build the recruiting function from the ground up in a fast-growing AI startup environment. This role will require owning the full recruiting lifecycle and partnering directly with founders and business leaders.

The ideal candidate should have a staffing background, be proactive, competitive, and have strong sourcing capabilities. The position works primarily from the Menlo Park office, requiring 4 to 5 days on-site.

Compensation includes a competitive salary range of $90,000 to $120,000 plus a bonus structure.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in agency recruiting, staffing, or high-volume recruiting.
• Proven track record of meeting or exceeding recruiting goals.
• Strong sourcing capabilities with experience building pipelines.

Responsibilities

• Own full-cycle recruiting across various functions.
• Proactively source candidates through outbound efforts.
• Deliver an exceptional candidate experience throughout the recruiting process.

Skills

Staffing background

Sourcing

Candidate engagement

Proactive

Metrics-driven

Education

5+ years in recruiting

Tools

ATS platforms

Recruiting tools

Job description

Workstream Overview

Workstream is a mission-driven company building the all-in-one HR, payroll, and hiring platform for managing the hourly workforce. There are 2.7 billion hourly workers, making up 80% of the global workforce, but this market has been heavily underserved by technology and deserves better. Workstream has been purpose-built for the hourly workforce from day one so that these businesses and their employees can thrive.

Our customers include leading brands from multiple sectors, including Burger King, Carl's Jr./Hardee's, IHOP, KFC, and Culvers. We are a high growth series B company and quickly expanding our product portfolio to deliver on our vision. We are backed by legendary VCs and industry experts like Founders Fund, BOND, and Coatue.

Grow With Us

We are looking for a highly driven, entrepreneurial, and results-oriented Founding Recruiter to join the AI Agency startup we're building and become the very first recruiting hire dedicated to scaling the organization.

This is a unique opportunity to build the recruiting function from the ground up within a fast-growing AI startup environment. As the first recruiter on the team, you will play a critical role in shaping how we attract, engage, and hire exceptional talent. You'll partner directly with founders and business leaders, helping define recruiting strategies, processes, and best practices that will support the company's growth for years to come.

This role is ideal for someone with a staffing or agency recruiting background who thrives in fast-paced, high-growth environments and enjoys building from zero to one. You will own the full recruiting lifecycle—from sourcing and outreach through offer acceptance—while serving as a strategic partner to hiring managers and leadership.

Unlike traditional corporate recruiting roles, this position requires a strong hunter mentality. You should be energized by ambitious hiring goals, proactive sourcing, candidate engagement, and building talent pipelines from scratch. You'll have the opportunity to influence hiring strategy, establish recruiting operations, and help shape the culture of a company at an exciting stage of growth.

Success in this role requires urgency, creativity, resilience, and accountability. You'll work closely with founders and key stakeholders to build scalable recruiting processes, accelerate hiring velocity, and ensure we attract the talent needed to bring our vision to life.

If you're excited by the idea of being the first recruiter at an AI startup, wearing multiple hats, and helping build something from the ground up, we'd love to meet you.

Travel and Location

This role will be 4 to 5 days in our Menlo Park office, and will be a rapidly growing role that works closely with the co-founders.

Day In The Life

• Own full-cycle recruiting across a variety of functions and hiring levels
• Proactively source, engage, and nurture candidates through outbound recruiting efforts
• Build and manage strong talent pipelines using LinkedIn, job boards, referrals, networking, and creative sourcing strategies
• Develop compelling outreach campaigns that drive candidate engagement and conversion
• Screen, interview, and assess candidates against role requirements and company culture
• Partner closely with hiring managers to understand hiring needs, align on candidate profiles, and drive hiring decisions
• Manage recruiting pipelines, hiring metrics, and candidate funnel performance
• Operate with a strong sense of urgency to meet aggressive hiring goals and timelines
• Track and report recruiting performance metrics, pipeline health, and hiring forecasts
• Deliver an exceptional candidate experience throughout the recruiting process
• Help refine recruiting processes, sourcing strategies, and operational workflows as the team scales
• Help manage other US role requisitions and support sourcing and other recruitment initiatives, where needed

Who You Are

• Competitive, proactive, and highly motivated by results
• A natural hunter who enjoys finding talent others cannot
• Resourceful and persistent when faced with recruiting challenges
• Comfortable operating with metrics, goals, and accountability
• Entrepreneurial in your approach and excited by building new processes
• Energized by high-growth environments and ambitious hiring targets
• Collaborative team player who can partner effectively across functions
• 5+ years of experience in agency recruiting, staffing, executive search, or high-volume recruiting environments
• Proven track record of consistently meeting or exceeding recruiting goals and performance targets
• Strong sourcing capabilities with experience building pipelines from scratch
• Demonstrated ability to operate independently and drive results with minimal oversight
• Exceptional communication, relationship-building, and influencing skills
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple searches simultaneously
• Experience using ATS platforms, recruiting tools, and sourcing technologies
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced startup environment with evolving priorities
• High ownership mindset and willingness to take accountability for outcomes
• Willingness to work from the Menlo Park office for 5 days per week

Nice To Have

• Experience in staffing, recruiting agencies, or talent marketplaces
• Experience recruiting for startups or high-growth technology companies
• Familiarity with hourly workforce, staffing, or workforce management industries
• Experience recruiting across both technical and non-technical roles
• Prior experience helping build or scale a recruiting function

What We Offer

• A mission-driven and value-based company dedicated to empower deskless workers and local businesses
• An early employee opportunity at a Series B hyper-growth startup; work with the founding team and industry veterans to accelerate your career
• Competitive salary and equity
• Comprehensive health coverage: medical, dental, and vision. We pay 95% of your premiums for our employees and 85% for dependents
• In office amenities and stocked kitchen
• 401K Plan
• Pre-tax commuter benefits
• Learning/development stipend
• Flexible PTO

Salary Range

In compliance with the California Pay Transparency Law, the base salary range for this role is between $90,000 and $120,000 in California, with a target 10% annual performance bonus tied to recruiting outcomes. Based on target bonus attainment, the expected total annual cash compensation is approximately $99,000 to $132,000. This range is not inclusive of our discretionary bonus or equity package. When determining a candidate’s compensation, we consider a number of factors, including skill set, experience, job scope, and current market data.

Know More About Workstream

• https://www.workstream.us/blog/funding-series-b
• https://techcrunch.com/2021/08/26/workstreams-text-based-recruitment-tool-gets-a-48m-bet-from-bond-and-beyond/
• https://techbuzz.news/buzzworthy-august-27-2021/

Additional Information

Workstream provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

We are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals.