Whispered Hiring Podcast: Failure is Required to be Successful with Kristi Faltorusso

Takeaways for GTM leaders:

#1: Build Your LinkedIn Presence Into a Direct Hiring Pipeline That Replaces Recruiters

Kristi grew her LinkedIn following to over 57,000 followers, primarily in the CX space, which has become her primary hiring platform. One LinkedIn post generates hundreds of qualified applicants, and her network delivers pre-vetted referrals on demand. This eliminates recruiter dependency for most roles and dramatically reduces hiring risk through trusted recommendations.

#2: Filter for Grittiness Through Multi-Year Personal Commitments Before Evaluating Professional Track Record

Kristi actively listens for personal accomplishments requiring sustained commitment: marathons, Ironman competitions, earning a master's degree at 40, or any multi-year journey with setbacks. These signal someone who can stay the course through good days, bad days, and operational chaos. For Series B to Series D scale-ups, this inherent trait trumps quota attainment and pedigree.

#3: Use "What's a Failure You're Really Proud Of" to Expose Ownership Versus Deflection

This question reveals character and risk-taking ability. Kristi wants career-changing epic fails, not minor setbacks. "Let's be honest, right? So much failure happens because you take risks. And I think when you're in any company, you have to be comfortable with that," Kristi told me. The response shows whether candidates own mistakes without pointing blame, what they learned, and what they'd do differently.

#4: Dedicate a Full Interview Round Exclusively for Candidate Questions to Eliminate Day-One Surprises

Before any offer, Kristi allocates an entire session where candidates ask her everything they need answered. This reveals business acumen, intellectual curiosity, and surfaces buried concerns from past roles. People ask questions for specific reasons, usually because something was horrible in their previous environment. This ensures candidates know exactly what they're walking into, preventing the misaligned expectations that derail most 30-60-90 plans.

#5: Meet Daily with New Direct Reports for Two Weeks Instead of Relying on Structured Onboarding

For the first 14 days, Kristi schedules daily check-ins with new hires to hear observations, wins, and struggles. "Leaders forget that one of the most important things that you can do to ensure someone's success is make yourself available," she explained. This builds trust and catches derailments before they compound, rather than processing people through training modules.