Why Talent Density Beats Headcount: Lessons from 200+ Hires

"Finding great talent gives me an adrenaline rush that lasts all week," says Jonathan Trepo Lantelme, CEO of Qovoltis. With over 200 hires under his belt-ranging from sales associates to general managers-he's developed a methodical and deeply human approach to recruiting.

Recruitment as a Strategic Lever

Jonathan doesn't see recruitment as a support function, but as the main driver of growth. "When you leave a company, what stays isn't the deals you closed-it's the key people you brought in."

He's obsessed with building teams that outperform and uplift. At Alma, he conducted over 220 interviews in a single year, hiring 70 people and doubling headcount. To keep up the pace without compromising on quality, he learned to industrialize hiring-without losing its soul.

Key Lessons from the Field

🔹 Respect the candidate - "They're in a vulnerable position. Your process needs to reflect the same level of care and rigor you expect from them."

🔹 Make feedback your selling point - Jonathan always delivers live feedback, even to senior profiles. "Top candidates want to be challenged. That's how they decide who to work with."

🔹 No neutral scores - In his processes, every interviewer must choose: strong yes, yes, no, or strong no. No room for 3/5. "If you don't have conviction, you didn't do your job."

🔹 Don't confuse referrals with quality - Some of his biggest mistakes came from confirmation bias during referral-based hires. "You lower your guard, and that's when you make costly errors."

🔹 You can't out-recruit a broken business plan - Jonathan warns against scaling sales teams based on faulty revenue projections. "Talent density is your true metric-not headcount."

The Move from Tech to PE-Backed

Jonathan has worked across tech, retail, and PE-backed businesses. His take? The worlds aren't so different-just the tempo and stakes vary. "Startups move daily. PE-backed companies think in quarters or years. But both need top talent to win."

Final Advice: Build for Fertility, Not Just Performance

For Jonathan, a great hire isn't just a performer-it's someone who raises the bar for everyone. "Performance is what you do. Fertility is what you spark in others. That's what drives long-term transformation."

‍