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.”