Recruiting Best Practices for Space Startups

In this episode of VHTB, Brian Mejeur of AdAstra Talent Advisors takes the lead in a focused conversation on building a high-impact, scalable recruiting process for early-stage space startups. He's joined by co-hosts Matt Gjertsen of Better Every Day Studios and Justus Kilian of Space Capital.

Drawing on years of hands-on experience in the space startup world, including hiring lessons from companies like SpaceX, Brian breaks down six core principles for building a hiring process that not only attracts the right technical talent but also aligns with your company’s culture and long-term goals.

From why your ATS will break sooner than you think, to how verbal offers can dramatically improve close rates, this episode is loaded with hands-on advice for founders, hiring managers, and operators navigating the high-stakes talent market in aerospace and deep tech.

Episode highlights:

00:00   Kicking Off the Conversation on Recruiting

01:08 The Case for Getting Organized Early. Why a spreadsheet will eventually fail you

04:37 Designing a Repeatable Interview Process..

05:55 Structuring Interviews That Actually Work

07:42 Don’t Wait to Move Great Candidates

08:47 The First Call: Motivation Over Résumé

11:42 Common Misses in Candidate Motivation

12:48 Why Culture Fit Often Matters More Than Technical Skills

14:52 Delivering Offers the Right Way

17:20 Why Candidates Might Tell Your Recruiter the Truth

19:28 Why Speed and Clear Communication Win Top Talent

20:57 Wrapping Up: Build Recruiting as a Core Capability

Episode Takeaways

• Get organized early. An ATS isn’t optional once your pipeline grows. Start simple, but start smart.
• Define your process. Standardize the interview flow to create consistency, reduce delays, and compare apples to apples.
• Dig deep on motivations. Don’t assume candidates know what they want. Help them find out, and reflect it back.
• Hire for culture, not just credentials. Skill gaps can be closed faster than misaligned values.
• Move fast, or lose people. Communicate constantly and don’t let top talent languish.