Anuj Rastogi is a sales and revenue leader turned talent strategist who helps purpose-driven founders and HR leaders scale their teams. As Managing Director at BackStretch, he's seen firsthand how companies unknowingly sabotage their hiring by chasing the "obvious" candidate. In this conversation, Anuj breaks down the three critical hiring mistakes that even progressive companies make—and why the person who looks perfect on paper is often the wrong choice.

From a retail worker who became a top sales performer to developers hired without degrees who outperformed their credentialed peers, Anuj shares real stories that challenge everything we think we know about qualifications. He explains why job descriptions miss 97% of what the work actually entails, why hiring sequence matters as much as who you hire, and how the easy-apply era has created a volume crisis that's drowning out genuine talent. His advice? Stop optimizing for speed and start optimizing for the human connection that reveals true capability.

If you've ever wondered whether that stack of 1,000 applications is actually helping you find better people—or just creating more noise—this episode will make you rethink your entire approach. Anuj doesn't just critique the broken system; he offers a practical path forward that balances technology with the irreplaceable value of human judgment. Whether you're a founder building your first team or a talent leader drowning in resumes, this conversation will shift how you think about who deserves a shot.

Connect with Anuj Rastogi:

• Anuj Rastogi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anujrastogi13/ - Managing Director at Backstretch, helping purpose-driven companies build resilient talent pipelines
• BackStretch: https://backstretch.biz/ - Talent strategy firm focused on quality hiring and proactive search
• YENZA3: https://www.yenza3.com/ - Guiding organizations on people-centric AI and knowledge transformations

Show Resources

• Willo: willo.video - The most cost-effective way to screen candidates at scale. Interview candidates anywhere & at any time
• CV Free Toolkit: cvfree.me/join - Break up with the CV and get everything you need to modernize your hiring approach with skills-based assessments
• Anita Chauhan: linkedin.com/in/anitachauhan - Connect with the host