Galina Vakulina on Fast, Fair Hiring: Why Long Interview Processes Fail

What happens when you replace a bloated six-step interview process with something far simpler? According to Galina Vakulina, Chief Data Officer at Tochka, you end up with a better hiring experience for candidates and better outcomes for companies.

In her recent appearance on the Objective Hiring podcast, hosted by Tim Freestone, Galina shared how she and her team have built an efficient two-step hiring process that consistently delivers results—while filtering out those who aren't a fit.

"We established only two steps in the hiring process. It’s much quicker, and the people making decisions are very well synced. They know what they're looking for."

Two Steps That Work

Tochka’s hiring process for data analysts is refreshingly straightforward. First comes a screening by HR, followed by a short technical homework task. Then, if that goes well, the candidate is interviewed by a team of senior data analysts.

"They ask questions not just about tools like SQL. They ask about logic and different situations in previous work. Then that’s it—they make a decision."

But the clever part comes after the interview. New hires don't go straight into a fixed role. Instead, they're rotated through multiple teams before settling in.

"We hire to the company, not to a particular team. They do short rotations—two or three weeks in different teams. Then they decide where they want to stay, and the team also decides if it’s a match."

This rotation approach functions like a built-in trial period—an opportunity for both the individual and the team to evaluate each other before fully committing. And it has another benefit: candidates are actually contributing from the beginning.

"They already start doing real tasks during the rotation. It’s not theoretical—it’s real business contribution."

Why Long Hiring Processes Fail

Galina is critical of extended interview processes, which she believes hurt both companies and candidates:

"Some companies have five, six, even seven interviews—and they ask almost the same questions every time. Talented candidates don’t want to go through that."

She shared the story of a strong developer who walked away after a six-step process:

"By the sixth step, he said, ‘I’m done. I’ll take a lower salary somewhere else, but I don’t want to work for this company.’"

In Galina’s view, this is a predictable outcome when companies prioritise bureaucracy over efficiency:

"People feel important being in interviews all day. But they could be doing real work instead—building a product, leading a team."

And there’s another issue: the longer the process, the more chances there are for subjectivity to creep in. As Tim pointed out:

"The longer the process, the more likely someone will find a reason not to hire the candidate. Often it’s something subjective, like their tone of voice."

Hiring to a Standard, Not a Role

Tochka’s approach focuses on building a high-performing community of analysts, not just filling roles. Their hiring criteria are standardised across the organisation, which allows for flexibility in team placement and ensures consistent quality:

"We have the same requirements for all data analysts: SQL, BI tools, A/B testing, logic, basic maths, and some product sense. Everyone should be like a soldier that can do everything."

Once candidates pass their interview, they go through an onboarding phase and get embedded into the organisation through real tasks. At any point, if it’s not working, the company can part ways.

"Sometimes we find out during the rotation that a person has no idea what SQL is—even after passing the interview. This rotation period helps us catch that."

It’s a more objective way to validate skills—far beyond what’s possible with just a CV or traditional interviews.

If you’re looking to make your hiring more data-driven and fair, Alooba’s skills assessments provide exactly this kind of structured validation. Sign up to Alooba to get started.

Letting the Team Decide

The final team decision at Tochka isn’t made by HR or a single hiring manager. It’s a mutual agreement between the candidate and the team after working together.

"If the team likes the person and the person likes the team, it’s a match. If not, we say goodbye. It’s easier at this stage."

This collaborative, team-based model ensures that hiring isn’t just top-down—it’s shared and grounded in real working relationships.

Why Fast = Fair

Efficiency isn’t just a win for the business—it’s also fairer for candidates. As Galina puts it:

"We don’t make people go through five or six interviews. It’s exhausting and unnecessary."

Her approach reduces candidate fatigue and improves the chances of attracting in-demand talent. It also limits bias:

"We don’t need to talk for hours about who likes or dislikes the candidate. The team just knows—they’ve seen them work."

In contrast to traditional hiring that relies on instinct alone, this model combines speed, objectivity, and human judgment in a clear, transparent process.

A Hiring Hero's Mindset

Galina believes the best hiring managers—the “hiring heroes”—are those who know their field, maintain a wide network, and can act decisively:

"A hiring hero understands their sphere. They know the people contributing to it. They don’t rely on job boards—they use their network."

This emphasis on knowing the market and being connected adds another layer to the fast hiring model. It means fewer cold applications and more trusted referrals.

She contrasts this with the “anti-heroes”—recruiters who ghost candidates or create long, draining processes:

"Ghosting is a big issue. People talk about it every day. It’s not polite, and it ruins future relationships."

Trusting the Gut (Sometimes)

Despite the focus on structure, Galina also acknowledges the role of intuition—especially when deciding between two candidates who appear similar on paper:

"Not trusting my gut has been my biggest mistake. If something feels off, even if the person has great skills, it usually doesn’t work out."

But she’s quick to add that intuition should be supported—not replaced—by objective signals. That’s where structured interviews and real-world tasks provide critical balance.

The Takeaway

Galina Vakulina’s approach at Tochka is a case study in practical, fair, and fast hiring. Two steps. Real tasks. Team validation. Rotation. Mutual choice.

It’s a process that respects candidates’ time and delivers better results for employers.

If you’re looking to make your hiring more objective, faster, and fairer, Alooba can help. Sign up here and start assessing skills the right way.