The Future of Talent Is Transparent: Lessons from Zapier’s Remote TA Leader, Kim Wilkes

We spoke with Kim Wilkes , Head of Talent Attraction and Employer Brand at Zapier who shares her journey from creative beginnings in recruiting to leading branding efforts at a fully remote, asynchronous company. She discusses how Zapier maintains its async-first culture through strong documentation, intentional rituals, and transparency. She emphasizes the importance of authentic storytelling in employer branding, building a values-aligned Employee Value Proposition (EVP), and leveraging tools like BrightHire and Zapier’s own automations to enhance, rather than replace, the human touch in hiring. Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Equity (DIBE) are embedded at every candidate touchpoint, and looking ahead, she sees the future of talent attraction being defined by clarity, authenticity, and human-centered AI.

To begin, could you share your journey and how you came to lead Talent Attraction and Employer Brand at Zapier?

I’ve always had a creative streak, writing, drawing, photography, and that naturally wove itself into my career in recruiting, which began over 10 years ago. I started out crafting social posts and building content to help teammates share their stories, which eventually evolved into a deeper focus on employer brand.

At Uber , I raised my hand to help support brand efforts while leading a sourcing organization for self-driving cars and emerging technologies. I learned how to build scrappy, start small, and launch campaigns that centered real employee voices. That experience sparked something, and I carried it with me to Palo Alto Networks, where I led a global sourcing team and oversaw talent brand strategy across a TA org of 150+ people.

Today, I lead Talent Attraction and Employer Brand at Zapier, where I get to shape how we present ourselves as a fully remote, async-first company. I amplify the stories of the people behind the product and build a brand that’s grounded in truth.

Zapier has maintained a fully remote, asynchronous work model even as many companies return to the office. What have been the key factors in sustaining this model successfully, and what challenges have you faced?

Being remote isn’t just how we work; it’s why we work the way we do. At Zapier, async is a value we embrace, not just a logistics decision. It gives people the flexibility to do deep, meaningful work and the space to live their lives outside of it.

The key to sustaining it? Clear documentation, strong trust, and a culture of ownership. But that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. Async work requires intention. With hundreds of Slack channels and a heavy focus on written communication, it can feel overwhelming at times.

We’ve had to acknowledge those challenges and build rituals that support connection, alignment, and clarity. One example is our weekly all-company hangout, where we hear about internal changes and product updates and often bring in customers to share how they’re using Zapier, what they love and what they wish we could do. It’s incredibly grounding and helps inspire what we build next. It also gives everyone across the organization a shared moment to align, learn, and celebrate progress together.

Beyond that, we use an all-company #Slack channel to share updates, ensuring that you have access to the information you need when you need it, no matter your time zone.

In building Zapier's employer brand, how do you authentically convey company culture to prospective candidates in a remote environment?

Authenticity starts by listening. I’ve spent a lot of time talking to teammates across Zapier to understand what’s really happening, not just what we hope people experience. Those conversations, along with feedback from candidates, shaped the foundation of our employee value proposition (EVP).

When I joined Zapier, we didn’t have a formalized EVP, so I built one from the ground up, starting with themes from candidate survey data and candid conversations about what makes working here both rewarding and challenging. I partnered closely with our People, Product, and DIBE (Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Equity) teams to ensure the language reflected our values, voice, and the unique aspects of working at Zapier.

Since launching it, our EVP has become the backbone of how we communicate company culture. It’s embedded in nearly every candidate-facing touchpoint, from how we write job descriptions, to how we coach hiring teams to talk about Zapier during interviews, to the tone and clarity of our Jobs page and insights provided on our Interviewing at Zapier page.

We bring our culture to life through a few key initiatives:

• Zapien-led storytelling. We publish blogs and videos (such as this one!) that highlight lived experiences, team milestones, and what it’s like to work across different parts of the company.
• Behind-the-scenes content. We share candid moments from our all-company summits and virtual gatherings so candidates get a glimpse into how we connect as a remote team.
• Employee advocacy. We launched an internal advocate program that empowers teammates, including our executive team, to share what excites them about Zapier in their own voice. This keeps our brand human, personal, and real.
• Radical transparency about tradeoffs. We’re honest about what it’s like to work in an async environment. That includes the need for strong writing skills, navigating hundreds of Slack channels, and being comfortable in a documentation-heavy culture. These aren’t red flags, they’re signals to help people decide if this is the right place for them.

Whether someone is browsing our job postings, prepping for an interview, or following us on social, our goal is to ensure they walk away with a clear, honest understanding of what it’s like to work here.

Because that’s what builds trust, and trust is what makes a brand resonate long after the application is submitted.

With the integration of AI and automation in recruitment processes, how do you balance efficiency with maintaining a human touch in candidate experiences?

At Zapier, we don’t use AI or automation for the sake of it. We use these tools to create a more thoughtful, streamlined, and supportive experience for candidates and our recruiting team.

For example, when someone applies to a role at Zapier (and no, we don’t require a resume!), they receive an automated confirmation email that includes resources about our AI-powered automation tools. Since these tools are core to how we work, regardless of the team, we want candidates to start exploring early and feel set up for success from the start.

We’ve also implemented tools like BrightHire, which records and transcribes interviews (with candidate consent). This has been a huge time-saver for recruiters and interviewers, but it’s also helped us make the hiring process more collaborative, inclusive, and candidate-focused.

Instead of relying solely on handwritten notes, we are able to revisit key moments from interviews and share short clips with teammates who may not have been in the room. That means hiring managers can see and hear candidates directly, reducing the chance that something important gets lost in translation. It also helps us advocate more effectively on behalf of candidates, especially in close decisions, because we’re not summarising their responses; we’re showcasing them.

For interviewers, it removes the pressure to capture every detail in real time. They can stay present in the conversation, knowing they can return to the transcript or recording later. For candidates, it means they’re being evaluated more thoughtfully. Ultimately, BrightHire helps us move faster, make better-informed decisions, and create a more equitable experience for everyone involved.

We also send automated feedback surveys to every candidate after their interviews. When new feedback comes in, the hiring team receives an automatic Slack alert so it can be reviewed and acted on in real time. It’s a simple automation, but it makes a big impact, keeping us accountable and helping us continuously improve the candidate experience.

These tools don’t replace the human element; they enhance it. By automating repetitive tasks, our team can stay focused on the conversations, decision-making, and relationship-building that truly shape a candidate’s experience.

How does the TA org at Zapier ensure that Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Equity (DIBE) are reflected in the candidate experience at Zapier?

At Zapier, we aim to create an inclusive, transparent experience for every candidate, and that begins long before the interview process. We partner with platforms like PowerToFly and Tech Ladies to broaden our reach and connect with talent from historically underrepresented tech communities. These partnerships help us meet great people where they are and build a more inclusive pipeline from the start.

We also believe transparency is a core part of equity. That’s why we include salary ranges in all of our job postings, so candidates have the information they need to make empowered decisions about their careers. It removes ambiguity and helps us build trust from day one.

One way we communicate how DIBE shows up at Zapier is through our DIBE changelog, which we’ve made publicly available. It details the work we’ve done (and are continuing to do) to improve equity across our hiring practices and create a more inclusive experience for all Zapiens, current and future.

DIBE isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, especially on a distributed team. It requires intention and ongoing learning. Our team’s focus is on ensuring those values are reflected in every candidate touchpoint, from the job description to the interview process and beyond.

Looking ahead, what trends do you foresee shaping the future of talent attraction and employer branding, especially in the context of remote work and technological advancements?

I think the future of employer brand will be shaped by a mix of authenticity, accessibility, and smart, human-centered technology.

Candidates today aren’t just looking for a polished brand statement. They’re looking for clarity. They want to understand what it’s actually like to work at your company. That means being transparent about the positive aspects and the challenges, so people can make informed decisions and truly thrive once they join.

The companies that will stand out are the ones that lead with honesty, who motivate their employees to share real experiences in their own voices, and create space for that kind of storytelling to happen naturally. That’s something we’re focused on at Zapier. Whether it’s through blog posts, videos, or our internal advocate program, we aim to help teammates share what they love and what they’ve learned.

AI can play a big role here, not by replacing people, but by enabling them. Tools like Zapier Agents can help someone draft content when they’re stuck or short on time, lowering the barrier to contribution. AI can also help us better understand candidate feedback in real time, surfacing insights right away so we can improve the experience quickly, not six months later.

Remote work isn’t going anywhere, but it does require a greater level of intentionality. The companies that will thrive are the ones that prioritize clarity through a strong EVP, documentation, and brand work that reflects the voices of the people inside the organization, not just those marketing it.

The future of talent attraction will be built on trust, transparency, and the tools that help us listen and act faster, without losing the human touch.

Follow Kim on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlywilkes/

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