Cloudflare Talent Acquisition — March 2026

VP+ Candidate
Experience

Reimagining how we welcome, engage, and leave a lasting impression on executive-level candidates.

Jon Chadiha · Lee Sam · Jenn Islam

Our Guiding Principle

“The candidate is the customer.”

Every touchpoint is designed, not accidental. Map the journey the way a product team maps a user flow. — Inspired by AirBnB

  • Product, not process — Design every touchpoint deliberately
  • Anticipate, don’t react — Borrow from Ritz-Carlton and fine dining: fulfil needs before they’re voiced
  • Design the exit as carefully as the entrance — Even candidates we don’t hire should become brand advocates
  • Empower frontline staff — Give the concierge authority and budget to create magic in the moment
WOW MOMENTS

Context

VP+ Hiring at a Glance

2025 data — excluding confidential hires

14
VP+ Hires
Annual volume
11
Americas
79% of total
1
EMEA
7% of total
2
APJC
14% of total

Candidate Journey Map

Three Phases, Dozens of Touchpoints

Phase 1
Engage
  • AI-personalised video from Matthew Prince
  • Enhanced preferences form (lunch, drinks, recharge style)
  • Personalised Cloudflare Impact Deck or video
  • Premium travel & logistics coordination
  • Proactive accommodation outreach
Phase 2
Experience
  • Concierge greets at building entrance
  • Staged room: refreshments, notebook/pen, artisan treat
  • Lunch from a curated restaurant list
  • Executive AMA with a current leader
Phase 3
Outcome
  • Designed rejection: personal call + detailed feedback
  • Offer package: CF outerwear + gift + redesigned letter

End-to-End Experience

The VP+ Candidate Journey

ENGAGE First impressions EXPERIENCE The interview OUTCOME What comes next CONCIERGE PRESENT THROUGHOUT Matthew Prince Video Impact Deck Preferences Form Executive Portal Concierge Entrance Staged Room AMA Executive AMA C-SUITE DROP-IN Curated Lunch DECISION Designed Rejection No OFFER “Welcome” Yes = Wow Moment = Designed touchpoint = Decision point

Core Concept

The Concierge Model

A single dedicated person — from recruiting or the hiring team — owns the entire candidate experience end-to-end. Like Ritz-Carlton, they are empowered to act.

  • Meet candidate at the building entrance — never a shared reception wait
  • Escort between interviews, proactively check in after each session
  • Small discretionary budget to solve problems or create surprises on the spot
  • Anticipate needs before they’re voiced — water, breaks, room temperature
  • Warm send-off with executive gift pack
WELCOME, SARAH TODAY'S SCHEDULE 4 sessions · lunch Preferences saved Concierge: Lee S. EXECUTIVE PORTAL

Executive Portal

Candidate Portal — Design Concepts

LIVE INTERACTIVE PREVIEW — SCROLL & CLICK WITHIN THE FRAME

Engage

Before They Walk In

  • AI-Personalised Matthew Prince Video — A welcome video from Matthew, personalised for each candidate using AI. Requires Matthew’s permission, but creates an unforgettable first impression at scale
  • Cloudflare Impact Deck / Video — An AI-curated visual showing the scale of what they’d lead: traffic, customers, team size. Shared before interviews so the opportunity feels tangible
  • “11-Star” Preferences Form — Go beyond snacks: How do you recharge between meetings? Preferred lunch from a curated restaurant list? Dietary needs? Music or silence?
  • Proactive Accommodations — Don’t wait for candidates to ask. Proactively invite them to share any accessibility or accommodation needs early in the process
  • Bespoke Executive Portal — A private, personalised digital hub: schedule, interviewer bios, prep materials, and post-visit resources. Not a generic ATS link
PERSONALISED VIDEO

Experience

While They’re Here

  • Executive Suite Staging — Dedicated VP+ furniture (Eames Soft Pad chairs, round oak table, walnut credenza) transforms any room in 15 minutes. Personalised name card, premium notebook & pen, artisan snack board, glass carafe, preferred drink waiting, warm lamp lighting, fresh flowers. Every detail staged — not a single generic element
  • Executive AMA — A mini Ask Me Anything with another exec at the company — not an interview, but an open conversation where the candidate gets unfiltered insights
  • Surprise C-Suite Drop-In — A brief, unscheduled handshake from a senior leader (CTO, CFO, etc.). Even 2 minutes of unexpected executive attention signals real investment
  • Lunch from a Curated List — Candidate chooses their restaurant from a curated shortlist. A proper meal with a peer-level leader — no interview questions, just connection
STAGE AMA VIP DINE

Experience · Deep Dive

Executive Suite Staging

A portable kit transforms any conference room into a VP+ interview suite in 15 minutes. Dedicated furniture, personalised details, and warm ambiance — like first class vs economy.

DEDICATED FURNITURE
Table — HAY Copenhague round, 48″, oak
Chairs — Eames Soft Pad ×4, cognac leather
Credenza — Walnut, 60″, staging surface
Lamp — Muuto Leaf, warm floor light
TABLE SETTING
Personalised name card • Quality notebook & pen • Wireless charger • Glass carafe & glassware • Preferred drink ready • Artisan snack board • Wi-Fi card
AMBIANCE
Warm lamp lighting • Subtle diffuser • Fresh flowers • Room temp pre-set • Framed art on credenza • Neutral rug • Clean whiteboard
INVESTMENT
Kit (one-time)$5–7K
Per candidate$60–90
Setup time~15 min

Outcome

After They Leave

  • The Designed Rejection — A personal phone call (not email) from the hiring leader with specific, genuine feedback on what impressed us. Detailed and respectful — they leave as advocates, not detractors
  • “Welcome” Offer — Premium Cloudflare outerwear, an additional gift (TBD), and a beautifully redesigned offer letter printed on quality stock. Not just a DocuSign
  • Concierge Playbook + Wow Story Sharing — A pocket card (inspired by Ritz-Carlton Credo) as the team’s north star, plus post-process retrospectives to capture and share what went well
LASTING IMPRESSION

Go-To-Market

GTM Tailoring

  • Customer story showcase — case studies from their segment
  • Revenue dashboard preview — the market opportunity visualised
  • Meet a key customer or partner (with permission)
  • Family & partner support for relocation candidates

Engineering

R&D Tailoring

  • Live product demo of the stack they’d lead
  • Architecture deep-dive with a principal engineer
  • NOC tour or live attack dashboard (where location permits)
  • Innovation showcase — patents, research, or internal tools

Implementation

Rollout Roadmap

PhaseWhatTimelineCost
1. Quick WinsPreferences form, concierge playbook card, consumable staging itemsWeek 1–2Low
2. Concierge LaunchBuilding entrance greeting, discretionary budget, proactive accommodationsWeek 3–4Low
3. Executive SuiteDedicated VP+ furniture (table, chairs, credenza, lamp, rug), staging kitMonth 1–2$5–7K one-time
4. Premium TouchesGift packs (TBD w/ Jenn & Jon), curated lunch list, exec AMA, surprise drop-insMonth 2Medium
5. Digital & AIMatthew personalised video, Impact Deck/video, executive portalMonth 2–3Medium
6. Full ProgrammeDept tailoring, NOC tours, “Welcome” offer redesignMonth 3–4Medium
$0
Quick Wins
~$150
Exec Lunch
TBD
Gifts & AI

Next Steps

Let’s Make This Real

  • Get Scott’s buy-in → then Kelly Russell
  • Finalise cost package per candidate
  • Compare notes with Ian Frost’s research group
  • Pilot with next 2–3 VP+ hires

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou

Jon Chadiha · Lee Sam · Jenn Islam — March 2026