Grit Over Resumes: Why Cody Voorhees Hires for Hustle First

What makes a top sales hire? It’s not always the resume. In this episode of Between Two Hires, host Tom Hannigan interviews Cody Voorhees, a seasoned sales leader with experience at Yelp, Product School, and currently at health tech company Alma.

With over 800 interviews conducted, Cody shares real-world, unfiltered insights into what separates standout candidates from the rest—and why grit and coachability consistently beat credentials and polish.

Hire for Hustle, Train for Skill

Cody’s most successful hire wasn’t someone with years of SaaS experience or a perfect resume. It was a military veteran with no tech background, referred by a friend. That candidate went on to become a VP of Sales and later a CRO.

“If someone has grit and work ethic, you can teach everything else.”

By contrast, his worst hire had an impressive resume and nailed the interview, but raised red flags during reference checks, including one that ended with, “I plead the fifth.”

Cody’s Hiring Playbook

1. Trust Your Gut but Verify
While instincts are important, Cody emphasizes the value of reference checks to confirm a candidate’s track record.

• If timelines seem vague or references are evasive, investigate.
• Always close the loop on red flags.

2. Leverage Alumni Networks
Cody frequently taps into Yelp’s alumni network to source strong candidates. These referrals often come with built-in trust and cultural alignment.

3. Use Live Coaching Loops
A key part of Cody’s interview process includes a real-time feedback role play.

• He provides immediate coaching.
• The candidate then re-roles to see how they apply the feedback.
  This tests adaptability and openness, core traits he values over polish.

“Coachability is more important than a perfect performance.”

An Underrated Interview Metric: Sports Backgrounds

Cody believes past participation in college or club sports reveals a lot about a candidate’s ability to handle pressure, take feedback, and remain accountable.

• It’s not about athleticism—
• It’s about resilience and team mindset.

Final Takeaway: Don’t Settle

Earlier in his career, Cody admitted to making rushed hiring decisions. Today, his philosophy is clear:

“Only hire A-players. It’s worth the wait.”

Listen to the full episode of Between Two Hires to hear more tactical hiring advice, red flag stories, and Cody’s approach to building high-performing, resilient sales teams.

Tom Wilkinson