What about focus on direct referrals who have worked with a current employee? The highest signaling characteristic I've ever found is someone who was recommende

What about focus on direct referrals who have worked with a current employee? The highest signaling characteristic I've ever found is someone who was recommended by a former coworker; there's a transitive relationship that seems to capture both the technical skills and a comfortable fit. I realize this doesn't scale to the rapid growth of some companies, but most of us need a more modest supply of talent vs. giant pools of people.