Intake meeting
The structured conversation with a hiring manager that turns a job description into a ranked, searchable set of real requirements.
What it tells you about a developer
A tight intake produces shortlists the hiring manager actually interviews. Intake quality shows up later in how few requirements change once sourcing starts.
A good intake separates day-one must-haves from wishlist items. It pins down the discipline and the core language, and it names the evidence that would prove seniority. Thirty minutes with prepared questions beats an hour of open discussion. The calibration call after the first batch of profiles matters as much as the intake itself.