While I admire your "blind hiring," I've become increasingly aware that when it comes to team dynamics, EQ matters as much as IQ and social skills/empathy matter as much as ability... (Perhaps that accounts for your $500 "first day.") Has this method been working for you?
The work-day would be where we assess EQ. It is difficult to stay objective and consistent when assessing soft-skills. It provides the risk that biases and could-be-wrong impressions dictate your hiring decisions.
Two things, in my eyes, have helped us find bright and 'good' people:
First, by using consistent criteria that are as specific (binary) as possible, we have been able to find people who are not just talented, but conscientious contributors.
Secondly, the way we write/pitch/communicate during the process sets the tone for both the people we want and the environment we want to create. If you go through an uncomfortable, even aggressive, hiring process, what would you expect from the environment and the people within that environment? We try for good-ness from word one.
