Engineering Leader Lauren Grimes talk to us about the challenges and fun of early-stage hiring The Melbourne success story that is Xplor was the first role where she was responsible for hiring and not just a participant. Now she’s in a new start-up, and she’s applying the lessons she’s learnt from early stage, fast growth hiring and sharing them with us.4:54 Outside of tech skills, we looked for people who could go on a journey. People who were flexible, hungry to learn, growth mindset, could jump in and take ownership. The skills were secondary. As your business grows and evolves, so can they. Challenge opinions but no huge ego’s.08:10 situational questioning. Not just screening for the good things but checking on less desirable traits.11:00 When I discovered why I disliked the standard technical interviews. Real world examples of what the team is focusing on. The importance of posing scenarios and asking the candidates opinions14:00 You don’t really know until they start. My experience of the impact of mis-hires on an early-stage team. Mishiring can come at a cost of time, effort and obviously money. It doesn’t have to be a 100% negative thing but it will have impacts.17:00 Collaborative decision making is empowering. The importance of having your team involved in interviews. They bring their own experiences and viewpoints to share with the candidate. They also grow their own interviewing skills. 22:50 Do I like this candidate as a person? A good way to think about people.30:00 The joy of watching a new hire blossom and grow in a role. 30:55 Advice for people hiring in an early stage now or soon. Hard tech skills are just not enough. In 6 months' time they may not be the right person for you anymore. Get the right types of people not a list of skills. Self-motivation & resilience are so important.35:43 The insecurity that comes with a lot of startups is still better than having a “normal” job. 37:20 Big takeaways = Think through the human and tech skills you need, the importance of collaborative decision-making, embrace diversity (don’t hire more people like you), and find someone who can step up and replace you.