In the previous article, we discussed the three key ingredients of a winning tribe: exceptional people, strong team culture, and focused leadership.
Over the past four years I have led multiple teams through various challenges, working with individuals who brought a wide range of attributes to the table.
When recruiting the first group of founders, your aim should be to assemble a team that will perform beyond expectations, not just individually but as a group.
In this article, we will explore the kinds of personalities that work well together, and how to attract the exceptional people you’ll need to build a high-performing team.
How to Reach the Best People
As a university student, sourcing talented individuals might seem daunting at first – until you realise that you’re surrounded by the nation’s future engineers, lawyers, designers, and creators.
When I began recruiting a founding team for NEA Studio, I needed a Graphic Designer. As a physics major with a passion for gardening, my network didn’t include anyone in that field. So, I searched “Lancaster University Graphic Design Department” and found a list of Lecturers. Among them was someone I had briefly met at a hackathon months earlier.
I reached out and asked if I could advertise the role on his course module page. Although he wasn’t a Graphic Design lecturer, he kindly referred me to a colleague and gave me permission to use his name.
How to Charm at First Glance
I could have written a plain, black and white job description as a PDF attachment, but I was recruiting for a graphic design role. Designers are artists, and it’s rare for them to open a boring document.
Instead I used my (limited) Canva skills to create a visual job ad. It wasn’t beautiful – but it was colourful, catchy, and clearly in need to design help. Anyone who saw it could tell we needed their skills.
I later discovered that PNG files automatically preview in emails. So, instead of being a hidden attachment, my little design “disaster” proudly appeared beneath the Lecturer’s email signature.
It worked.
Within a week, I received ten emails requesting a meeting. The secret to successful recruitment is to cast your net wide – but take from the sea only what you need. With ten applicants, I now had the privilege of choice.
A Simple Shortlisting Algorithm
Interviewing every applicant is ideal, but not realistic if you receive dozens of applications. That’s where a clear shortlisting process is essential.
At the garden project, we used Imperial College’s 0-2 ranking system based on the job description we made:
0 – Limited evidence of the skill
1 – Some evidence and understanding of the skill
2 – Strong evidence and clear understanding of the skill
We compared each CV and cover letter against the skills outlined in our job description and assigned a score for each skill.
Andrew and I agreed to shortlist six applicants. To do this, we each wrote down our top six candidates, and ranked our top 10 non-shortlisted candidates.
We exchanged our lists. Any candidate who appeared in both lists was automatically shortlisted. For any discrepancies, we checked how each of us had ranked the other’s preferred candidates – and the highest ranked candidate was selected.
Your First Interview – As the Interviewer
For a student who’s only ever been interviewed, sitting on the other side of the table can feel daunting. The first thing to remember: the other person is probably just as nervous. Your job is to create a calm and welcoming setting.
My go to place is a cafe with good coffee and a relaxed atmosphere. I clearly communicate that it’s an interview, but keep the tone informal.
What Questions Should You Ask?
Interviewing effectively is a skill in itself. When we recruited for the garden, I had the privilege of working with Andrew, who had extensive experience recruiting through his work in the church.
He emphasised the importance of defining the values we were looking for first. Once those are clear, you can craft a blend of open and closed questions to surface the traits that matter most.
We were looking for people who embodied the following qualities:
- Curiosity and enthusiasm for the project
- Gardening and growing skills
- Workshop leadership and event organisation
- Inclusivity and safeguarding awareness
- Innovation and creativity
Here are some of the questions we asked based on these values:
- Why are you interested in applying for this project?
- Tell us about a time you worked on a garden.
- Describe a time you led a workshop (not necessarily related to nature).
- Recall a time when you taught someone something new.
- Have you ever worked with someone with a disability? What did you do to make them feel included? (If not, what would you do?)
- If you were to contribute to this garden, what would you build or create?
The questions were phrased to encourage candidates to share tangible experiences, and give insight into their mindset and values.
Personalities to Be Aware of During Interviews
Most qualified applicants will give clear, thoughtful answers. But there are two specific personality types to be especially aware of during interviews:
- The Quiet Introvert – These candidates may struggle to share experiences and speak confidently about themselves – but often have rich experiences to share. A safe, comfortable setting and circular seating arrangement can reduce the interview pressure. Give them time to think, and reframe silences as “thinking breaks” rather than awkward pauses. Once they get rolling, they can surprise you with genuine insight and passion.
- The Smooth Talker – These are highly articulate candidates who may blur the line between experience and imagination. One way to tell whether someone is speaking from experience is by the pace of their speech: real memories are recalled slowly and thoughtfully. If they avoid the question or talk in circles, they likely lack experience in that area.
Recruiting a Winning Tribe
In this article, we have explored how to attract, shortlist, interview and evaluate candidates for your ideal team.
But recruitment isn’t just about finding the most skilled individuals, it’s about assembling a team. Soft skills, attitude, and compatibility matter just as much as experience. A truly winning tribe is one where members complement each other’s strengths and plough through challenges together.
Now that you’ve built your team, the next step is working out how to make the most of your time together. How do you structure your routines, set expectations, and drive productivity?
In the next article, we will explore management frameworks for leading a winning tribe.
Emilio Garcia Padron is an MSc Applied Mathematics student at Imperial College London, specializing in Computational Dynamical Systems. He is a full-stack software developer and founder of NEA Studios. He is also a founder of RE:GEN @ Imperial, a project aiming to protect and expand Green Spaces on Imperial grounds that raised over £39,000 in funding.
Image: DALL-E
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