One founder may want someone entrepreneurial and willing to challenge decisions. Another may mean someone collaborative, hands-on and comfortable working without too much structure. Unless this is properly defined at the start of a search, culture fit can become little more than instinct: “We’ll know it when we see it.”
That makes candidates difficult to assess consistently and increases the risk of hiring someone who interviews well but struggles once they join. There is often a temptation to prioritise candidates from well-known FinTech's or technology companies. A recognisable employer may add credibility to a CV, but it does not necessarily mean the candidate is suited to your particular stage of growth.
Someone joining a business with 1,000 employees, established processes and substantial support will have a very different experience from someone who joined when there were 30 people, limited infrastructure and a product that was still evolving.
The important question is not simply: “Have they worked for a scale-up?”
It is:
“What stage was the business at, and what did they personally help to build?”
Did they create the process or inherit it? Did they generate opportunities without strong brand recognition? Could they make decisions without perfect information? Were they comfortable moving between strategy and delivery? These details tell you far more about whether someone will thrive in your business than the employer’s name alone.
Hire for the culture you need next
Scale-up culture is never fixed - the qualities that helped a business grow from 10 to 50 people may not be enough to take it from 50 to 200. Informal communication becomes harder, decisions need more accountability and processes that once seemed unnecessary become essential.
Businesses should therefore recruit not only for the culture they have today, but also for the culture they need next. A candidate who appears slightly more structured than the existing team could be exactly what the company needs. Someone who has introduced accountability, developed people or created repeatable processes may help the business reach its next stage.
The challenge is finding someone who can add structure without removing the speed, flexibility and entrepreneurialism that made the company successful.
The strongest CV may not represent the strongest hire
Scale-ups can be attracted to impressive titles, prestigious employers and large revenue figures. Those things matter, but context matters more.
A Sales Director who delivered £20 million for an established payments company may initially appear stronger than someone who generated £5 million for an unknown FinTech. But did the first person inherit major accounts, a recognised brand and a large support team? Did the second build a pipeline from nothing and win customers without extensive marketing resources?
The same principle applies across product, technology, operations, risk and compliance.
A candidate from a major company may have led a larger function but operated within mature systems and clearly defined responsibilities. Someone from a smaller business may have achieved less on paper while personally solving a much broader range of problems. The best candidate is not always the person with the biggest numbers. It is often the person whose experience most closely reflects the challenges ahead.
Look for evidence, not adjectives
Job descriptions frequently ask for someone who is “entrepreneurial”, “adaptable” and “comfortable with ambiguity”. Rather than asking candidates whether they possess these qualities, look for specific evidence:
- What have they built without an existing process or team?
- When have they worked outside their formal responsibilities?
- How have they made decisions without having all the information?
- Have they introduced structure into an informal environment?
- How did they respond when priorities suddenly changed?
- What did they achieve with limited resources?
Their answers should explain what they personally did, not simply what the wider company achieved.
Be honest about the environment
Scale-ups naturally want to present themselves positively during an interview process, but overselling the opportunity can create problems later. If priorities change frequently, say so. If processes are still being developed, explain that. If the role extends beyond the formal job description, make it clear.
The right person will not necessarily be discouraged by these realities. They may be attracted by the opportunity to build something and make a visible difference. An honest recruitment process allows both sides to decide whether the environment is genuinely right for them.
Culture fit should not mean hiring similar people
There is also a danger that culture fit becomes a reason to recruit people who think, behave and communicate like the existing team. A strong culture does not require everyone to have the same personality or background. It requires shared values and compatible working behaviours.
Someone can challenge decisions while remaining constructive. They can introduce greater discipline without becoming bureaucratic. They can approach problems differently while still collaborating effectively.
The objective should not be to find another version of the founder. It should be to hire someone who strengthens the business and brings something it does not already have.
Define the behaviours you need
Before beginning a search, translate broad cultural descriptions into behaviours that can be assessed.
Instead of saying, “We want someone entrepreneurial,” decide what that means in practice. Should they identify opportunities without being asked, take ownership beyond their immediate remit or test ideas without perfect information?
Instead of saying, “We need someone collaborative,” determine how you expect them to share information, involve colleagues and challenge decisions.
This gives interviewers something meaningful to assess and helps candidates understand what the business genuinely values.
Hire for the journey ahead
Hiring for culture in a scale-up should not be about finding someone who simply blends into the existing team. It is about finding someone who shares the company’s core values, can succeed within its current environment and possesses the skills to help it develop.
The strongest CV may belong to the candidate with the biggest title or most recognisable employer. The strongest hire is the person who can solve the problems your business is about to face. Those are not always the same person.
I have more than 20 years’ recruitment experience and specialise in helping payments and FinTech businesses identify people who can succeed in fast-growing, evolving environments. If you are building a scale-up team or struggling to find someone with the right combination of payments expertise, experience and cultural alignment, please contact me at Payments Recruitment for an informal discussion: bn@payments-recruitment.co.uk
