Eric Kau – Hiring for High-Growth Businesses, Culture Fit vs. Capabilities, and a COO’s Job Explained

In this episode, Oz welcomes the COO of Seed Health, Eric Kau. Seed Health is a microbiome company focused on developing or pioneering “living medicine.” Most people are familiar with probiotics, but Seed Health is taking the science even further by pioneering new ways for microbes to help alleviate a variety of medical conditions.

Eric shares his hiring philosophy: businesses should take a “measure twice, cut once” approach, especially in small, high-growth startups. He identifies culture fit, not capability, as a common denominator across all of his wrong hires–it’s not that the candidate is not good at what they do; rather, what they do well is not what the company really needs.

Eric and Oz discuss strategies for minimizing bad hires, the importance of the candidate experience, and common mistakes recruiters make. You’ll also learn Eric’s favorite interview question and what it can reveal about a candidate’s perspectives and priorities.

After you listen, connect with Eric Kau on LinkedIn and learn more about Seed Health at SeedHealth.com.

Connect with Oz Rashid on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ozrashid/

Learn more about MSH: https://www.talentmsh.com/

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