Why Your Next Star Employee Might Fail the Interview but Save the Company

Monday, 10/11/2025 | 20:00 GMT by Dr Demetrios Zamboglou
  • Emotional intelligence is highlighted as a crucial leadership quality, emphasizing collaboration, understanding, and problem-solving.
  • When hiring specialists, qualifications and certifications are essential indicators of both competence and commitment.
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FM

We have always been fascinated by one question: how do you find and keep the best people, and for how long? Not the ones who simply do the job well, but the ones who can take a company and elevate it to the next level.

Over the years, we have tried every method there is: structured interviews, psychometric tests, long essays, and casual conversations. Each reveals something different, yet none tell the full story.

Join IG, CMC, and Robinhood in London’s leading trading industry event!

Finding Talent in a Changing World

I remember once being told that truly exceptional people, the ones who drive industries forward and create real change, often don’t perform well in tests or interviews. They think differently. Their minds are built for creativity, instinct, and intuition rather than conformity.

They may not be average in everything; they are outstanding in a few things that truly matter. And with technology and artificial intelligence reshaping how we work, that kind of thinking has become more valuable than ever.

The Human Side of Leadership

Emotional intelligence is one of the most important qualities in leadership. A great leader must be able to sit with a management team, discuss problems, find solutions, and make things happen. Collaboration is not about being agreeable; it is about understanding people, balancing personalities, and working toward a shared goal.

The higher the position, the more leadership starts to look like coaching. The CEO becomes the coach, the department heads the captains, and the rest of the company the players. Everyone needs to work together to win. Leadership by ego fails, but leadership by example inspires.

When hiring specialists, whether in compliance, marketing, or at the board level, their expertise must be backed by proper qualifications. A promise to obtain them later is not enough. A professional qualification should be part of the probation period because it demonstrates both competence and commitment.

Hiring in Crypto

Finding great people in crypto means understanding the market sector you’re hiring for. You need to know what leading exchanges, liquidity providers, and infrastructure firms are doing, not to replicate them, but to recognize where innovation already exists and where you can go further.

In our world, benchmarks come from firms building institutional-grade infrastructure, solving liquidity aggregation, custody, compliance, and settlement challenges at scale.

When the group hires for senior roles, we are not looking for someone who merely fits in; we are looking for someone who pushes the frontier. The right candidate understands their field deeply, is a true specialist, and can demonstrate measurable impact well before joining.

You may also like: CFD Brain Drain? Prop Firms Continue to Attract Top Talent, Ex-Equiti Exec Latest

For sales teams, we look for proactive, disciplined, and data-driven professionals who can speak both the language of traditional finance and that of crypto-native ecosystems.

They must understand CRM automation, API-based onboarding, and pipeline management. In digital assets, performance is transparent, and every number counts. The strongest salespeople can identify institutional segments, build trust across counterparties, and convert flows consistently.

For product teams, we look for individuals who understand the entire lifecycle, from on-ramp to execution to settlement . It is not enough to know a single platform or exchange; they need to master smart-order routing, liquidity aggregation, and risk systems that connect multiple venues.

The best product minds can trace a transaction from wallet to trade to custody, identifying and resolving friction points before they scale. In marketing, we look for candidates who blend creativity with analytical discipline.

They know how to position a digital-asset brand, craft institutional-grade narratives, and measure performance through attribution data, funnel conversion, and CRM insights. Modern crypto marketing is not about hype; it is about credibility, compliance, and consistent storytelling backed by data.

Looking Beyond the Surface

A common mistake in hiring is assuming that someone from a top company must be top talent. That is not always true. Sometimes a company performs well overall even when certain departments struggle.

In fact, some of the best people I have hired came from smaller firms that excelled in one specific area. These individuals are often hungrier, more adaptable, and ready to grow.

Read more: Amazon to Axe Up to 30,000 Corporate Jobs Ahead of Results?

To attract them, you need to offer a clear vision of where the company is heading, meaningful responsibilities, and rewards that go beyond salary. People want to know their efforts will be recognized and that their work contributes to something larger.

My Own Experience

In a recent search for a key leadership role, I began with a clear benchmark. I wrote a detailed job description that captured not only the technical requirements but also the culture I wanted to preserve. I posted it on LinkedIn and partnered with two recruitment agencies.

Within two weeks, more than 1,500 people applied. Around 30 were strong matches, 20 from my post and 10 from the agencies. After two rounds of interviews and a technical assessment, I found the right person: capable, motivated, and aligned with the company’s long-term vision.

That experience reminded me of a simple truth: clarity attracts quality. When you know exactly what you are looking for, the right people recognize themselves in the opportunity.

What Really Motivates People

If you ask us what truly makes people tick, it comes down to three things: money, vision, and leadership. Money is often said not to be a motivator, but it is.

  • Money provides fairness and recognition.
  • Vision gives direction and purpose.
  • Leadership inspires growth and loyalty.

When these three elements come together, great people do not just join your company. They stay, evolve, and help it reach new heights.

At the end of the day, hiring is not about filling a role. It is about recognizing potential before others do and creating the right environment for people to thrive. When you give talented individuals the right platform, they do more than perform. They transform your organization.

We have always been fascinated by one question: how do you find and keep the best people, and for how long? Not the ones who simply do the job well, but the ones who can take a company and elevate it to the next level.

Over the years, we have tried every method there is: structured interviews, psychometric tests, long essays, and casual conversations. Each reveals something different, yet none tell the full story.

Join IG, CMC, and Robinhood in London’s leading trading industry event!

Finding Talent in a Changing World

I remember once being told that truly exceptional people, the ones who drive industries forward and create real change, often don’t perform well in tests or interviews. They think differently. Their minds are built for creativity, instinct, and intuition rather than conformity.

They may not be average in everything; they are outstanding in a few things that truly matter. And with technology and artificial intelligence reshaping how we work, that kind of thinking has become more valuable than ever.

The Human Side of Leadership

Emotional intelligence is one of the most important qualities in leadership. A great leader must be able to sit with a management team, discuss problems, find solutions, and make things happen. Collaboration is not about being agreeable; it is about understanding people, balancing personalities, and working toward a shared goal.

The higher the position, the more leadership starts to look like coaching. The CEO becomes the coach, the department heads the captains, and the rest of the company the players. Everyone needs to work together to win. Leadership by ego fails, but leadership by example inspires.

When hiring specialists, whether in compliance, marketing, or at the board level, their expertise must be backed by proper qualifications. A promise to obtain them later is not enough. A professional qualification should be part of the probation period because it demonstrates both competence and commitment.

Hiring in Crypto

Finding great people in crypto means understanding the market sector you’re hiring for. You need to know what leading exchanges, liquidity providers, and infrastructure firms are doing, not to replicate them, but to recognize where innovation already exists and where you can go further.

In our world, benchmarks come from firms building institutional-grade infrastructure, solving liquidity aggregation, custody, compliance, and settlement challenges at scale.

When the group hires for senior roles, we are not looking for someone who merely fits in; we are looking for someone who pushes the frontier. The right candidate understands their field deeply, is a true specialist, and can demonstrate measurable impact well before joining.

You may also like: CFD Brain Drain? Prop Firms Continue to Attract Top Talent, Ex-Equiti Exec Latest

For sales teams, we look for proactive, disciplined, and data-driven professionals who can speak both the language of traditional finance and that of crypto-native ecosystems.

They must understand CRM automation, API-based onboarding, and pipeline management. In digital assets, performance is transparent, and every number counts. The strongest salespeople can identify institutional segments, build trust across counterparties, and convert flows consistently.

For product teams, we look for individuals who understand the entire lifecycle, from on-ramp to execution to settlement . It is not enough to know a single platform or exchange; they need to master smart-order routing, liquidity aggregation, and risk systems that connect multiple venues.

The best product minds can trace a transaction from wallet to trade to custody, identifying and resolving friction points before they scale. In marketing, we look for candidates who blend creativity with analytical discipline.

They know how to position a digital-asset brand, craft institutional-grade narratives, and measure performance through attribution data, funnel conversion, and CRM insights. Modern crypto marketing is not about hype; it is about credibility, compliance, and consistent storytelling backed by data.

Looking Beyond the Surface

A common mistake in hiring is assuming that someone from a top company must be top talent. That is not always true. Sometimes a company performs well overall even when certain departments struggle.

In fact, some of the best people I have hired came from smaller firms that excelled in one specific area. These individuals are often hungrier, more adaptable, and ready to grow.

Read more: Amazon to Axe Up to 30,000 Corporate Jobs Ahead of Results?

To attract them, you need to offer a clear vision of where the company is heading, meaningful responsibilities, and rewards that go beyond salary. People want to know their efforts will be recognized and that their work contributes to something larger.

My Own Experience

In a recent search for a key leadership role, I began with a clear benchmark. I wrote a detailed job description that captured not only the technical requirements but also the culture I wanted to preserve. I posted it on LinkedIn and partnered with two recruitment agencies.

Within two weeks, more than 1,500 people applied. Around 30 were strong matches, 20 from my post and 10 from the agencies. After two rounds of interviews and a technical assessment, I found the right person: capable, motivated, and aligned with the company’s long-term vision.

That experience reminded me of a simple truth: clarity attracts quality. When you know exactly what you are looking for, the right people recognize themselves in the opportunity.

What Really Motivates People

If you ask us what truly makes people tick, it comes down to three things: money, vision, and leadership. Money is often said not to be a motivator, but it is.

  • Money provides fairness and recognition.
  • Vision gives direction and purpose.
  • Leadership inspires growth and loyalty.

When these three elements come together, great people do not just join your company. They stay, evolve, and help it reach new heights.

At the end of the day, hiring is not about filling a role. It is about recognizing potential before others do and creating the right environment for people to thrive. When you give talented individuals the right platform, they do more than perform. They transform your organization.

About the Author: Dr Demetrios Zamboglou
Dr Demetrios Zamboglou
  • 15 Articles
  • 12 Followers
About the Author: Dr Demetrios Zamboglou
Demetrios Zamboglou is an online retail trading veteran with almost two decades of experience in financial markets, including as a C-level executive and via his academic research at King’s College London University.
  • 15 Articles
  • 12 Followers

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