For this  Scaling Stories podcast we were delighted to speak with Jason Holness, a senior Talent Acquisition and People Success Manager at Reveal, a platform dedicated to helping B2B companies leverage their partnerships.

Jason was formerly a teacher and has worked in cultural curation within the museum space, so he offers a unique and distinctive voice on questions relating to company culture.

At Reveal, Jason and the team have built an interview kit which helps interviewers assess candidates objectively and probe for answers that give the fullest picture.

“These questions are often based upon the company’s values,” Jason explains. “We ask questions to test their adaptability, to see how well they’re solving problems or how well they function under stress or pressure. We ask questions around their optimism and test how well they collaborate. Each of these questions in the kits are tied to one of our company’s values, which is important for the culture.”

Jason also hosts workshops on “cultural competence” so that in a diverse, international workplace, hiring managers and staff are attuned to differences in behaviour and outlook.

“If we are a bit culturally competent, we know how best to break the ice and to better interact with the candidates and the people that we meet on a daily basis.”

In terms of “culture fit”, Jason starts with the principle that you should “know what the company values are, and really knowing the team and whether or not this candidate would fit well”. 

And in music to our ears, Jason is an advocate of employee referrals. At Reveal, Jason and the team put in place an employee leaderboard system for referrals, with incentives like a €2,000 reward. This “gamification” approach has been a “win-win” for all.

On the Intrro blog you can read more bright ideas to boost referrals. And for more insights from talent leaders, head to our Scaling Stories podcast page.