Art of Search - Hiring Manager Series

In this episode, we’re joined by Sofia Kaufman, Chief People Officer at Point Wild, as she unpacks the challenges of hiring at speed and scale without losing sight of company culture. Growth is inevitable, but it’s the transformation that follows—especially in culture—that makes or breaks success. Sofia digs into the delicate balance between hiring for "culture fit" versus "culture add," and how hiring managers can assess whether a candidate truly aligns with both your company’s values and your goals. But it’s not just about filling roles quickly. Sofia emphasizes the critical difference between “seeing scale” and “scaling”—a skillset that needs to be assessed during interviews. She explains how to evaluate whether a candidate can actually contribute to your organization’s growth, and why you should be looking for examples of their past successes. And when a candidate seems right for the role but doesn’t quite match the culture? Sofia gets real about navigating those tough decisions. With honest conversations and strategic thinking, she shows how to avoid costly hiring missteps while still prioritizing core competencies, scalability, and cultural contributions that truly move the needle. This episode is packed with insights on hiring for growth—don’t miss it!

When you talk to a great candidate who isn't a fit for a role today, but you feel they would be a great addition to your organization, what do you do? Do you create a role for them? How do you stay in touch with them for months or even years?  In this episode, Erica Piper, Sr. Director, Executive Talent Acquisition at Capital One, answers these and other questions. She shares her approach to identifying and engaging top talent, as well as the methods she and her team use to build long-term relationships with potential future hires. Erica discusses the key leadership traits she looks for and the essential questions she asks to assess talent. She also describes the connection between talent acquisition and HR onboarding, emphasizing how the two functions work together to create a strong support structure for new hires.

If you were tasked with building a technology team from scratch in a completely unfamiliar geography, how would you ensure you’re hiring the right people? In this episode of Art of Search: Hiring Manager Series, we talk with Sravana Karnati, EVP of Global Technology Platforms, about his approach to hiring and leading in diverse geographies. Sravana shares his methodology of scaling teams rapidly while maintaining high standards, and how to build teams from scratch in an unfamiliar market. Tune in to gain valuable strategies for global hiring and leadership. Available on your favorite podcast platform or on YouTube.

How do you create a world class hiring experience scaling companies from 1,200 to 12,000 or 8,000 to 50,000? I’m honored to have Cindy Nicola with us today on the podcast, who has done just that. She was kind enough to share her wisdom with us and there are so many great takeaways here that all hiring leaders can learn from.  In this episode of Art of Search, Zen and Somer are joined by Cindy Nicola, VP of Global Talent Acquisition at Databricks, who has an exceptional track record scaling teams at leading technology companies like Rivian, Tesla, and Apple. This is truly a masterclass in building effective, people-centered recruiting functions for companies poised for rapid growth. Tune in on your favorite podcast platform or watch the interview on YouTube to discover how to bring fresh perspectives into your hiring process and drive meaningful change.

In this episode of "Art of Search: Hiring Manager Series," Zen Mak and I chat with Robert Sears, the Chief Product Officer at Accion Opportunity Fund. Robert is a seasoned C-Level executive, innovator, and serial entrepreneur having been a CEO, COO, and founder of pioneering companies, including one of the first consumer neobanks and a SaaS platform for lending and payments.  We talk about the lessons he’s learned from building teams at both startups and big companies, the key things he looks for in candidates, and how his hiring style has evolved over time. Robert also shares his tips on what to do when you need to fill a role urgently. He’s all about finding people who bring fresh perspectives and can tackle problems in different ways. Tune in to the episode on your favorite podcast platform or watch the interview on YouTube and discover how to bring fresh perspectives into your team and drive meaningful change.