An HR Department for Zero Dollars: How Founders Can Hire for Culture Without Spending Time on Interviews

Your startup has no HR manager. But it does have you, and you have twenty more important things to do than spend an hour on a call with a candidate who isn't the right fit. The problem is that a bad hire into a small team is a disaster. One person with poor soft skills can destroy an atmosphere you spent months building. So screening is necessary — but it shouldn't cost you time. The solution is simple: ask the right questions before the call, not during it. Why Standard Questions Don't Work "Tell me about yourself", "Why do you want to work here", "Where do you see yourself in five years?" — candidates prepare for these questions in advance. You get rehearsed answers, not a real picture of the person. You need questions that are harder to prepare for. Questions that reveal values, not presentation skills. 5 Questions That Show You the Real Person Question 1 — The Priorities Test (comparative) "What's worse for you in a team: missing deadlines but delivering a perfect product — or deli