50 Interviews Deep: Finding Your Perfect Hire

Jeff Bezos is often attributed to saying he’d rather “interview 50 people and not hire anyone than hire the wrong person.” It’s a sentiment I certainly share.

I’ve hired for a handful of companies, from leading a global energy management solutions provider to my current role as CEO of Claroty, a cyber-physical systems security provider dedicated to protecting mission-critical infrastructure. The tech industry is a swiftly evolving and competitive market, and you won’t survive, let alone thrive, if you hire the wrong people.

Whether you’re a startup or an established business, who you hire will directly impact your future success. Each employee is the foundation upon which any company builds its identity and values. You get hires wrong, and you hurt your organization’s productivity and morale, increasing turnover and perhaps the company’s reputation. Get it right, and your people become your competitive advantage, positioning you well for scalability and growth.

The secret, I believe, is hiring candidates who fit well within your organization’s culture and not relying too heavily on AI-driven automation to do so. According to a recent survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 79% of organizations utilize automation or AI in recruitment. Other research also indicates that leaders are concerned about the potential loss of human judgment in the hiring process.

Getting people right means more than finding the right skills and competencies. It also ensures that new hires fit well with your company culture. For instance, at Claroty, our four core values — which include People First, Customer Obsession, Strive for Excellence, and Integrity — aren’t just slogans. They’re central to how we operate together and the lens through which we vet every decision. For instance, “People First” isn’t a nod to employee well-being, it’s a recognition that the best teams are built on mutual respect and support. When organizations put their people at the center, innovation and resilience follow.

These values shape every interaction, every product, and every outcome at Claroty, including who we hire. Hiring candidates who fit the culture is essential. Consider Zappos’ commercial and cultural success, which stems from its unwavering focus on hiring for cultural fit. Its 10 core values—like “Deliver WOW through service” and “Be humble”—guide every hiring, onboarding, and operational decision. New hires complete a four-week training program that immerses them in the company’s culture, including hands-on customer service and warehouse experience. This commitment is underscored by “The Offer,” which pays new employees to leave if they don’t feel aligned with the company’s values—a signature practice that ensures long-term cultural fit and integrity.

While AI is transforming how we work and serving as a powerful force multiplier, hiring the right people remains even more critical—as creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence become increasingly valuable. In the age of AI, cultural fit matters more than ever, as human-centric skills will be the key business differentiator in a world where authenticity is growing rare. Here’s how I’ve learned to hire exactly those kinds of people:

Hire to culture

Clearly define the culture you want to build and hire accordingly. Ensure that new hires align with this culture and are willing to wear the multiple hats needed to succeed today. Hiring that aligns with your culture helps ensure that all employees are aligned with the company’s values and goals. This alignment fosters a sense of cohesion and unity within the team, making it easier to work towards common objectives. When you have a clearly defined culture and consistently hire individuals who fit well within that culture, hiring becomes increasingly easier over time. The success of Southwest Airlines, Zappos, and many others proves this.

By structuring interviews and evaluations around core values, you will ensure that every new team member contributes to and reinforces the company’s culture from day one.

Culture eats experience

Yes, I’ll hire someone with less experience and expertise who is a much better cultural fit. That’s because a poor cultural fit will negatively impact the team. Someone who is hungry, dedicated, and aligned with our values but requires some training will prove to be a better hire over the long term. It’s also important to communicate your values clearly to candidates so they understand if they are a good fit. Of course, skills and experience matter, but not at the expense of culture. I, too, would rather interview another 50 candidates until we find the right person.

Someone with excellent technical skills and a solid resume but who turns out to be a poor fit with the company culture can upset existing team dynamics or, worse, contribute to the creation of a toxic environment.

A pitfall to avoid is creating a monolithic organization where everyone shares the same societal or cultural background—diversity in life experience, education, and culture brings valuable perspectives that fuel creativity, innovation, and problem-solving. Teams with varied backgrounds approach challenges from different angles, often uncovering solutions that more homogeneous groups might miss. At the same time, alignment on core business values—like integrity, customer focus, or excellence—plays an equally crucial role. Shared values create a foundation of trust, cohesion, and purpose, helping employees collaborate more effectively and stay focused on common goals.

Hire through your existing workforce

I skip the recruiters’ office and find candidates through direct internal team member referrals. Our employee referral rate is currently 47%, and our goal for this year is to increase it to 57%. These are better quality candidates and people already known and respected by those on the team. At the same time, it’s essential to hire known talent, especially in the early stages. While the first few hires must be individuals you trust and who fit perfectly with the company’s needs, which is essential to success, this remains true as the company grows.

When hiring, use AI for efficiency

More companies are adopting AI tools to streamline administrative tasks associated with hiring and even enhance candidate experience through AI-powered chatbots to answer candidate questions and automate interview scheduling. According to Gartner, HR teams are increasingly turning to generative AI, with 38% currently piloting, planning, or have already implemented it. That’s a significant increase from 19% in June 2023.

We utilize AI tools in our sourcing processes to identify candidates who are not actively seeking employment. In our recruitment process, we use AI to efficiently filter through resumes and identify the most relevant ones among all the submissions we receive. Additionally, we will soon implement an AI tool that transcribes interviews based on predefined competencies, as well as ongoing use of ChatGPT to create job descriptions, build recruitment processes, and more.

While AI is delivering clear efficiencies in recruitment, its use still requires thoughtful balance. According to a study on AI’s impact in hiring, potential drawbacks include an overemphasis on hard skills, reduced human interaction, and the risk of overlooking soft skills or cultural fit. The research underscores that while AI improves speed and scalability, human oversight remains essential for nuanced decisions. As genAI tools are still in their early stages, companies must continue to experiment and refine their approaches until proven best practices emerge.

As AI rapidly transforms the hiring process, finding the right talent remains a dynamic journey—one that demands continuous learning and adaptation amid accelerating technological change and disruption. All organizations need employees who can adapt quickly, embrace innovation, and align with the culture. When people function as a tight unit, they will also be more open to learning from and integrating AI tools — and other new technologies — into their work, collaborate more effectively with AI systems and human colleagues alike, and drive innovation through AI in ways that always align with your values and goals. Hopefully, you won’t have to interview that many people to find the right one, but if you do – you and your company will be better off.