Inside Jem’s Hiring Playbook

Six lessons from behind the interview table. 📖

The best lessons in my career have not come from the success stories, but from people being daringly honest about what they learned behind-the-scenes. I want this newsletter to be a way of passing along that same candour.

With that in mind, I’ve challenged myself to open the playbook even more. This month I’m taking you inside one of the hottest (and hardest) topics in any startup:

HIRING

Welcome to Jem’s hiring playbook. 📖

What follows are six lessons. If you’re curious about joining Jem, think of this as your insider’s guide. If you’re in the people space, these are my takeaways on finding standout talent in a market now crowded with ChatGPT answers.

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1. Sweat the Small Stuff

(No, this is not a typo.) It’s easier than ever to apply for jobs, which means the little things matter more than people realise. I notice who replies to an email within a few hours and who takes five days. I see who arrives a few minutes early to an interview. I pick up on whether an email feels clear and personal or if it’s just the first thing pasted out of ChatGPT. None of this takes much effort, but when you’re one of hundreds of applicants, those small details can be the thing that sets you apart.

2. Please, Have Questions

I have two points on this.

Firstly, not asking questions in an interview is a no-go for us. The photo below of Thamsanqa (our brilliant CTO) is exactly how we feel when someone says they have no questions. Be curious. Make sure this is a place you actually want to work. That shows me you’re not just looking for any job, you’re trying to figure out if this is the right job for you.

Secondly, not asking good questions is a huge missed opportunity. Some of the best interviews I’ve had were when candidates came prepared with thoughtful questions. You only have a short window to make an impression in an interview and this is one of the best ways to do it. I get asked “What’s Jem’s culture like?” in almost every interview. Try asking something different, something that shows how you think.

3. Mistakes are Golden

The top performers at Jem aren’t perfect; they’re the ones who own their mistakes and can quickly pivot.

That’s why one of our favourite interview questions is: “Tell me about a time you made a mistake.” (Hint: Saying you’ve never made one is the wrong answer.)

A lot of people think interviews are about being perfect, but they’re really about seeing how you think and how you handle situations. Especially in a start-up, we want to see that you can think on your feet and adapt after making a mistake. Answers like these are golden in our process:

• “I don’t have experience in the space, but here’s how I’d tackle it…”

• “I didn’t get it right the first time, but here’s what I learned and how I applied it next time…”

• “I asked for feedback and that completely shifted how I handled the situation.”

Below is a picture of our COO and co-founder, Caroline, setting herself up for an ENCA interview. We hadn’t prepared a space for her, so she improvised.

4. Do Research Before

It still surprises me how many interviews begin with candidates asking, “So, what does Jem do?”. We have actually stopped multiple interviews on the spot when it was clear someone had no idea what company they were interviewing for.

On the flip side, I’ve noticed a trend in some recent interviews where candidates referenced something specific, like an article we published or a talk one of our founders did and weaved that into one of their answers. That is the kind of effort that gets noticed.

5. AI Done Wrong Hurts

I want candidates to use AI. We’re building an AI-Native company, so it’s non-negotiable.

Here’s the catch: if AI erases your voice, it doesn’t just fall flat, it actively works against you. It makes you forgettable and in Jem’s case, it gets you rejected faster.

The strongest candidates I’ve seen use AI to sound more like themselves. AI should amplify your voice, not replace it. That’s what I think many people are missing.

If you’re using it in a generic way (e.g. pasting your application answers straight from ChatGPT), you will almost certainly be declined at Jem. Take this recent LinkedIn reach-out to Simon (screenshot below). His message to me was: “Make sure this person is immediately declined if they come through the pipeline for any role.”

On the other side of that, when used well, AI can elevate your ideas and sharpen your voice. One candidate, for example, used Claude to design their technical assessment around their personal brand. It made them an exceptionally strong candidate who stood out immediately!

6. The Extra Mile

I remember one candidate reached out to a Jem team member for a coffee chat before their interview. Someone else showed up at a conference we were attending to meet the team in person. Another sent me a LinkedIn message sharing an article connected to a topic we had discussed during their interview.

No, it does not guarantee you a job, but it instantly separates you from the sea of generic applications. When you go a little further than everyone else, you show us two things: you care and you’re serious. In Jem’s hiring process, those signals matter.

Below is a picture from last year’s end-of-year event. Safe to say the team is well-practised at going the extra mile.

If you want another example of this in action, check out this video about how the Head of Happiness & Health landed their role at Flight Story, it follows the same thinking (start at 1:52).

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Why am I sharing this with you?

Hiring is messy, high-stakes and full of lessons you only really learn by doing. Writing this playbook is my way of passing some of those lessons forward in the hope that it helps someone else on the journey.

If you’re a candidate, I hope this gives you a clearer picture of what stands out. If you’re in the people space, maybe it sparks something useful for how you approach hiring.

⭐️ PS: Jem is growing! We currently have a Senior Account Executive & Customer Support Manager role available at Jem. Click on the links to find out more.

Thanks for reading and letting me share the real side of building the Jem team with you.