James Sackl - Melbourne Entrepreneur on Improve Work Podcast

Released on 7 August, the 39-minute episode explores how founders can assess whether candidates share the values and behavioural expectations of an early-stage company. Sackl brings the hiring problem from his experience building Wallace Biotechnologies and Terraform Technologies. Host Daniela Tancău, an HR consultant and founder of Improve Work, works through practical ways to test it.

The conversation begins with a useful distinction: values cannot be observed directly, but behaviours can. Tancău discusses translating each company value into specific behaviours, then using past examples, practical tasks and more than one interaction to look for consistency.

Sackl explains that his companies look for people who challenge assumptions, take accountability and can turn problems into working solutions.

"We ask what they have done previously and get them to show evidence of what they have built. It could be a problem they found a solution to, or something they went out and built in the physical or digital world," Sackl said.

The discussion also examines how founders can separate a candidate's personal contribution from a wider team result. Detailed follow-up questions about the decisions, actions and technical steps involved can show whether the candidate actually led the work described.

"Knowing that someone has the capacity not only to spot a problem, but also to work through how to solve it, is a core competency we look for," Sackl said.

The episode also covers mission alignment, candidate preparation and the importance of explaining company values through day-to-day decisions. For a startup with limited time and capital, Sackl says disagreement on fundamental working principles can divert energy from the work itself.

The full episode is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7GL37ORFXWTDr3MqzGGmGE

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-interview-questions-that-reveal-a-candidates-values/id1674650834?i=1000780410668

About James Sackl

James Sackl is a Melbourne-based founder and futurist building Wallace Biotechnologies and Terraform Technologies. He also writes, podcasts and produces video under the Golden Age banner.