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Elevate Bar Raiser (Culture Champions)

Chief of Staff

What it tests

Cultural alignment, assessed by someone with NO stake in the hire

Format

  1. 1After all functional interviews, candidate meets a "culture champion" — a senior employee from a DIFFERENT team
  2. 2This person has been specifically trained to assess company values
  3. 3They have veto power — if they say no, the candidate doesn't get hired
  4. 4Evaluates four pillars: functional skills, behaviors, achievements, motivation

What to look for

  • Consistency: does the candidate's story match across all interviews?
  • Genuine motivation (vs. "I just need a job")
  • Red flags that functional interviewers might overlook (confirmation bias)

Adaptation guide

Similar to Amazon's Bar Raiser. Train 5-10 employees as culture champions. Rotate them. Give them real veto power (otherwise it's theater). Works for any company serious about culture.

Full description

Format:

  1. After all functional interviews, candidate meets a "culture champion" — a senior employee from a DIFFERENT team
  2. This person has been specifically trained to assess company values
  3. They have veto power — if they say no, the candidate doesn't get hired regardless of other feedback
  4. The culture champion evaluates four pillars:
    • Functional skills — can they do the job?
    • Behaviors — how do they work with others?
    • Achievements — what have they actually accomplished?
    • Motivation — why this company, why now?

Time: 45-60 minutes

What to look for:

  • Consistency: does the candidate's story match across all interviews?
  • Genuine motivation (vs. "I just need a job")
  • Red flags that functional interviewers might overlook (confirmation bias)

Adaptation: Similar to Amazon's Bar Raiser. Train 5-10 employees as culture champions. Rotate them. Give them real veto power (otherwise it's theater). Works for any company serious about culture.