High-Level Bullet Points:
- Introduction and Background
- Essentials for Hiring and Building Teams
- Human Guide Process for Hiring:
- Developed a “Human Guide” process to assess potential hires based on values, work preferences, and their fit within the company culture.
- Importance of Values-Driven Organizations
- Remote Work and Agile Methodology
- Challenges and Opportunities in Hiring Nigerian Talent
- Assessment Techniques:
- Suggests conducting practical tests during the hiring process to verify a candidate’s skills.
- Final Thoughts
With years of experience building teams across industries and geographies, Olori Lolade Siyonbola, founder of NOIR Labs, emphasizes the importance of cultivating work environments where clarity, purpose, and connection are paramount. Clarity of vision and expectations is the foundation of the most harmonious teams. When each team member is aligned with the mission, and their role is clearly defined, the result is a collaborative, joyful, and productive team.
This philosophy is especially relevant to entrepreneurs and leaders aiming to build values-driven organizations. For NOIR Labs, ensuring alignment between team members and organizational values is non-negotiable. Hiring the wrong person—whether you’re a startup with limited funds or an established business with a larger budget—can result in costly mistakes. In our experience, filtering in the right people is key, and that process begins with having a strong sense of who you are as a company, what you stand for, and being intentional about communicating that to potential hires.
The Human Guide: A Holistic Hiring Approach
Siyonbola introduces a unique hiring method called the “Human Guide,” which allows her team to assess potential candidates beyond their resumes. This process involves reflective, values-based questions designed to identify whether candidates are truly aligned with the organization’s mission and culture. The Human Guide is a critical part of her hiring strategy, ensuring that candidates not only possess the skills required but are also self-aware and passionate about the organization’s purpose. This method encourages authenticity, making it difficult for applicants to misrepresent themselves while giving them an opportunity to reflect deeply on their values and career goals.
This approach is particularly powerful in remote and flexible work environments, where self-direction is key to success. At NOIR Labs, teams are fully remote, and the focus is on deliverables and outcomes, rather than strict schedules. Agile principles, such as fostering self-organized teams and prioritizing clear communication, ensure that each team member understands their responsibility and executes it effectively—without the need for micromanagement.
Hiring Nigerian Talent: Challenges and Opportunities
Our focus on Nigerian talent stems from a recognition of the country’s untapped potential and the challenges faced by Nigerian professionals on global freelance platforms. Despite stereotypes and biases that often disadvantage Nigerian talent on platforms like Upwork and Fiverr, we see immense opportunity in the drive and work ethic of young Nigerian professionals. Our approach to hiring involves a structured process that includes practical assessments to verify candidates’ skills, ensuring that those who present well can also execute effectively in a flexible, remote environment. This method not only helps in identifying top talent but also in creating opportunities for Nigerian professionals who might otherwise be overlooked.
In the end, the team-building philosophy is simple yet profound: Build teams where individuals are aligned with your vision, driven by purpose, and empowered by clarity. Siyonbola’s methods of values-driven hiring, alongside the structured flexibility of Agile, serve as a powerful model for founders, CEOs, and leaders seeking to create impactful, resilient teams in today’s remote-first world.