Hiring in a Human Key
For Sim Lamb, Founder & CEO of Mazi People, hiring has never been a transactional process. It’s about relationships, values, and seeing people as they are and who they might become. In this episode of the DexFactor Podcast, Sim sits down with Paddy to unpack her journey from the Barclays post room to leading executive searches for Europe’s most impactful people leaders. What emerges is a conversation rich in wisdom, warmth, and clarity about what makes hiring meaningful.
From Post Room to Purpose
Sim’s story begins at 16, in the post room of a Barclays subsidiary. What followed was a decade-long rotation through customer service, credit, underwriting, and sales a business education in motion. Those early years shaped her perspective: the best careers are built on curiosity, humility, and adaptability. Her big break into recruitment was no accident; it came from a boss who saw her potential and suggested she channel her energy into search a moment that would ultimately change everything.
Hiring Isn’t a Solo Sport
From her days at Michael Page to co-founding the Mazi CPO Collective, Sim’s career has been defined by partnerships. She credits key people like Dean Nash, who introduced her to the world of high-growth tech, and Ross Seychell, with whom she co-created a thriving community for people leaders. Her guiding belief? You don’t do great work alone. The best hires and the best lives are shaped by who you surround yourself with.
The Four Hiring Principles That Stick
One of Sim’s most enduring frameworks comes from Jeremy Duggan of Multiverse: four principles for evaluating a hire character, intelligence, coachability, and track record. Sim leans heavily into the first three.
▪️ Character: Alignment on values and purpose. What does someone stand for?
▪️ Intelligence: Not just IQ, but EQ and decision-making clarity.
▪️ Coachability: Can they take feedback? Adapt? Grow?
▪️ Track Record: What impact have they had and what might they do next?
It’s a framework that goes beyond experience. As Sim puts it:
A good hire does the job. A great hire brings value you didn’t even know you needed.
Building Your Personal Board of Directors
Some of Sim’s proudest “hires” aren’t just colleagues they’re life partners. She speaks warmly about the people she’s brought into her orbit: Lida, Malak, Josh, Ross, Dean, Izzy. Each has influenced her thinking, challenged her perspective, and helped shape her mission. It’s a reminder that hiring isn’t just about headcount it’s about human capital in its richest form.
The Invisible Risk: Trust
When hires don’t work out, Sim sees a common theme: it’s rarely about technical ability. More often, it’s about a lack of trust and respect. The dynamic between a new hire and their CEO, or the wider exec team, is make-or-break. If that foundation isn’t built intentionally and reinforced consistently it can unravel quickly.
That’s why onboarding matters.
“You can’t overestimate the importance of helping someone integrate, It’s not just about day one. It’s about building trust from the start.”
The Red Flag No One Talks About
There’s one trait Sim avoids above all: blame. When people default to blame instead of reflecting on their own contribution to a challenge, it signals a fixed mindset and a lack of accountability. “I love mistakes,” she says. “As long as you own them, and show what you’ve learned.”
This perspective ties directly into what she values most: coachability, humility, and the ability to grow.
For Candidates: Build a Scorecard, Not a Fantasy
Sim offers practical advice for anyone considering a job offer: create your own scorecard. It’s easy to be seduced by an offer, the energy of the process, the charisma of a founder. But clarity comes from structure.
What matters to you? What are your non-negotiables? What are you willing to flex on? Make it real, not abstract. That way, when an offer lands, you’ll be able to assess it clearly not emotionally. “The better your scorecard, the better your outcome,” Sim says.
For Founders: If You’re Going to Do It, Do It Right
Sim is candid with the founders she works with: working with a search partner is only worth it if you’re all in. That means time, energy, clarity, and commitment. “You get out what you put in,” she says. “If you’re not ready to invest in the process, don’t waste your money or your candidate’s time.”
Her advice is sharp and clear: don’t cut corners, don’t outsource clarity, and don’t start unless you’re ready to show up.
Humans First, Always
One of Sim’s core philosophies is that the best hiring experiences are the most human ones. She champions authenticity, care, and intentionality from the first touchpoint to the final offer. She cites a story where a founder sent a photo to a candidate mid-process saying, “Wish you were here.” Small gesture. Huge impact. “People remember how you make them feel,” she says. “Even the most analytical candidates value connection.”
Reimagining Leadership for the Future
Looking ahead, Sim sees a shift: the definition of leadership is changing, especially in people and talent. The traditional "Chief People Officer" title may no longer reflect the breadth, nuance, and humanity needed in the next wave of leadership.
She’s betting on a new kind of leader one grounded in emotional intelligence, fluent in ambiguity, and committed to helping humans be better humans.
Machines are getting better at being machines. We have to get better at being human.
Leadership That Starts With Listening
Sim Lamb’s episode is a reminder that hiring isn’t just a process it’s a practice. One rooted in intention, shaped by values, and defined by how well we listen to others and to ourselves. Whether you’re a founder making your first exec hire, or a candidate considering your next chapter, Sim’s message is clear: do the work. Stay human. And build something that lasts.
This is what Dex believes in, too. Careers with purpose. Hiring with depth. Leadership that starts with empathy and ends in impact.
