How We Find, Recruit, and Keep the Top 0.1% of Talent at Carmoola

We’re building something special at Carmoola. Not only are we revolutionising car finance, but we’re creating an amazing experience for our customers that’s seamless, fast, and transparent. But behind every great product, there’s a team of exceptional people.

To build something truly world-class, we need world-class talent. We need the people that are in the top 0.1% in their field. This isn’t just nice to have; it’s a fundamental principle of how we operate. Every hire raises the bar, strengthens our culture, and fuels our growth.

Hiring the best isn’t just about filling roles, it's about finding people who think differently and thrive in an environment where impact is valued more than tenure. We’re deliberate, selective, and uncompromising in our approach because we believe that great people want to work with great people.

Here’s how we find, recruit, and retain the top 0.1%.

Finding the Best Talent 🕵️

Instead of waiting for the right candidates to come to us, we actively hunt for the best. Our own networks are often our strongest source of talent, tapping into people we’ve worked with before and trust. Investor referrals are another key source, as we’re backed by some of the best investors in the industry who have deep networks of top-tier talent.

We encourage our team to refer people they’ve worked with before who they know are A-players. If someone exceptional wants to bring in someone equally as good, we listen. Additionally, we look at businesses that we know have similar cultures to ours, like Capital One, Revolut, Lendable, and a few others. If someone has thrived in those environments, they’ll likely thrive here too.

We also partner with highly selective recruiters who recognise our high standards. And for those who apply directly - through Workable or other inbound channels - we scrutinise every application just as if we had headhunted them ourselves. 

Some things we look for: 

• Minimum of three years with the companies they’ve worked for
• Multiple promotions during that time 
• Roles at companies where we think the culture is a close fit to ours
• Style of language, evidence of an over-reliance on AI, and typos on their CV

Recruiting the Top 0.1% 🦸

Once we find potential A-players, we don’t interview, we assess. We’ve built a rigorous process to ensure we’re hiring thinkers, doers, and game-changers, not just people who interview well.

The process starts with a quick 30-minute call to understand their background, motivation, and potential fit. If that goes well, we move to a one hour face-to-face meeting where we dive deeper into how they think, not just what they say. 

If they make it though this stage they are normally invited back for a case study that’s treated as a mock project of sorts. We have developed our own case studies for different parts of the business. 

Cultural fit is equally important, so shortlisted candidates meet key team members to ensure there’s alignment. If they pass all these stages, we make an offer -  one that gives them a choice between a salary-heavy or options-heavy package - allowing them to pick what aligns best with their long-term goals. It enables people to take a risk-based approach and choose what's important to them. During all the stages we keep a score card from everyone involved in the process, rating across different variables. 

We always do deep-dive reference checks before making a final decision. A-players have a track record, and we verify it. Our hiring process isn’t easy, and that’s by design. The people who thrive here are the ones who enjoy being challenged and want to be surrounded by others who push them to be better.

Keeping the Best People 🏃‍➡️

Hiring A-players is just the first step. Keeping them engaged, challenged, and growing is where the real work begins.We'll be the first to admit that we haven’t always gotten it right.

We’ve made mistakes. We’ve hired people who looked great on paper but weren’t the right fit in practice. We’ve kept people longer than we should have, hoping things would improve. And sometimes, we’ve been too slow to act when we knew deep down that someone wasn’t at the level we needed. Every mistake has been a lesson, and those lessons have shaped how we build our team today.

The best teams stay great by ensuring they’re always working with the best. Mediocrity is contagious, it drags down standards, slows execution, and frustrates the people who are truly exceptional. That’s why we’re relentless about only hiring and keeping A-players. If we ever find someone slipping into B or C territory, we address it quickly. That doesn’t always mean letting people go -  it means giving clear feedback, setting expectations, and providing the opportunity to improve. But if it’s clear someone isn’t going to get there, we act fast.

Performance reviews at Carmoola aren’t just a box-ticking exercise. Every quarter, we assess performance based on values, goals, and impact, not just effort or tenure. Career progression here isn’t about who builds the biggest team or who’s been around the longest, it’s about contribution. The bigger the impact someone makes, the faster they grow.

We support our people to keep developing, whether through mentorship, challenging projects, or external learning opportunities. The vision for our team is always evolving, and we frequently ask ourselves: if we could build our dream team from scratch today, would this person still be on it? If the answer is no, we have to ask ourselves why, and what needs to change.

Building a high-performance team isn’t easy. It requires hard decisions, constant reflection, and the courage to admit when something isn’t working. Our approach is simple but uncompromising: keep the bar high, and don’t let it slip. We owe that to our team, our customers, and the mission we’re building towards.

Final Thoughts: Why This Matters 🫶

Carmoola isn’t just another startup. We’re building incredible products and customer experiences, and that requires a team of exceptional individuals.

This is why we spend so much time, effort, and energy on hiring. Because great businesses aren’t built by average teams. They’re built by the top 0.1% - the thinkers, the doers, and the relentless game-changers.

Psst! Does Carmoola sound like your sort of company? If so, browse our open roles.