As the dreary funding winter continues to soar, at e27, we are kickstarting a new article series Line of Hire to understand an organisation’s culture and hiring philosophies to empower tech workers with the right growth tools to enable business owners to attract talent.

Cheryl Liew is the Head of Talent at Monk’s Hill Ventures, a VC firm investing in early-stage tech companies, primarily Series A, in Southeast Asia. She is based in Singapore, works with portfolio companies on recruiting and scaling, and builds relationships to support existing and future entrepreneurs around the region.

Liew has over 20 years of talent acquisition, talent management and people operations experience across a variety of organisations and cultures, spanning financial services, technology and media.

She has a degree in Economics from Cambridge University and a Masters in East Asian Studies from Harvard University.

Liew discusses her company’s culture and hiring philosophies in this candid interview.

What personality traits/qualities do you look for in potential employees?

We look for people with the right motivations for wanting to join us — a genuine and deep interest in venture capital, enthusiasm for the surrounding ecosystem, and the desire to support founders and startups.

Cultural fit and an alignment with our company values are crucial: people who are authentic, curious, humble, self-aware and driven by the belief that technology can be a force for good.

How do they fit into your company culture? Tell us a little more about your Monk’s Hill Ventures’s culture.

We list our company values on our website. The key tenets are:

• Founders-first: Founders uplift the world. This is why we exist, to serve founders. We regard them with respect and humility at all times.
• ‍Curious: Driven by first principles, we always seek to learn and understand. We are unafraid to challenge the status quo and be bold.
• All-in: Our founders are all-in, and so are we. We strive to be the best versions of ourselves and bring out the same in others. We may vigorously agree or disagree, but we are committed once a decision is made.
• Responsible: We are responsible to ourselves, each other, and the world. We understand what we do impacts real lives at scale.
• Authentic: We are transparent and intellectually honest. We find the courage to speak our minds, always with positive intent and always with respect.

Also Read: We are all about keeping things simple, useful, fun: Cory Brown of Simplesat

How do you foster transparency and encourage achievement in the workplace?

Honest, open, direct conversations and communications are key to how we want to communicate within Monk’s Hill Ventures. A few ways we foster this:

• Managers have regular one-on-ones with their direct reports to discuss day-to-day work, career development, and goals. This is complemented by semi-annual performance reviews.
• Partners are readily available to meet with and mentor employees, regardless of whether they are on their direct team.
• We run semi-annual engagement surveys, where folks can weigh in honestly on how they feel about working at Monk’s Hill Ventures.
• Regular ‘Ask Me Anything’ sessions, where partners answer folks’ questions.
• We celebrate wins for everyone: this could be taking the time to do a quick shout-out to someone over Slack or WhatsApp, dropping individuals notes of appreciation, and highlighting accomplishments and promotions during our offsite.

Do you have a mental health policy? What does that look like?

We recognise that everyone has a life, family, relationships and responsibilities outside of work, and we aim to get to know each team member at a personal level. Coupled with the emphasis on open and honest communication, we ask employees to let their managers or the People team know if they are facing any personal challenges.

WFH or WFO, or hybrid?

Coming out of the pandemic, we put a lot of thought into what the optimal structure would be for us. We landed on a hybrid model and asked employees to work out of the office three days a week. We believe in the value of having our team interact and engage with each other face-to-face to build a sense of camaraderie, collaboration, and belonging.

Also Read: Keep learning and building relationships during funding winter: Richard Yan of Airwallex

At the same time, we recognise that people value flexibility, and we trust our employees to be self-motivated, responsible folks who can manage their time effectively.

How should a tech worker prepare for the funding winter?

Focus on your core skill sets and where you can add value to an organisation and articulate that succinctly and confidently.

Be flexible and open in thinking about growing and expanding your skill sets, understand your strengths and gaps, and always have a growth mindset in your career decisions.

How do you measure the performance of your employees at Monk’s Hill Ventures?

Monk’s Hill Ventures measures employee performance based on job competency and alignment with company values. A 360 review approach is implemented for every employee (regardless of seniority) where upward, downward and peer reviews are carried out to enable managers and reviewers to get well-rounded and useful feedback.

Will you consider a moderately skilled person with great honesty or a highly skilled person with less honesty when hiring?

No question that integrity is non-negotiable for us. If someone has the right fundamental skillsets coupled with the drive and desire to learn, we can coach and develop them.

Do you encourage ‘intrapreneurship’ in Monk’s Hill Ventures?

One of our company values is being curious. Each employee is given ownership and autonomy to find the best way to navigate through their work and contribute to the organisation’s success. We also encourage employees to learn about other functions and other departments.

How do you support upskilling for your employees?

We encourage employees to have a clear voice in how they would like to structure their career development and then expect managers to provide the necessary inputs and support to guide them along the journey. We also have a training budget set aside to support this initiative.

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