We hire individuals, but we need them to succeed as a team. Why chemistry matter
By Oliver Bradley · November 10, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
We hire individuals, but we need them to succeed as a team.
Why chemistry matters to us at Neem and what gets overlooked
I’d define the three Cs of HIRING this way:
Character: Can I trust you to do the right thing when no one is looking?
Competence: Can you do the work, are you skilled at it?
Chemistry: Can we do good work together, including when we disagree?
Oliver MacPherson raises a point about team chemistry that is often poorly defined. The useful question isn’t “Will they agree with us?” but “Can we disagree constructively?”
We should never hire "yes people" but people who know their own mind, AND can disagree constructively.