HR Leaders The Culture Architect: Scaling People, Culture & Leadership
Jun 19, 2025
In this discussion, Alexander Nicolaus, Chief People Officer at Paysend and author of Startup Culture, shares insights on intentionally designing company culture for scaling success. He reveals why behavior-based hiring surpasses traditional resumes and discusses how early culture building is crucial to avoid issues later. Topics include the importance of empathy in leadership, the 'bar raiser' hiring approach for high-performing teams, and how equity distribution can align employee performance with company growth. Nicolaus emphasizes fostering a growth mindset to prevent burnout and enhance collaboration.
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From Corporate to Startup HR
- Alexander shifted from corporate to startups to accelerate his HR career and diversify skills.
- His startup journey included roles at Grab, Circles Life, and Paysend with increasing leadership responsibility.
Effective Global Listening Tour
- Go on a listening tour focusing on sites with biggest challenges first.
- Use digital tools alongside visits to maximize effectiveness and manage time.
Lean Team Drives Billion-Dollar Goal
- Limiting headcount to 500 forces PaySend to hire only top performers.
- This lean approach drives a goal of $1 billion revenue with a highly efficient team.