High agency should mean taking useful action within real constraints. It does not mean bypassing approvals, ignoring colleagues or promising impossible deadlines. Assess the candidate’s decisions and follow-through, not how confidently they describe themselves.
Replace the label with observable behaviour
Ask what high agency would look like in your business next month. It could mean identifying why invoices stall, getting the right people together and implementing a workable fix. It should not mean changing payment terms without authority.
Broad employer research offers relevant context: the World Economic Forum’s 2025 skills outlook highlights analytical thinking, adaptability and leadership. That does not validate a personality label; it reinforces the need to assess specific capabilities.
Use a behavioural interview
Ask: “Tell me about a project that stalled when nobody had a clear owner.” Follow up with the original objective, the candidate’s actual authority, the first action they took and the result. Then ask what they tried that failed.
Listen for a sequence of decisions rather than a polished hero story. Strong evidence includes identifying a missing dependency, seeking approval when needed and returning with an alternative when the first route failed.
- What did you do personally rather than as a team?
- Which constraint did you initially underestimate?
- Who disagreed with you, and why?
- What happened after you handed the project over?
Use the same anchored scorecard
Score ownership, resourcefulness, judgment and follow-through separately. For ownership, a weak response avoids responsibility; a reasonable response clarifies the task and completes it; a strong response notices gaps, establishes ownership and closes the loop. Apply similarly explicit anchors to the other dimensions.
Write scores independently before the hiring panel discusses the candidate. Otherwise, one enthusiastic interviewer can influence everyone else’s recollection. Do not average away a serious judgment concern because communication was excellent.
Test action under ambiguity
Provide a fictional scenario: a launch is due next week, the sales and product teams disagree about readiness, and the founder is unavailable for two hours. Ask for a one-page action plan. There is no single perfect answer. Look for fact-finding, reversibility, prioritisation and a clear escalation threshold.
A candidate who pauses an irreversible external commitment while gathering information may show more agency than one who simply pushes ahead.
Avoid personality shortcuts
Extroversion, fluent English and long working hours are not proof of ownership. Give candidates time to structure their answers and accept evidence from different settings, including smaller companies or independent projects. Verify references with consent and ask about the same behaviours.
The goal is not to hire someone who always says yes. It is to hire someone who can turn uncertainty into responsible progress.
FounderSide’s practical editorial guidance for startup hiring and operations. Examples and assessment frameworks are illustrative, not reported client outcomes. Adapt them to your company’s stage and needs.
Define the role before you hire.
Talk to FounderSide about your Founder’s Office hiring mandate.
Start a conversation