How IT company CEOs from Central Asia choose employees and build their teams

Laura Eralieva, city — Almaty, founder and CEO Yaya, @llaucam

Team selection depends on the position and role. If a candidate is being considered for a C-level position, compromises are not acceptable. First and foremost, the candidate’s values, professional background, and case studies are evaluated. Practical experience applicable to a similar field is important. A mandatory requirement is experience in IT sectors, as there is no time for training or retraining; all tasks require quick execution.

For leadership and team lead positions, candidates at the middle+ and senior levels are considered. People without experience are not accepted. For junior positions, those who are ready to learn and grow with the team are suitable. In such cases, training is provided, a probation period is established, and time is given for adaptation. If the person succeeds, they become part of the team. The approach is based on the principle: “teach, heal, eliminate” — first training, then correction, and if there is no result, parting ways. This approach eliminates toxicity and ensures the selection of A or B-level employees.

Additionally, feedback is collected from managers at previous workplaces to ensure positive recommendations. The interview, training, the candidate’s basic values, and their practical cases are evaluated.

Daniyar Dzhumanazarov, city — Bishkek, CEO Geeks Academy, @danjumanazar

1. There are no former geeks. We build long-term relationships with every employee and client and adhere to the golden rule: Clients/Employees = Geeks for life. We are always ready to help geeks, within our capabilities.

2. Win-win. In conversation, we are attentive to each other’s needs, flexible, and know how to step out of familiar frameworks to find solutions that are comfortable for all parties.

3. Show initiative. As Steve Jobs said: “It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do; we hire smart people so that they can tell us what to do.” We sincerely share this approach and strive to apply it every day.

4. We work for results. Result-oriented thinking is the ability to think measurably, formulate clear goals, plan your time, initiate necessary actions, and take responsibility for achieving your goals. In the team, we do not control every move of an employee but evaluate the result obtained.

5. Openness. We believe that the success of the team depends on the ability to listen and hear each other, on openness to new ideas and viewpoints. With both clients and teammates, we remain open to new ideas and study the needs of others. We know how to conduct an open dialogue in a professional manner, without hiding or accumulating dissatisfaction, clarifying the situation with pleasant words.

6. Radiate positivity. What you think and talk about is what you attract into your life! Learn to reframe, eliminate pity and complaints, and transmit a positive attitude to others! Instead of talking about a problem and becoming part of it, be part of the solution and offer changes!

7. Cohesion and mutual assistance. Behind every success is teamwork and mutual understanding. We know that one person is not a warrior in the field; only together can we achieve goals. We put the interests of the team above our own and believe that within the framework of achieving company goals, we will achieve our personal ones. The more people you personally help, the more people will respond to your request for help.

8. We create an ecosystem. We do not leave students with just knowledge; we create good conditions so that students can become in-demand professionals. These conditions include mentoring support, a coworking zone, the opportunity to complete an internship, and access to other resources.

9. Persistence in achieving goals. We adhere to the rule “go smart or go hard,” which means that an IT profession can be mastered either by brains or by nerdiness. The only question in becoming a professional is how persistent you are.

10. We value labor. Behind every result is its executor with their life experience.

Bakhyt Kudaibergenov, city — Almaty, Founder & CEO «Nedvizhka.kz» | «AvtoVsyo», @bakhyt_k

1. Unified vision. It is important that every team member shares our vision and understands the ultimate goal of the project.

2. Strengths and synergy. I believe that in a strong team, a balance of different competencies is important. Everyone brings unique value, and the leader’s task is to assemble a team where individual talents complement each other.

3. Proactivity. A candidate must show an active position. Most great ideas and solutions are born in an atmosphere of proactivity and initiative. This quality is important both at the recruitment stage and in daily work.

4. Responsibility. This quality is difficult to identify during the interview stage, but during the probation period, it becomes clear how ready a person is to take responsibility for their actions and results. For us, this is one of the key factors.

5. Knowledge and professionalism. We expect that the candidate possesses the necessary knowledge for their role, but we also value the willingness to learn and develop. It is important not only current mastery but also the potential for its growth.

6. Culture of openness and trust. I create conditions where everyone can freely share ideas, ask questions, and receive feedback. Transparency and respect are the foundation of our team.

Ozodamo Faromuz, city — Dushanbe, CEO ilmhona, @faromozodamo

Initially, it is important to correctly compile the duties and job description to filter out unsuitable candidates at this stage. The more detailed the description, the easier it is to attract suitable people. Next, at the first stage, a phone interview takes place: I get to know the candidate, ask a few questions, and suggest choosing a convenient time for the interview. This helps assess how organized and punctual the candidate is.

During the interview, questions are divided into technical and cultural. Technical questions are related to the tasks of this position. Since the organization is young, we do not require high-class specialists for all positions, but it is important to understand what experience the candidate has, what they have encountered, and what they are ready to learn.

I also assess how informed the candidate is about the company. If a person has not familiarized themselves with our activities, this is already a minus. Someone who has prepared and even offered ideas will be perceived as initiative and proactive — this is valued in our team.

Then I ask about their vision and mission, as well as what is important to the candidate in work. If our visions align, we most often invite such a person to the team. For us, character, ambition, and the desire for development are important. Knowledge can be acquired, but attitude towards work and compatibility with the team are critically important.

For some positions, we conduct test assignments, for others — we give the opportunity to complete an internship. During the internship, the candidate’s progress is tracked, and if the results are good, we offer them permanent employment.

Overall, we adhere to an approach that divides questions into technical and cultural, evaluates the candidate’s soft skills and internal motivation, and checks for value alignment. We never hire a person just to fill a vacancy — we look for someone who perfectly fits our team.

Yana Shoybekova, city — Almaty, CEO Citix, @yana_shoi

I don’t need people in high positions who need to be told what to do. I want them to propose solutions themselves, help achieve better results, and be significantly smarter and more creative than me. Unfortunately, so-called “gypsies” are increasingly encountered who beautifully explain how everything should be done, what they can do, and how they will solve problems. It sounds logical and rational, but in reality, the opposite happens — they simply know nothing or their productivity is zero. The worst thing is the waste of time, energy, and money. C2-level employees and above go through a test environment, but this does not always guarantee results.

Overall, I like working with junior specialists — they are young, brave, have a lot of untapped potential, and often pleasantly surprise. There are cases where they do much more and better than those who position themselves as experienced specialists. Therefore, I always pay attention to talent. It is important to me how a person looks, how they are dressed, how neat they are, what their gaze is like, and what energy radiates from them. And only then do I listen to what and how they speak, how they think. I always feel how “one of us” they are and what benefit they can bring to the project, even if they differ from our usual approaches.

Currently, like any growing company, we are going through a transformational crisis. These are natural costs of growth, and we are coping with them. However, it was difficult at first when people came into our team who broke and ruined what we had so carefully built without feeling, or treated the matter with complete indifference. Such behavior is unacceptable for us.