Recruitment Like Field Research – What the Costa Rican Jungle Taught Me About Finding the Right People

Author: Zofia Pisańska

When I sat in the tropical rain in the middle of the Costa Rican jungle, watching a colony of leafcutter ants build their complex tunnels, I never imagined that this moment would shape how I recruit people at Smart People.

The Organizational Ecosystem: One Wrong Developer Can Disrupt the Whole System

In the jungle, every species has its role. Take away the jaguar, and the capybaras multiply too fast. Introduce an invasive plant, and local plants begin to die. It's simple but serious: one wrong element can create unpredictable problems.

The same is true in IT projects. A developer who can't work well with others isn’t just a "difficult person" — they can reduce the team's performance, cause conflicts that reach management, and delay project delivery. And that costs real money.

That’s why we don’t hire “rockstars” or “lone wolves.” We look for experts who know that their personal success depends on the success of the whole team.

KPIs as Signs of a Healthy Team

Biodiversity in the jungle isn’t just about the number of species — it’s about how stable and resistant the ecosystem is to changes. A recruitment team can also be very diverse, but without balance and self-regulation, that diversity turns into chaos.

That’s where KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) help. They're not just rigid metrics — they’re like natural balancing tools. Clear goals and measurable outcomes help each team member understand their role and see how they’re contributing to the project's success.

That’s why our KPI-based outsourcing model works. We don’t create unnecessary rules, but we set up clear systems where people can grow and clients stay in control.

Natural Selection: Business vs. Nature

Darwin probably didn’t think his ideas would apply to office life — but they do. In both the jungle and business, only the best-adapted survive.

The difference? Nature takes thousands of years to evolve. In business, we have only a few months. So we can’t afford to make bad hires or wait too long for someone to adapt. Everyone we place in a client team has to deliver results fast and be ready to change with the environment.

Symbiosis vs. Parasitism: Two Ways to Collaborate

In nature, there are two basic relationships:

• Symbiosis – both sides benefit.
• Parasitism – one side benefits while the other suffers.

In outsourcing, this difference is critical. We can be symbiotic partners — experts who not only do the work but help the client grow, share knowledge, and improve processes. Or we can be just “resources” — following orders, without really improving the system.

At Smart People, we choose the symbiotic model. Our teams aren’t just "loaned out" — they become part of the client’s structure and are fully responsible for the results.

Why Good Recruiters Should Think Like Anthropologists

In the jungle, sitting in the rain for hours, I learned to observe without judging — to see patterns, behavior, and reactions without rushing to conclusions.

That’s now a key skill in my recruitment process. I don’t look for perfect answers in interviews. I watch how candidates think, solve problems, and react to challenges.

Because we’re not hiring resumes — we’re hiring people who will work in complex, fast-moving projects for months. We need to know how they behave, not just what they say.

Organizational Microclimates: Why One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Every part of the jungle has its own “microclimate”: different humidity, temperature, and light. This affects which species can live there.

It’s the same with companies. A senior consultant might love the chaos of a startup but feel lost in a large, structured corporation. A fast-moving engineer might get frustrated in a slow, bureaucratic organization.

That’s why we don’t look for “the best” candidates. We look for the right match — people whose skills and working style fit our client’s environment.

Talent Management as Evolution

Evolution isn’t a straight line — it’s full of small experiments, constant changes, and learning what works.

We use the same idea in managing talent. Instead of planning someone’s whole career from the start, we focus on constant feedback, small improvements, and adjusting roles as project needs change.

That’s what our KPI-driven model is all about: living, flexible systems that grow and change with our clients.

Conclusion: From Bug-Watcher to Team Builder

In the jungle, I learned that the most successful systems share three things: clear rules, measurable outcomes, and self-regulation.

I use those same ideas now when building teams for Workday, SuccessFactors, and payroll projects. Every recruitment is like designing a small ecosystem — connecting talent, process, and business goals into one working system.

Because in the jungle or in business, the teams that succeed are the ones that can measure progress, adapt to change, and balance personal ambition with team success.

Sometimes, all it takes is one perfectly matched developer — and the whole project starts working like a Swiss watch.

Just like the ants taught me: true power lies in working together.