Bar-raising is the final stage of recruitment at Universe Group. Here we look at the candidate with a fresh, unbiased view and ask: will this person strengthen the team, and can we grow together? We focus not only on experience and skills, but also on the way a person thinks, their motivation, and cultural fit with Universe Group. It is a deep conversation about what kind of decisions the candidate makes, how they work with uncertainty, and what drives them.
The main goal of bar-raising is to reduce the risk of “false positive” offers and make sure that every new colleague not only fits in well, but also raises the bar. Bar-raising is conducted by bar-raisers — independent interviewers, usually not from the team that is hiring for the role. They are culture carriers who have been with the company for a long time and have solid experience in hiring and management. Their task is to look from the outside and help the hiring manager make an objective and balanced decision.
Many candidates are nervous before bar-raising because they don’t know what to expect. That’s why Recruitment & Operations Specialist Karina Beridze spoke with Universe Group bar-raisers to learn what they pay attention to and how to prepare.
Yaroslav Morozov, Founder & CEO, Universe Group
Yaroslav always pays attention to a few key things. The first is a positive attitude toward the world.
“We look for people who see opportunities, not just problems. If a person looks at work through the lens of ‘why it won’t work’, it will be hard for them to move things forward,” says Yaroslav.
The second important trait is proactivity. According to Yaroslav, this is what separates an executor from a driver of change. A proactive person always has something to show. It can be measurable results from their previous job, a description of a project or startup they developed. The main thing is that you can see the person takes action, not just completes tasks.
And one more quality without which it’s impossible to scale a team is self-awareness. A professional always understands how and why they achieved a result. If someone says, “I don’t know, I just got lucky”, that is a reason to think twice. We look for people who see the connection between actions and outcomes, who think in cause-and-effect terms.
“During bar-raising, I always notice when a candidate is truly interested in the position. It’s important to know what project you are joining, which role you will play in the team, and what value you will bring. Strong candidates come with a list of questions. That’s a signal that the person wants to dive into the processes, understands the context, and sees how their work will impact the shared goal,” Yaroslav adds.
Another piece of advice is to honestly assess your strengths and weaknesses. Go through your own experience and write down what you are genuinely proud of. And if you don’t have much experience yet — study the product, the team, the mission. Think about what value you can bring. Sometimes that alone is enough to make a strong impression.
Iryna Kraichyk, COO & Partner, Universe Group
At the bar-raising stage, we don’t talk about hard skills — we talk about thinking and values. That’s why Iryna always asks herself: is there anything in this person’s worldview that contradicts Universe Group’s values? Because cultural misfit will always show up later, and then it will be more painful for everyone.
She also pays attention to the logic behind the candidate’s life decisions: why they changed companies, how they explain their mistakes, and whether they take responsibility.
“I look at what guided the person when they chose their education, their first job, why they moved from one company to another. I listen to how they explain their reasons. Do they admit their mistakes, draw conclusions, and are able to talk about it honestly?
I don’t focus on whether their choices were ‘right’ or ‘wrong’, but on whether they were logical and well-grounded at that time. Many people had turns ‘in the wrong direction’, but if a person can explain why they made that step and what they learned from it — that is very important,” Iryna says.
What can ruin the impression is fear and lack of honesty. When a person tries to say “what’s expected”, not what they really think. Hiring is a two-way agreement, where openness and honesty are the foundation of satisfaction on both sides. If you don’t know something, it’s better to say “I don’t know” honestly. That is what maturity looks like.
To make it easier for candidates to prepare for bar-raising, Iryna put together a short checklist:
The first and basic thing you should do is understand where and why you are going.
Analyze your life choices. Reflect on why you chose this education, why you joined this company, why you quit.
Think about your ambitions and don’t be afraid to talk about them. This doesn’t mean that a junior must say “I want to be a CEO”, but it’s important to have healthy ambitions and a plan.
Ask yourself “why” more often. What do you want? Why do you want exactly this? Why don’t you have it yet? This trains self-reflection.
Fedir Kotiai, CEO, FORMA
For Fedir, bar-raising is a chance to look at a candidate from a different angle. This conversation is conducted by an experienced hiring manager who knows how to see things others might miss. After the talk, the bar-raiser shares their recommendations, but the final decision stays with the hiring manager for the position.
Every time, Fedir focuses on different aspects. Sometimes it’s cultural fit, and sometimes specific soft skills, like analytical thinking. In the FORMA team, the bar-raiser always knows in advance the candidate’s strengths, risks and expectations. This makes the interview more focused.
“Bar-raising is not an exam and not a test you need to pass ‘perfectly’. It’s just a conversation. People often come very tense, because it feels like their entire future depends on this. But after about ten minutes, things get calmer. The main thing is to be open. If you are already talking about yourself — talk to the point, deeply, not with surface phrases.
We understand people quite well, so if you want to hide something, it’s better to frame it honestly as your weak spot than to pretend it doesn’t exist,” says Fedir.
Bohdan Zhytnyk, CEO Wisey
For Bohdan, bar-raising is first of all a values check. It’s the moment when a more experienced manager looks at the candidate not only through the lens of skills, but through the lens of culture, approach to work, and inner drive.
“If a person has reached this stage, it means they are already strong technically. Here it’s more important to understand how much they are ‘on the same wavelength’ with the team — in vision, priorities, speed of thinking,” says Bohdan.
Unlike an interview with the hiring manager, bar-raising has a shifted focus: it is more about motivation, ambitions and value fit between the candidate and the team. Bohdan often starts with a question about what is currently a priority for the person, what they live by, what drives them. For him, this is a way to see how focused the candidate is, how interested they are in growth, and whether they can think in terms of results.
The evaluation is based not only on answers, but also on context: how a person describes their path, why they changed companies, what they were looking for in new roles. It’s important for him to understand the nature of motivation — what actually makes this person act: ambition, self-realization, desire to have impact. If this becomes clear and feels genuine, the puzzle comes together.
An important part of success at bar-raising is honesty and self-reflection. The best preparation is to give yourself an honest answer about what truly matters to you, which values resonate with you and why.
“This is not about selling yourself,” he adds. “It’s about understanding whether we are a good match for each other. Strong results are only possible where a person is genuinely interested in what they are doing.”
Rita Havryliuk, CMO, Guru Apps
For Universe Group bar-raisers, it’s important not only what a person knows, but how they think. Rita says she is always alarmed by indifference. For example, when a candidate is not interested in what they are doing in their current or previous role, shows no passion or desire to constantly learn. Even worse is when stories contradict each other or the person focuses only on the negative.
Real drive, on the other hand, is felt when the conversation turns into an exchange of ideas. When a candidate talks with energy about past projects, honestly shares what they want to improve, and is even willing to risk proposing bold solutions. One such case stayed with Rita:
“A candidate came with their own analysis of Universe Group’s creative strategy and suggestions for improvement. That was the moment when you think — here is a person who thinks like a partner.”
So, bar-raising is not about “passing an exam” — it’s a choice made by both sides. We want to understand whether together we can create an environment with room for growth, responsibility, and mutual reinforcement.
There are no “right” answers here. There is only the candidate’s honesty, our values — and a shared vision of the future. And if these things match, it’s a good start to something much bigger than just a job offer.
