The Warm and Fluffy Test: Hiring People Who Communicate and Adapt

During my time scaling a start-up, I interviewed over 1,500 people and hired around 200. Every candidate went through a rigorous screening process before the face-to-face interview. This showed me just how hard it is to find great people – and why hiring is one of the most important responsibilities of any manager.

For roles connected to agility, leadership, or management, I ran a simple (and non-scientific) exercise I called the Warm and Fluffy Test.

I have a bit of a bugbear with modern management. It’s trendy for managers to:

• Let people do whatever they want (great engagement scores, but the culture tanks).
• Let teams work on whatever interests them (sometimes not contributing to the business).
• Avoid giving feedback about poor behaviours (Google “toxic workplace” and you’ll see what I mean).

The opposite approach – command and control – doesn’t work either. People must be treated like, well, people.

So, in interviews, I would draw a horizontal line on the whiteboard. At one end I wrote: “Do it my way”. At the other: “Warm and fluffy” – the happy-go-lucky, do-what-you-want extreme.

I’d ask candidates to mark where they sit on the scale in terms of personal communication in the workplace.

What surprised me was how honest people were. Many avoided the, presumably, safe middle ground and openly explained why they chose their spot. They described how it shaped their work and interactions.

The best candidates, though, did something special. They marked their natural preferences but explained they could move up and down the scale when needed. That flexibility is the real skill – a micro-test of communication, empathy, and adaptability.

I put communication above everything else when hiring and building teams. It enables psychological safety, helps solve problems, and fosters engaging cultures where people get results without damaging relationships.

A person’s ability to flex along the Warm and Fluffy scale shows they understand how crucial relating and communicating with others is.

But in interviews, we can only scratch the surface. The real test is seeing whether candidates’ flexibility is genuine – and that comes down to behavioural evidence.

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Why Flexing Matters

Our natural response isn’t always the right one at work. To communicate effectively, we must:

• Read other people
• Understand context
• Adjust our approach

It also requires behaviours we can sustain, and the energy to maintain them. The more we practice, the more instinctive it becomes.

Managing this internally takes effort. Pausing before reacting, processing the situation, and choosing the right response is hard work. But it’s essential. Without it, we struggle with certain teams, lose control of situations, or create toxic environments.

The Best Communicators

Top performers understand when to move along the scale. They build strong relationships, balance being effective with being liked, and care about people while still achieving business results.

Good managers do the same. They flex when necessary, coach others to do the same, and hire people who can communicate effectively.

When you get this right:

• Business results improve
• Staff engagement rises
• Workplaces become enriching
• Management becomes easier

Communication isn’t just about talking – it’s about listening, adapting, and relating. The Warm and Fluffy Test is a simple reminder that the best people can flex, connect, and deliver.