Companies are often ready to pay top dollar for the best and the brightest employees. But what happens when a talented candidate isn't a fit with a company's culture?
The best way forward is to say no to them — even if those decisions are extremely difficult to make, according to the co-founder of Southeast Asian start-up Grab.
Grab started five years ago in Malaysia as a local version of ride-sharing giant Uber. Since then, the company carved out its target market in 132 cities across Southeast Asia. It is considered to be one of the biggest start-ups in the region and according to CB Insights, Grab's latest valuation stands at $6 billion.
Today the company provides private car, motorbike, taxi, carpooling and other ride-hailing services. Last year, it moved into payments and earlier this month, Grab expanded that service in Singapore.
Grab co-founder Tan Hooi Ling shared with CNBC what she learned in the five years she spent helping to build the start-up from scratch.
The most important lesson Tan learned is to hire people who fit well with the company's culture and values, even if that means turning down other talented potential candidates.