How Leading Multistrat Hedge Funds Hire with Ethan Kho from Odds on Open

How Leading Multistrat Hedge Funds Hire with Ethan Kho from Odds on Open

From Searching Smarter by Selby Jennings | Phaidon International

January 14, 2026 · 50 min · Season 1 · Episode 32

About this episode

This episode discusses the hiring strategies of leading multistrat hedge funds with guest Ethan Kho.

Getting a foot in the door at the largest multistrat hedge funds has always been one of the highest barriers to entry in finance. And that bar is only getting higher. That’s why in this week’s episode of the Searching Smarter podcast, we’re doing something a little different. Our host, Jesse Skaff joins Ethan Kho as a guest on Ethan’s trading and investing podcast Odds on Open, for a conversation on what’s really driving hiring decisions within multistrat hedge funds. This is a must-listen for anyone interested in hedge fund careers, talent strategy, or the future of buy-side hiring. Covered in this episode: 00:00 - Intro 1:03 - How top multi-manager hedge hire the best talent possible. 04:50 - Why elite hedge funds target the top academic institutions. 07:52 - Why hedge funds spend hundreds of millions recruiting. 12:45 - The core differentiator between candidates. 16:30 - How recruiters identify the candidates for them. 21:38 - Structural trends that are shaping hedge fund hiring. 24:58 - Why hedge funds are expanding beyond New York. 26:10 - How hedge funds convince talent to relocate. 28:54 - The personality traits you need to thrive at a hedge fund. 31:43 - Predicting future…

People in this episode

Host: Jesse Skaff

Guest: Ethan Kho

Topics covered

  • hedge fund hiring
  • talent strategy
  • finance careers
  • recruitment trends
  • multistrat hedge funds

Keywords

  • hedge funds
  • hiring decisions
  • talent acquisition
  • finance careers
  • recruitment
  • New York
  • academic institutions

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Odds on Open, multistrat hedge funds, hedge funds, finance, buy-side

Places: New York

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