What should you look for when hiring? Whether you are looking to hire an entry level employee or an experienced CEO like Patrick Imbardelli here are some tips on how to hire the best team regardless of your industry.
Attitude
Attitude is something that cannot be taught. Look at your candidate’s work history, what kind of jobs have they had? Even if they are applying as a job as an accountant if have spent time in the military or onboard a fishing boat, there is a good chance they will have a positive work attitude. Also the ability to work their way up from entry-level positions is a good sign of attitude as well as aptitude. So don’t just look at there position at past employers look at were they started and where they finished. If you see they spent 4 years as a cashier that will not be as impressive if they started as cashier and ended as a shift manager. If others saw potential in this candidate, chances are you will too!
Problem Solving
Nearly all positions benefit from someone who is a problem solver. Even if the role seems pretty straight forward someone with a mind for problem solving may be able to point out solutions and time saving techniques others never have though of. Critical thinking and problem solving is a hard thing to teach so it’s important to see if your potential higher has these skills already. One way to do this is through high intensity tests that companies such as Google give new hires. A simpler way is to call the candidates’ references and ask them “Has he/she ever solved problems without asking?” or “Did he/she ever improve a process without being asked?” These are just a couple questions that can help determine if the person you are interviewing has the ability to solve problems.
Team Player
Often when people say “team player” they really mean will the person take orders without questions. This is not what you should be looking for in a team player. You want to hire someone who works well within in the team but also actively participates in the team. Being a team player means you will not only listen to those around you but you will provide feedback, ideas, and constructive criticism. Having good social skills is also key. This is often stressed only when the position calls for dealing with customers or clients, often social skills are overlooked when hiring more internal facing roles. When dealing with technology or other learned skills, it is office more beneficial to hire someone who is a great communicator and show them the ropes than hire someone who already knows the technology but is not a team player. Remember it’s a lot easier to teach technical skills than social ones.
We hope this tips will help you next time its time to hire someone new at your organization, remember to look for employees who will pay off in the long-term and everyone will benefit.
