
James Walton
9 Qualities of a Quality Hire
Updated: Mar 16, 2021
We've already discussed that in most cases, hiring for character and training for skill is an effective way to go. (If however, you need to understand how a person's experience and skills will advance your organization, here's the most effective way to determine that.) But what characteristics, exactly, should you be looking out for? Numerous examples of such lists exist, and strong arguments for the validity of each can be made. We've already offered a simple "who we are and who we're not" rubric to screen for the culture you want in your organization. Recently, I was reading The Talent War which outlined the nine foundational character attributes of high-potential individuals. They are:
Drive - the need for success and constant desire for fresh achievement
Resiliency - bounces back from stress quickly, resists quitting and finishes goals
Adaptability - ability to adjust behavior to what the situation requires
Humility - a willing learner, maintains accurate self-awareness and seeks out feedback
Integrity - understands what is legal and right and aligns their actions and words with both
Effective intelligence - the ability to solve problems when a ‘book solution’ is not available; the ability to apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios
Team-ability - the ability to function within a team, resists a “Rambo” mentality
Curiosity - able to explore the unknown and question the status quo in pursuit of better
Emotional strength - positive attitude, high empathy and emotional control in high-stress situations
If you're looking to hire, you can't go wrong to focus on character. These 9 traits will help you focus your search.
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