Parent Post
Hiring the right people
Hiring the right people is extremely hard.
Not only is the market tightly constrained — especially for tech companies, but the unwritten rules for how to hire are often plain wrong.
With more candidates who “look good on paper” going on to flounder at startups, it’s time to rethink what qualities actually make someone a great employee.
Here are seven characteristics that, taken together, best translate into someone killing it at their job. These traits transcend department or career stage, and they apply to entry-level engineers and marketing executives alike.
POLISH Throughout your interview
POLISH
Throughout your interview process, look for authentic, confident expression in all forms, from the candidate’s body language or posture to their written and spoken communication.
What to ask
Polish is equal parts what candidates say and how they say it, so be sure you’re considering both. How do they conduct themselves when they interject? Do they send a thoughtful thank you note following your conversation? Do they communicate gracefully and efficiently, saying whip-smart things in the fewest words possible?
GRITStartups are as fast-paced
GRIT
Startups are as fast-paced as they are nebulous. In the modern workplace, it’s not unusual for hires to be the first to hold newly created positions without clear mandates. They need to be able to figure it out while going a hundred miles a minute.
What to ask
Look for a time the candidate wanted something so badly, they were unstoppable in pursuing it. Or a time they overcame an obstacle. As you listen to the answers to those questions, pay close attention to both the tasks and the duration described. “Try to get a sense of how long that person can stick it out. How long are they going to beat their head against a stats problem?”
A history of persevering through mind-numbing boredom can be one of the most valuable predictors of strong performance.
OWNERSHIPSuccessful professionals are the
OWNERSHIP
Successful professionals are the ones who make lemonade out of lemons — not the ones who dwell on those frustrations. And a positive attitude, while crucial, isn’t enough. You’re looking for people who take the initiative to fix their problems and move forward fast.
“The right candidate makes no time for blame or fault. Ownership fosters a ‘We’ culture, not an ‘I’ culture. Listen to how often they use those words respectively.
What to ask
To “test” for this in an interview, you actually need to tempt candidates into feeling sorry for themselves (as strange as that sounds). “You want to ask about a time they experienced an injustice, and then empathize with the unfairness.
You say, ‘Are you kidding? That’s crazy. What a jerk.’ Owners will immediately respond with something like, ‘Yeah, but I recognized it wasn’t worth my time to complain about it.’ They won’t buy in and double down on venting or complaining.
RIGORData, and the tools
RIGOR
Data, and the tools we use to get it, are multiplying. And that’s great news — but numbers in a vacuum are meaningless. “It’s true in every single job, from entry-level to the executive suite: you need to be analytical and data driven and exhaustive.
Rigor refers to a candidate’s ability to take in evidence, integrate information from multiple sources, derive meaning from it, and make critical decisions quickly.
What to ask
In many ways, this is the easiest trait to test. For more technical roles, you can even build a timed Excel test with some practice problems or logic tests. Otherwise, case-style questions will do the trick. “Ask candidates to tell you about a time they used data to make a decision. Look for details about the complexity of the data and how the thinking happened, rather than focusing on the right answer.
CURIOSITYThis trait carries a
CURIOSITY
This trait carries a lot of punch and is an excellent indicator of a whole range of other qualities you want to hire into your company: Empathy, creativity, innovation, the ability to learn quickly — they all spring from curiosity.
What to ask
Start by asking a prospective hire the last thing they really geeked out about. It doesn’t have to be work-related—in fact, it may be better if it’s not.
And never wrap up an interview without the deceptively simple “Do you have any other questions for me?” This may actually be one of the most telling exchanges of your interview. “If they don’t, then they better have already asked you plenty of things along the way,”
“If a candidate has no questions, that’s a bad sign. At the very least, they should ask questions about the individual interviewer, showing they’ve done their research and know what the person in front of them can teach or offer.”
IMPACTLeaders need to know
IMPACT
Leaders need to know that everyone on the team understands the company’s goals and is structuring their work to achieve them. You want to find people who can think deeply about their roles — people who have advanced understanding of how their work connects to their coworkers’ and the company at large — and organize their priorities to drive business value in the right ways.
What to ask
Have your candidate tell you about a time they had a measurable (read: quantitative) impact on a job or an organization. For example, were they responsible for generating revenue or recruiting X new teammates or doubling the number of people reached.
Ask about a person or organization that the candidate admires, and why they think that person or organization has made an important impact. “You’re looking for signs that the candidate understands the larger picture, and that they can speak to the importance of making trade-offs and prioritizing appropriately.”
TEAMWORK“There are no dark
TEAMWORK
“There are no dark corners in organizations anymore,” Hamilton says. Cross-functional teams are the norm, and as companies and industries become increasingly global and transparent, the desire to create a more diverse workforce will only grow stronger.
Professionals who are able to understand different social styles are the key ingredient of a healthy, collaborative team. Look for candidates who know their own strengths and weaknesses, and can empathize with others — the hallmark of empathy and high EQ.
What to ask
Your questions here can be straightforward: When working on a team, what’s hardest for you? What about a time you worked on a difficult team? What was your role and experience? What makes you happiest and most effective when working with others?
Another trick is to filter these questions through the lens of a candidate’s friends or family — that is, ask what a candidate’s best friends would cite as their key strengths and weaknesses.
“People are more honest that way. It’s much better than asking their weaknesses directly.”
