One of the biggest decisions a new, or even old, leader will make is who to hire and bring onto their team.
Few people understand how important hiring the right person is. They lack the insight to realize bringing the wrong person onto the team can damage the culture of the organization.
Image via Creative Commons
But don’t fear faithful reader, there’s something you can do when it’s time to bring someone new onto your team. It’s not easy and it’s going to take work but it’s well worth it.
So, what can you do to make a wise decision in the hiring process? I believe heeding the follow advice will help you in this leadership task.
Look for passion: Steve Jobs had it right when it came to hiring. He said in a Fortune interview that competence is the ante but the real issue was “Are they going to fall in love with Apple? Because if they fall in love with Apple, everything else will take care of itself.”
When you find someone who has passion for your organization, crazy cool things begin to happen. These people begin to look out for the organization. They begin to promote the organization. They begin doing what’s best for the organization.
Look for someone who’s willing to get in over their head: Risk-takers can move organizations forward quicker than any other person on the team. Risk-takers are looking for a big break and aren’t afraid to risk it.
You want a risk-taker or two on your team. They’ll be the ones who help push you to take a risk (and you have to make sure it’s a calculated risk).
Taking a risk or two is great for your organization. Be ready to look for someone who will help you be a risk-taker.
Look for those who do great work: People who will get the job done are a dime a dozen. They’re everywhere. And it’s that way for a reason.
The people you really want to bring into your organization are the ones who do great work. So begin looking for them.
Look at their previous work. Look at their current work. Look at their dream work.
When you find someone who’s doing great work, snag them.
Look for a positive attitude: Last but not least, look for people with a positive attitude. You know the ones.. They’re the glass half full or the glass is going to be filled type of person.
They bring a cheery disposition and a positive outlook on life to the workplace everyday. That’s a person you want on your team.
Their positive attitude not only brings cheer to them, it will begin to overflow onto the rest of the team. And that’s what you want.
This is just the tip of the iceberg for tips on hiring new people. There’s plenty more out there.
But remember, look for passion. Look for risk-takers. Look for skilled workers. Look for a positive attitude.
You find someone with this combo, you find someone that’s going places.
Question: What do you look for when you bring someone onto your team? Let’s talk about it in the comment section below.
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.