Qualities I Look for in Hiring a Team Member

Awhile back I wrote a post with job interviewing tips. Related, here are the top qualities I look for in hiring a person to join my team:

1. Cognitive ability. Can you grasp difficult concepts? Can you “connect the dots” between different areas of work? 
2. Hard work with a history of progressively more difficult work. It matters less exactly what you were doing and more that you were working hard to get things done. I also want to see an increase in responsibilities over time and a desire to improve things.
3. Trust and reliability. Can I trust you to get things done accurately and on time? Will you admit to a mistake when you make it rather than cover it up? Can I count on you when the going gets tough? Will you help others even if it has no direct tie to your role?
4. Intellectual curiosity. Are you invested in the work we are doing and do you want to learn more about it? It doesn’t matter if the subject is boring, I want to see that you want to know the “why” behind things and that you care about the business we are in.

Unless the job is really specific, less important to me are the technical skills. If you are a hard worker and have the intellectual curiosity to learn more, you can learn the technical skills.

You can find me on Twitter @rhettweller