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The Three Most Important Things When Hiring

by Miki Saxon

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mauropm/3436674445/

I’ve worked with and spoken to thousands of hiring managers over the course of my career.

They all want to hire the best people available and will go to great lengths to do it.

Sure, some work harder at hiring than others, but they all want a hire that succeeds.

Some look hardest at skills.

Some at accomplishments.

But the most successful managers focus on three character traits, before anything else.

Attitude, aptitude and initiative.

Attitude: Skills can grow and tech can be learned, but energy expended on changing someone’s attitude has the lowest ROI.

Aptitude: Things change. Not just tech, but rules, bosses, buildings, colleagues, and anything else you can think of; an aptitude for change can mean the difference between success and frustration.

Initiative: Going beyond the job description; doing more than expected; not for a reward or the glory, but because that’s who you are.

That’s how you build an organization that succeeds and makes you look great.

Attitude. Aptitude. Initiative.

Image credit: Mauro Parra-Miranda

2 Responses to “The Three Most Important Things When Hiring”
  1. KG Says:

    Thanks for this great post, Miki. One of my great mentors, Jim Cates, has a similar framework (Attitude, Ability, Persistence). I like his framework as initiative is inherent in attitude, but persistence is important when dealing with the difficult work of accomplishing something substantial.

    Thanks for all your writings and efforts to help others.

  2. Miki Saxon Says:

    Thanks for your kind words, KG. Jim has a good point; I think I'll switch when discussing this.

    thanks for the feedback!

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