Skill & Will
The two worst kinds of employees you can have are the ones who don’t do anything you ask, and the ones who do only what you ask. The perfect employee will have a healthy balance of the skill to do the work mixed with the will to grow and be resourceful. Unfortunately, the will is a trait that doesn’t show up on a resume.
People who have skill but no will are not employees you want on your team, which may seem harsh, but I have learned not to compromise on this rule. Honestly, I am not impressed by what degree or how many they have if they do not have the will to learn, grow, and fail. I would much rather hire someone minimally qualified if that person also had the will.
When someone has the will, they are hungry, they are resourceful, they are willing to fail to grow, and they have a passion and desire to get the job done.
So, I believe an essential trait to look for when hiring is the will to grow and learn. That’s because you cannot teach someone to have the will, but, for most candidates, you can teach them the skill.
So how do you figure out if a candidate has the will? Here’s what I do.
First, I look over the resume and cover letter for something that indicates an inner passion for growing and learning. Is the candidate trying to convince me how great they are, or are they making a promise to grow and develop? What story are they telling, one of self-importance or one of getting the job done?
After removing the candidates focused on self-importance and accomplishments, I schedule phone interviews with those who indicate a desire to grow and learn.
During phone interviews, I am still looking for those who have a passion for growing and learning, and a hunger to get the job done.
Only after finding candidates who have the will to do the job do I begin to look at their skills. After completing phone interviews, it becomes obvious who the best candidates are, and I schedule in-person interviews and go from there.
The great thing is, once you have found candidates with the will, you are in a much better position to make a hire that will add real value to your company.
Ok, that’s all for today. Good luck out there!
#CreateSomethingGreat
