Three signs you've made a good hire

Hiring is hard. 

Especially in a small company where one under-performer can put a big hole in the ship - the pressure to get it right is immense. 
So, how do you know quickly if you've made a good choice for the short term and long term? 

Here are three things I look for:

  1. They ask a lot of questions: Everyone wants to come in and add value from day one, but good employees know what they know and aren't afraid to get the information they need to get smart fast. While answering all of those questions takes a lot of time it's a good sign that they'll soak it all in and become a source of information for others over time.
  2. They set themselves free: New employees can be scared to go to other departments for help. It's human nature to be cautious when going out of the comfy confines of a team, but those are the people who will be advocates for your mission in short order and make themselves an integral part of the entire organization.
  3. They are hard on themselves when they make a mistake. We all make mistakes. It's part of growing and learning and becoming better at what we do. A good new hire will be harder on themselves than you are on them in the event of a screw up. If they don't care, that's when it's time to worry.


How do you decide if a new hire is right for your company?

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