The TOP Quality I Look For In A New Hire

And how to find people with it!

Of all the qualities you could want in an employee, I'm here to argue that problem solving is the top, the best, and the most important skill you must have in a new hire. I've managed dozens of people in my career and the best employees I have worked with have all shared the same ability, regardless of their job title or the industry: to solve problems without significant input from their leadership.

There is nothing more frustrating than having a new hire who doesn't possess the ability to find solutions for themselves before coming to you for direction! That isn't to say employers don't have a huge responsibility to train new hires well, because if you aren't training people, you are setting them up for disaster. But if that critical ability to dig in on their own to look for answers and troubleshoot problems isn't present in a person, chances are, you won't be able to teach them how to do it.

How do you find this critical quality when looking for a new hire? I'll show you a method I use!

Assigning a set of simple, applicant problem solving tasks during the interview process is a surefire way to identify these stellar individuals. Here's how I do it!

*I ask applicants to recommend a solution for a real problem I need solved. My best example was during my last hiring round, where I discovered my customer loyalty app was no longer going to work for our company. My VA had already found some good solutions, but we pitched the problem to our top applicants and asked them for suggestions on which app they would use, why they would pick it, what it would cost, and how they decided on that option. The answers were fantastic and showed exactly how each person was able to research options, explain why they chose their solutions, and one stellar candidate even took the time to dig into our website to see what we were currently using and offer similarities and differences to her top pick! *Pro tip: I wouldn't ask an applicant to solve a problem I haven't already found a strong solution for myself. It's important that you don't USE THE APPLICANTS to do something you haven't done yourself! This isn't free labor! It's a way to see how someone problem solves and compare their process and ability to troubleshoot with what you have already found out!

I typically ask applicants to solve two simple problems and one more detailed problem that covers the main pain points I face in my business. Do the same and watch as the best candidate rises to the top! Need a little more hands on help in your hiring process? Download my Applicant Intake Screening Form tutorial to customize your hiring process and find your best new hire! As always, you can Join the Ask Angie newsletter to get all the good stuff, delivered right to your inbox!