When you start your own business, you wear many hats. No. Scratch that. You wear all the hats in the beginning. Whether you own your own business, or you are leading a team, hiring is one of the most crucial roles you play as a leader. Having the wrong person on your team can be a huge barrier to success. After years of interviews, here are a few of the top attributes I look for in candidates.

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Optimism. Hands down, this attribute is the most important. Optimism doesn’t fix all other problems, but it comes pretty darn close. An optimist will see the world through a positive lens - a beer mug half-full type of human. You want people on your team who will start by assuming the best. Instead of being cynical about human nature, an optimist believes people are generally trying their best. 

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Responsibility. There is nothing more powerful than taking responsibility. This is the opposite of blaming or playing the victim. You want someone on your team that will own their part and not make excuses. 

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Urgency. One of my first bosses firmly believed in only hiring people that walked at a fast pace. During the interview, she would intentionally walk around the store with them in order to gauge their pace. A slow walker, in her opinion, lacked urgency. A sense of urgency means they are driven to solve problems that get in the way of completing a project in a timely manner. 

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Humility. You want a confident team but not one with an ego. A humble confidence is the ability to take charge, solve problems, and play well with others. 

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‍Likable. Look, you are going to be spending more time with the people on your team than most other people in your life. You should, at the very least, like them. You don’t have to hire people you want to hang out with, but why hire someone you don’t like being around? Believe me, hiring someone that is competent and skilled but unfriendly or unlikeable never ends up working out in the end.