Think. Decide. Do. Learn.

During our recruitment sessions for first-time people leaders, I frequently encounter the question, “What are we looking for in a candidate?”

It’s an excellent question that depends on the nature of the work the role entails. (Understanding the specific work requirements is a separate conversation.)

Most of the roles I’ve hired for have required a combination of advisory skills and delivery focus. They often involve significant stakeholder management with a strong project orientation. Based on my experiences as a hiring manager, I’ve identified four essential attributes in candidates.

1. Critical Thinking: Basic critical thinking is crucial for adding value. I’m not interested in hiring people who need to be told what to do. Instead, I prefer to hire intelligent individuals and empower them to make decisions. This is the most challenging aspect to identify. It’s difficult to gauge a person’s critical thinking ability during an interview. What I look for is their ability to articulate the rationale behind their approach, the reasons behind their chosen tools, and the reasons for engaging stakeholders.

2. Decision-Making: Make sound decisions. My logic is that if someone can think, they are better equipped to make decisions aligned with what’s important. This aspect is relatively straightforward to assess during an interview. Does the interviewee have a reference point for making decisions? It could be the business strategy, delegations, or simply putting themselves in someone else’s shoes. Regardless, do they have a frame of reference that they can apply to support their decision-making?

3. Get stuff done. In more sophisticated psychological terms, this is known as achievement orientation. It’s generally a good indicator of an individual’s ability to accomplish tasks and projects. I use achievement orientation to understand applicants’ drive and capacity to deliver projects while also considering their interpersonal skills. In an interview setting, I’m looking for individuals who have set clear goals and systematically worked through achieving them. This could involve a project, job task, role, or event. What I find particularly valuable are people who can go above and beyond, even in challenging circumstances.

4. Learn. Can they learn from their experiences? This is the crucial aspect. Can the person I’m hiring synthesize their experiences and incorporate their insights into their thinking, decision-making, and delivery, thereby enhancing their overall capabilities over time?  In interview, one of my follow-up questions is “What did you learn from that experience?” I find this question powerful because interviewees often spend time crafting their examples without thinking through the learning from that experience.

The combination of these four skills is incredibly powerful. They enable individuals to effectively manage risks, engage stakeholders, and make decisions aligned with our strategic objectives.

Note: I began writing this post back in 2017 while working at the New Zealand Police. It’s been sitting in my draft folder ever since. One of the (unhealthy) habits I’ve developed is drafting a post with a few words to jog my memory, then returning to it later to complete it. Considering that it’s taken nearly seven years to finish writing this post, it reflects the level of focus I put into writing for social media.