I agree with most of these comments. The one I feel is less important is the team player trait. It is critical that you hire people who fit the personality of your culture and other employees so they can work well together. However, many team players aren't used to having to do everything themselves (no support team/staff).

I like to look at the types/size of companies they've chosen in the past. If they have a big company background it's difficult for them to adjust to the hands-on needs of a small company. I've had sales people who were used to a support team that would send out letters and other follow-up to the customers/prospects for them. One even mentioned that he'd probably need to hire a virtual assistant to do that if we didn't have the staff for it! Managers have similar issues. While it's great to get some of the knowledge they've acquired in a large company, some are incapable of doing without a secretary/assistant.

Really quiz them on why they want to work for a small company if it's new to them. When stock options are used, many want the excitement of getting rich when a company goes public. Some have even told me that their friends told them small companies were the way to go. What you want to hear is that they are tired of being confined by their job description, that they want an oppportunity to have real input and be heard, etc.

Sometimes, no matter how much the person thinks they want to work in a small company, the reality is too much for them and you'll both discover it was a mistake.

As always when hiring someone, figure out what you need the person to be able to do (both soft skills and technical abilities) ... and then find that specific person.

__________________

C.J.

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