In the course of hiring close to 10,000 people in my companies over the years, I’ve unfortunately seen the ineffectiveness of most of the fads, theories and scoring systems that promised to revolutionize the hiring process. It’s unfortunate because many consultants seem to think they’re paid by the pound, based on the weight of the documents delivered and not by results. But entrepreneurs must be focused on results.

To wit, I share with you what I’ve learned from my years of recruiting. It boils down to looking for people who exhibit five fundamental characteristics:

1. Aptitude – Certain job descriptions require lots of experience. But if you’re trying to turn an industry on its head or create a new industry, it might be best to seek raw talent with lots of aptitudes or skills rather than hire people who think they know the business.

My one cardinal rule for hiring people in my collection business was not to hire anyone with prior experience. I knew they’d be coming with lots of baggage we’d have to dump before we retrained them to treat borrowers with dignity and respect.
In interviews and on resumes, we looked for clues that suggested aptitudes like the ability to create rapport quickly, handle rejection and to be willing to follow a proven process.

2. Attitude – We had a FedEx driver who applied for a job with us eight times. When that tidbit percolated up to me, I hired her. How could I not? Even if she had other deficiencies, she exhibited the great attitude of never giving up.

Some people look at problems as proof that they’re victims while others consider problems to be challenges. One woman was late to work at our office one day because her car broke down. Then I discovered that she had walked 15 miles to get to work. Talk about a winning attitude! I bought her a new car on the spot.

3. Intelligence – I’m not talking IQ, but rather a person’s ability to come up with creative solutions. We all have budget and time constraints. Can your candidate point to examples where he or she found a way past, through or around a problem?

Most industries suffer under self-imposed limitations of “it can’t be done because it’s never been done.” My company became the subject of a Harvard Business School case study because we quietly and methodically dismantled barriers that other people thought were impenetrable.