Eric Partaker’s Post

After hiring 2,000+ people over 20 years in business, I’ve come to one undeniable conclusion: You’ve got to stop trying to hire the “smartest” people, and look for people with these 8 traits instead: Hiring the brainy candidate with a shiny CV, stellar IQ might feel like the way to go. But I’ve learned the hard way that someone’s character and qualities - that certain traits - are much better predictors of fit… and therefore success. Plus, business is never static. So you need individuals who can go beyond what they’re hired for. It all starts with having a growth mindset. The kind that can help you tackle challenges head-on. I’ll take someone who gets a kick out of trying new and unfamiliar things over the so-called expert, just about any day. I want an ambitious team of autonomous people that think for themselves. Not an assembly line of machines that do what they are told to do. I look for and celebrate people who thrive in adversity, because life rarely goes to plan. Proactive and resourceful thinkers. These are the people that consistently deliver. Energy is important for me, too. Trust me when I say you want people on your team that positively energize those around them. It makes creating together infinitely more rewarding. And then there’s infallibility…nothing kills trust faster than an infallible team member. You want a culture where mistakes aren’t punished, but also one where those who make them don’t deny responsibility. Otherwise, you don’t learn your lessons, nothing gets fixed, and growth stagnates. I often tell my team: “It’s okay to be wrong… and you won’t know unless you try.” During the interview process I also like to observe how convincingly candidates can convey their ideas… and note how intently they listen to feedback and how quickly they adjust. It helps me evaluate critical things like… • Can they communicate well with others? • Will they understand and support their teammates? • Can they drop their agenda and contribute to a common goal? Finally, every job will entail doing things that you don’t like. Do they still approach those tasks with the same passion and integrity? Can they leave aside personal likes and dislikes to do what’s best for the team? As Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, once said: “No task is beneath me.” So in summary, perhaps it’s not that you shouldn’t hire “the smartest people” per se... but rather that you should look for people with these traits. Because they, in fact, ARE “the smartest people”. --- If this resonated, repost to your network. And follow Eric Partaker for more. Want a high-res PDF of this infographic? Try my free newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dF-VwKqi You’ll also get 60+ high-value resources on business, leadership & peak performance for free.

After hiring 2,000+ people over 20 years in business, I’ve come to one undeniable conclusion: You’ve got to stop trying to hire the “smartest” people, and look for people with these 8 traits instead: Hiring the brainy candidate with a shiny CV, stellar IQ might feel like the way to go. But I’ve learned the hard way that someone’s character and qualities - that certain traits - are much better predictors of fit… and therefore success. Plus, business is never static. So you need individuals who can go beyond what they’re hired for. It all starts with having a growth mindset. The kind that can help you tackle challenges head-on. I’ll take someone who gets a kick out of trying new and unfamiliar things over the so-called expert, just about any day. I want an ambitious team of autonomous people that think for themselves. Not an assembly line of machines that do what they are told to do. I look for and celebrate people who thrive in adversity, because life rarely goes to plan. Proactive and resourceful thinkers. These are the people that consistently deliver. Energy is important for me, too. Trust me when I say you want people on your team that positively energize those around them. It makes creating together infinitely more rewarding. And then there’s infallibility…nothing kills trust faster than an infallible team member. You want a culture where mistakes aren’t punished, but also one where those who make them don’t deny responsibility. Otherwise, you don’t learn your lessons, nothing gets fixed, and growth stagnates. I often tell my team: “It’s okay to be wrong… and you won’t know unless you try.” During the interview process I also like to observe how convincingly candidates can convey their ideas… and note how intently they listen to feedback and how quickly they adjust. It helps me evaluate critical things like… • Can they communicate well with others? • Will they understand and support their teammates? • Can they drop their agenda and contribute to a common goal? Finally, every job will entail doing things that you don’t like. Do they still approach those tasks with the same passion and integrity? Can they leave aside personal likes and dislikes to do what’s best for the team? As Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, once said: “No task is beneath me.” So in summary, perhaps it’s not that you shouldn’t hire “the smartest people” per se... but rather that you should look for people with these traits. Because they, in fact, ARE “the smartest people”. --- If this resonated, repost to your network. And follow Eric Partaker for more. Want a high-res PDF of this infographic? Try my free newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dF-VwKqi You’ll also get 60+ high-value resources on business, leadership & peak performance for free.

After hiring 2,000+ people over 20 years in business, I’ve come to one undeniable conclusion: You’ve got to stop trying to hire the “smartest” people, and look for people with these 8 traits instead: Hiring the brainy candidate with a shiny CV, stellar IQ might feel like the way to go. But I’ve learned the hard way that someone’s character and qualities - that certain traits - are much better predictors of fit… and therefore success. Plus, business is never static. So you need individuals who can go beyond what they’re hired for. It all starts with having a growth mindset. The kind that can help you tackle challenges head-on. I’ll take someone who gets a kick out of trying new and unfamiliar things over the so-called expert, just about any day. I want an ambitious team of autonomous people that think for themselves. Not an assembly line of machines that do what they are told to do. I look for and celebrate people who thrive in adversity, because life rarely goes to plan. Proactive and resourceful thinkers. These are the people that consistently deliver. Energy is important for me, too. Trust me when I say you want people on your team that positively energize those around them. It makes creating together infinitely more rewarding. And then there’s infallibility…nothing kills trust faster than an infallible team member. You want a culture where mistakes aren’t punished, but also one where those who make them don’t deny responsibility. Otherwise, you don’t learn your lessons, nothing gets fixed, and growth stagnates. I often tell my team: “It’s okay to be wrong… and you won’t know unless you try.” During the interview process I also like to observe how convincingly candidates can convey their ideas… and note how intently they listen to feedback and how quickly they adjust. It helps me evaluate critical things like… • Can they communicate well with others? • Will they understand and support their teammates? • Can they drop their agenda and contribute to a common goal? Finally, every job will entail doing things that you don’t like. Do they still approach those tasks with the same passion and integrity? Can they leave aside personal likes and dislikes to do what’s best for the team? As Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, once said: “No task is beneath me.” So in summary, perhaps it’s not that you shouldn’t hire “the smartest people” per se... but rather that you should look for people with these traits. Because they, in fact, ARE “the smartest people”. --- If this resonated, repost to your network. And follow Eric Partaker for more. Want a high-res PDF of this infographic? Try my free newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dF-VwKqi You’ll also get 60+ high-value resources on business, leadership & peak performance for free.

After hiring 2,000+ people over 20 years in business, I’ve come to one undeniable conclusion: You’ve got to stop trying to hire the “smartest” people, and look for people with these 8 traits instead: Hiring the brainy candidate with a shiny CV, stellar IQ might feel like the way to go. But I’ve learned the hard way that someone’s character and qualities - that certain traits - are much better predictors of fit… and therefore success. Plus, business is never static. So you need individuals who can go beyond what they’re hired for. It all starts with having a growth mindset. The kind that can help you tackle challenges head-on. I’ll take someone who gets a kick out of trying new and unfamiliar things over the so-called expert, just about any day. I want an ambitious team of autonomous people that think for themselves. Not an assembly line of machines that do what they are told to do. I look for and celebrate people who thrive in adversity, because life rarely goes to plan. Proactive and resourceful thinkers. These are the people that consistently deliver. Energy is important for me, too. Trust me when I say you want people on your team that positively energize those around them. It makes creating together infinitely more rewarding. And then there’s infallibility…nothing kills trust faster than an infallible team member. You want a culture where mistakes aren’t punished, but also one where those who make them don’t deny responsibility. Otherwise, you don’t learn your lessons, nothing gets fixed, and growth stagnates. I often tell my team: “It’s okay to be wrong… and you won’t know unless you try.” During the interview process I also like to observe how convincingly candidates can convey their ideas… and note how intently they listen to feedback and how quickly they adjust. It helps me evaluate critical things like… • Can they communicate well with others? • Will they understand and support their teammates? • Can they drop their agenda and contribute to a common goal? Finally, every job will entail doing things that you don’t like. Do they still approach those tasks with the same passion and integrity? Can they leave aside personal likes and dislikes to do what’s best for the team? As Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, once said: “No task is beneath me.” So in summary, perhaps it’s not that you shouldn’t hire “the smartest people” per se... but rather that you should look for people with these traits. Because they, in fact, ARE “the smartest people”. --- If this resonated, repost to your network. And follow Eric Partaker for more. Want a high-res PDF of this infographic? Try my free newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dF-VwKqi You’ll also get 60+ high-value resources on business, leadership & peak performance for free.

After hiring 2,000+ people over 20 years in business, I’ve come to one undeniable conclusion: You’ve got to stop trying to hire the “smartest” people, and look for people with these 8 traits instead: Hiring the brainy candidate with a shiny CV, stellar IQ might feel like the way to go. But I’ve learned the hard way that someone’s character and qualities - that certain traits - are much better predictors of fit… and therefore success. Plus, business is never static. So you need individuals who can go beyond what they’re hired for. It all starts with having a growth mindset. The kind that can help you tackle challenges head-on. I’ll take someone who gets a kick out of trying new and unfamiliar things over the so-called expert, just about any day. I want an ambitious team of autonomous people that think for themselves. Not an assembly line of machines that do what they are told to do. I look for and celebrate people who thrive in adversity, because life rarely goes to plan. Proactive and resourceful thinkers. These are the people that consistently deliver. Energy is important for me, too. Trust me when I say you want people on your team that positively energize those around them. It makes creating together infinitely more rewarding. And then there’s infallibility…nothing kills trust faster than an infallible team member. You want a culture where mistakes aren’t punished, but also one where those who make them don’t deny responsibility. Otherwise, you don’t learn your lessons, nothing gets fixed, and growth stagnates. I often tell my team: “It’s okay to be wrong… and you won’t know unless you try.” During the interview process I also like to observe how convincingly candidates can convey their ideas… and note how intently they listen to feedback and how quickly they adjust. It helps me evaluate critical things like… • Can they communicate well with others? • Will they understand and support their teammates? • Can they drop their agenda and contribute to a common goal? Finally, every job will entail doing things that you don’t like. Do they still approach those tasks with the same passion and integrity? Can they leave aside personal likes and dislikes to do what’s best for the team? As Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, once said: “No task is beneath me.” So in summary, perhaps it’s not that you shouldn’t hire “the smartest people” per se... but rather that you should look for people with these traits. Because they, in fact, ARE “the smartest people”. --- If this resonated, repost to your network. And follow Eric Partaker for more. Want a high-res PDF of this infographic? Try my free newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dF-VwKqi You’ll also get 60+ high-value resources on business, leadership & peak performance for free.

After hiring 2,000+ people over 20 years in business, I’ve come to one undeniable conclusion: You’ve got to stop trying to hire the “smartest” people, and look for people with these 8 traits instead: Hiring the brainy candidate with a shiny CV, stellar IQ might feel like the way to go. But I’ve learned the hard way that someone’s character and qualities - that certain traits - are much better predictors of fit… and therefore success. Plus, business is never static. So you need individuals who can go beyond what they’re hired for. It all starts with having a growth mindset. The kind that can help you tackle challenges head-on. I’ll take someone who gets a kick out of trying new and unfamiliar things over the so-called expert, just about any day. I want an ambitious team of autonomous people that think for themselves. Not an assembly line of machines that do what they are told to do. I look for and celebrate people who thrive in adversity, because life rarely goes to plan. Proactive and resourceful thinkers. These are the people that consistently deliver. Energy is important for me, too. Trust me when I say you want people on your team that positively energize those around them. It makes creating together infinitely more rewarding. And then there’s infallibility…nothing kills trust faster than an infallible team member. You want a culture where mistakes aren’t punished, but also one where those who make them don’t deny responsibility. Otherwise, you don’t learn your lessons, nothing gets fixed, and growth stagnates. I often tell my team: “It’s okay to be wrong… and you won’t know unless you try.” During the interview process I also like to observe how convincingly candidates can convey their ideas… and note how intently they listen to feedback and how quickly they adjust. It helps me evaluate critical things like… • Can they communicate well with others? • Will they understand and support their teammates? • Can they drop their agenda and contribute to a common goal? Finally, every job will entail doing things that you don’t like. Do they still approach those tasks with the same passion and integrity? Can they leave aside personal likes and dislikes to do what’s best for the team? As Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, once said: “No task is beneath me.” So in summary, perhaps it’s not that you shouldn’t hire “the smartest people” per se... but rather that you should look for people with these traits. Because they, in fact, ARE “the smartest people”. --- If this resonated, repost to your network. And follow Eric Partaker for more. Want a high-res PDF of this infographic? Try my free newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dF-VwKqi You’ll also get 60+ high-value resources on business, leadership & peak performance for free.

After hiring 2,000+ people over 20 years in business, I’ve come to one undeniable conclusion: You’ve got to stop trying to hire the “smartest” people, and look for people with these 8 traits instead: Hiring the brainy candidate with a shiny CV, stellar IQ might feel like the way to go. But I’ve learned the hard way that someone’s character and qualities - that certain traits - are much better predictors of fit… and therefore success. Plus, business is never static. So you need individuals who can go beyond what they’re hired for. It all starts with having a growth mindset. The kind that can help you tackle challenges head-on. I’ll take someone who gets a kick out of trying new and unfamiliar things over the so-called expert, just about any day. I want an ambitious team of autonomous people that think for themselves. Not an assembly line of machines that do what they are told to do. I look for and celebrate people who thrive in adversity, because life rarely goes to plan. Proactive and resourceful thinkers. These are the people that consistently deliver. Energy is important for me, too. Trust me when I say you want people on your team that positively energize those around them. It makes creating together infinitely more rewarding. And then there’s infallibility…nothing kills trust faster than an infallible team member. You want a culture where mistakes aren’t punished, but also one where those who make them don’t deny responsibility. Otherwise, you don’t learn your lessons, nothing gets fixed, and growth stagnates. I often tell my team: “It’s okay to be wrong… and you won’t know unless you try.” During the interview process I also like to observe how convincingly candidates can convey their ideas… and note how intently they listen to feedback and how quickly they adjust. It helps me evaluate critical things like… • Can they communicate well with others? • Will they understand and support their teammates? • Can they drop their agenda and contribute to a common goal? Finally, every job will entail doing things that you don’t like. Do they still approach those tasks with the same passion and integrity? Can they leave aside personal likes and dislikes to do what’s best for the team? As Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, once said: “No task is beneath me.” So in summary, perhaps it’s not that you shouldn’t hire “the smartest people” per se... but rather that you should look for people with these traits. Because they, in fact, ARE “the smartest people”. --- If this resonated, repost to your network. And follow Eric Partaker for more. Want a high-res PDF of this infographic? Try my free newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dF-VwKqi You’ll also get 60+ high-value resources on business, leadership & peak performance for free.

After hiring 2,000+ people over 20 years in business, I’ve come to one undeniable conclusion: You’ve got to stop trying to hire the “smartest” people, and look for people with these 8 traits instead: Hiring the brainy candidate with a shiny CV, stellar IQ might feel like the way to go. But I’ve learned the hard way that someone’s character and qualities - that certain traits - are much better predictors of fit… and therefore success. Plus, business is never static. So you need individuals who can go beyond what they’re hired for. It all starts with having a growth mindset. The kind that can help you tackle challenges head-on. I’ll take someone who gets a kick out of trying new and unfamiliar things over the so-called expert, just about any day. I want an ambitious team of autonomous people that think for themselves. Not an assembly line of machines that do what they are told to do. I look for and celebrate people who thrive in adversity, because life rarely goes to plan. Proactive and resourceful thinkers. These are the people that consistently deliver. Energy is important for me, too. Trust me when I say you want people on your team that positively energize those around them. It makes creating together infinitely more rewarding. And then there’s infallibility…nothing kills trust faster than an infallible team member. You want a culture where mistakes aren’t punished, but also one where those who make them don’t deny responsibility. Otherwise, you don’t learn your lessons, nothing gets fixed, and growth stagnates. I often tell my team: “It’s okay to be wrong… and you won’t know unless you try.” During the interview process I also like to observe how convincingly candidates can convey their ideas… and note how intently they listen to feedback and how quickly they adjust. It helps me evaluate critical things like… • Can they communicate well with others? • Will they understand and support their teammates? • Can they drop their agenda and contribute to a common goal? Finally, every job will entail doing things that you don’t like. Do they still approach those tasks with the same passion and integrity? Can they leave aside personal likes and dislikes to do what’s best for the team? As Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, once said: “No task is beneath me.” So in summary, perhaps it’s not that you shouldn’t hire “the smartest people” per se... but rather that you should look for people with these traits. Because they, in fact, ARE “the smartest people”. --- If this resonated, repost to your network. And follow Eric Partaker for more. Want a high-res PDF of this infographic? Try my free newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dF-VwKqi You’ll also get 60+ high-value resources on business, leadership & peak performance for free.

After hiring 2,000+ people over 20 years in business, I’ve come to one undeniable conclusion: You’ve got to stop trying to hire the “smartest” people, and look for people with these 8 traits instead: Hiring the brainy candidate with a shiny CV, stellar IQ might feel like the way to go. But I’ve learned the hard way that someone’s character and qualities - that certain traits - are much better predictors of fit… and therefore success. Plus, business is never static. So you need individuals who can go beyond what they’re hired for. It all starts with having a growth mindset. The kind that can help you tackle challenges head-on. I’ll take someone who gets a kick out of trying new and unfamiliar things over the so-called expert, just about any day. I want an ambitious team of autonomous people that think for themselves. Not an assembly line of machines that do what they are told to do. I look for and celebrate people who thrive in adversity, because life rarely goes to plan. Proactive and resourceful thinkers. These are the people that consistently deliver. Energy is important for me, too. Trust me when I say you want people on your team that positively energize those around them. It makes creating together infinitely more rewarding. And then there’s infallibility…nothing kills trust faster than an infallible team member. You want a culture where mistakes aren’t punished, but also one where those who make them don’t deny responsibility. Otherwise, you don’t learn your lessons, nothing gets fixed, and growth stagnates. I often tell my team: “It’s okay to be wrong… and you won’t know unless you try.” During the interview process I also like to observe how convincingly candidates can convey their ideas… and note how intently they listen to feedback and how quickly they adjust. It helps me evaluate critical things like… • Can they communicate well with others? • Will they understand and support their teammates? • Can they drop their agenda and contribute to a common goal? Finally, every job will entail doing things that you don’t like. Do they still approach those tasks with the same passion and integrity? Can they leave aside personal likes and dislikes to do what’s best for the team? As Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, once said: “No task is beneath me.” So in summary, perhaps it’s not that you shouldn’t hire “the smartest people” per se... but rather that you should look for people with these traits. Because they, in fact, ARE “the smartest people”. --- If this resonated, repost to your network. And follow Eric Partaker for more. Want a high-res PDF of this infographic? Try my free newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dF-VwKqi You’ll also get 60+ high-value resources on business, leadership & peak performance for free.

After hiring 2,000+ people over 20 years in business, I’ve come to one undeniable conclusion: You’ve got to stop trying to hire the “smartest” people, and look for people with these 8 traits instead: Hiring the brainy candidate with a shiny CV, stellar IQ might feel like the way to go. But I’ve learned the hard way that someone’s character and qualities - that certain traits - are much better predictors of fit… and therefore success. Plus, business is never static. So you need individuals who can go beyond what they’re hired for. It all starts with having a growth mindset. The kind that can help you tackle challenges head-on. I’ll take someone who gets a kick out of trying new and unfamiliar things over the so-called expert, just about any day. I want an ambitious team of autonomous people that think for themselves. Not an assembly line of machines that do what they are told to do. I look for and celebrate people who thrive in adversity, because life rarely goes to plan. Proactive and resourceful thinkers. These are the people that consistently deliver. Energy is important for me, too. Trust me when I say you want people on your team that positively energize those around them. It makes creating together infinitely more rewarding. And then there’s infallibility…nothing kills trust faster than an infallible team member. You want a culture where mistakes aren’t punished, but also one where those who make them don’t deny responsibility. Otherwise, you don’t learn your lessons, nothing gets fixed, and growth stagnates. I often tell my team: “It’s okay to be wrong… and you won’t know unless you try.” During the interview process I also like to observe how convincingly candidates can convey their ideas… and note how intently they listen to feedback and how quickly they adjust. It helps me evaluate critical things like… • Can they communicate well with others? • Will they understand and support their teammates? • Can they drop their agenda and contribute to a common goal? Finally, every job will entail doing things that you don’t like. Do they still approach those tasks with the same passion and integrity? Can they leave aside personal likes and dislikes to do what’s best for the team? As Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, once said: “No task is beneath me.” So in summary, perhaps it’s not that you shouldn’t hire “the smartest people” per se... but rather that you should look for people with these traits. Because they, in fact, ARE “the smartest people”. --- If this resonated, repost to your network. And follow Eric Partaker for more. Want a high-res PDF of this infographic? Try my free newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dF-VwKqi You’ll also get 60+ high-value resources on business, leadership & peak performance for free.