When hiring, people tend to over-index on skills. They want an engineer proficient in Java or a CFO who has done an IPO. Skills are overrated. People with “skills” tend to look for problems where their skills can be applied. You want people who can identify and solve unique problems and learn the skills required to solve those problems. I focused on hiring Smart Athletes with Great Attitudes (SAGA) for most of my career.

Smart:

You can’t teach or learn IQ. You either have it or you don’t. IQ is the ability to recognize patterns, which means you can recognize problems that must be solved. I have found that intelligent people can learn any skill. They have the IQ to solve complex problems. Some signs to identify high IQ:

1. Did they go to a competitive university? Schools are pretty good sorters of IQ.

2. How did they perform in school? I’m leary of 4.0 students, but their GPA should be 3.5+.

3. Ask for the ACT and/or SAT scores. These tests are highly correlated with IQ.

4. Where did they work, and did they progress? Top companies are good at hiring and promoting talented people.

5. Dive deep. Ask them specific questions about their work and the “whys.” Some of the smartest people I know failed the four areas above, so you must dig to find the brilliant talent.

Athletic

This is more about teamwork and competition. In high school, did they sit around studying all day and play video games, or did they actively engage in competitive activities? You want people who participate in sports or other competitive areas. Did they play varsity sports through high school or club sports in college? Were they captains of their team? But it’s not just sports; it could be anything from math competitions to competitive chess or dancing.

Doing a start-up is tough, so you need people who can work on a team and are tenacious. I like to ask, “Do you better remember your wins or your losses?” You want people who hate to lose.

Great Attitude

I focused on hiring just Smart Athletes for many years, but there were still plenty of examples of non-optimal hires. I read a research study demonstrating that the job doesn’t cause disgruntled employees; it’s the employee. In other words, unhappy employees are unhappy wherever they work, and misery loves company. Some signs to look for:

1. Are they a job-hopper who bounces from job to job, never staying in one place for two or more years?

2. How do they describe prior job experiences? Do they trash their prior companies or managers?

3. The canceled flight test: would you want to be stuck with this person in an airport all day?

As in almost everything in life, there is no certainty, just probability. I’ve found SAGA to be the most powerful and successful model for hiring great people. Remember, you’re looking for people who can solve unique problems and go the distance. You’re looking for people to be part of your saga.