We have all spoken the words, “The key to success is found in surrounding ourselves with good people.” One of my peers, while reading a draft of this book, said, “Your story is great, but how the hell do you find good people?” Doing so is our greatest challenge, greatest opportunity, and greatest accomplishment.
In finding great people, we have boiled selection process down to one simple question: do their core values match our core values? That is paramount. Having skills associated with the position is helpful and necessary, but training can overcome those limitations. We cannot teach people to care about the bigger picture. They must come into the organization with desires and beliefs that align with our values.
Every initial interview we conduct includes four questions:
· Can you tell us about a time you were part of a team and how you functioned in that environment?
· Can you tell us about an achievement of yours and define for us where the credit for that accomplishment was due?
· Can you tell us about a time when you had to make a difficult character decision and what values you used to make that decision?—or—Can you tell us about a time when you cheated and didn’t get caught?
· Can you tell us about any charitable or philanthropic endeavors you have participated in and why?