Want to know the secret of how to hire the ideal person for your next job opening? It is a simple formula. Hire someone who is: 1. Humble, 2. Hungry, and 3. Smart. While this sounds simple, it is rare to find these 3 traits well-balanced in a job candidate. When you do find someone with these 3 traits, hire that candidate fast! The framework of Humble + Hungry + Smart comes from Patrick Lencioni's book, The Ideal Team Player. Hiring "rock stars" or "A-players" is one of the most productive things you can do. The right hire can transform your team toward world class performance and absolutely make you more productive.
Presumably you've heard of Patrick Lencioni's terrific book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team? This book, The Ideal Team Player, is also in a parable format and walks through each of the components of the formula humble + hungry + smart, which I unpack in 7 points below. The book and its companion website also give you practical tools, such as interview questions to help you determine if a job candidate is humble, hungry and smart.
1. Humble. You want someone joining your team who is humble. They're willing to listen to others and admit they don't have all of the answers. They appreciate the Stephen Covey principle of "Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood." They don't have big egos. They want to see the team succeed and not just themselves. They say "we" more than they say "I." Caveat: don't hire someone who is only humble. They may be "nice" but may not get anything done.
2. Hungry. You want to hire someone who has the energy and drive to do their work with excellence. They want to learn and grow. They want to be promoted and grow in their careers. They want to take on new projects and new opportunities. They don't need to be prodded to work hard - they are wired to work hard. Caveat: don't hire someone who is only hungry. They may bulldoze over others to get what they want for their own selfish reasons.
3. Smart. You want someone who is smart in both technical skills for the job and people skills. Technical skills are of course important for any given job, but equally important are people skills. You want someone who demonstrates emotional intelligence and works well with others. They are self-aware and know how their words and actions can impact others on the team. Caveat: don't hire someone who is only smart. They may be liked by many, but probably won't get much done because they're too busy playing politics.
4. Humble + Hungry + Smart. When you are reviewing resumes and in particular when you are interviewing a candidate, ask yourself frequently: "Is this person hungry, humble and smart? All three? Or are they missing one (or more) of the traits?" You'll want to hire candidates that are well-balanced in these three traits.
5. Interview Questions. Author Patrick Lencioni graciously provides 3 pages of interview questions that you can use in an interview to assess if a job candidate is humble, hungry and smart.
6. Self-Assessment. Patrick Lencioni also graciously provides a one-page PDF for you to assess yourself. Are you hungry, humble and smart?
7. The Ideal Team Player. I encourage you to read the book to get a full parable about why it is important to hire job candidates that are humble, hungry and smart. It's a great quick read.