One of the most enjoyable things I get to do is to recruit and on-board new team members. Hire the right person and the whole team benefits. When you invite the right person to join your team not only is there an infusion of new talent, but also new ideas, fresh eyes, and a new well of experiences to go to. One new hire can literally improve the performance of the entire team. Below are five characteristics that I’m looking for when I’m hiring someone or helping churches make the next right hire. I’m not sure if these are what most high-powered companies, or even what most churches are looking for in their next hires. But if they’re not, they’re making a big mistake.
1. Attitude
Attitude is more valuable than aptitude every day of the week. Skills can be learned and talent can be developed, but attitude is one of those things you either have or you don’t. You can give someone all of the necessary tools to do their job, an incredible work environment and a strong organizational culture to work within. But if they don’t have the right attitude they’ll fail every time, and worse they’ll take the whole team down with them.
2. Track Record
Don’t try and impress me and sell me on what you’re going to do. Don’t start talking with me about theory and all the ideas that you learned about in the classroom. Show me what you’ve done. And while it doesn’t necessarily need to be “big,” it does needs to have been done well. Over and over and over again…all throughout the Bible when people have been faithful with a little they’re given an opportunity to be faithful with more. Real leadership is never appointed, it’s always recognized. Show me.
3. Creative Problem Solving
In church-world you’re not going to have a lot of financial, facility, or staffing resources to throw at problems. Which means you’re going to have to get creative. You’re going to have to be flexible, nimble and live on the solution side of problems. It doesn’t take a lot of talent to point out what’s wrong, just about anyone can do that. But it takes a resourceful leader to come up with creative solutions and move things forward.
4. High E.Q.
At the end of the day if you don’t like and don’t want to be around people, you’re going to have a pretty tough time in local church ministry. Relationships are both the glue and the grease that make work happen in the workplace. You’ve got to demonstrate a high level of emotional intelligence if you’re going to be very successful in ministry over the long haul. Follow this link if you’re interested in learning more about developing your E.Q.
5. I Actually Like You
This may sound like the shallowest one on the list, but it may just be the most important factor in any hire. The reason why is culture. Your church has a culture and if you’ve been there for a while then chances are you are leading through the filter of you church’s culture. If you can’t see yourself getting along with the potential hire, wanting to hang out with them, if they don’t have a similar DNA to the team their joining then chances are, they don’t belong on the team.
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