Most business people will tell you that without the right team behind them, all pulling together toward the same goal, success will not be achieved. So, hiring the most appropriate job-seekers is a crucial part of leadership – maybe even the most important part. We asked the following question to some folks who are responsible for building their company teams. Here is a baker’s dozen worth of replies:
Scott Hennie, President – Elite Supply Chain
“Folks that are going to fit the culture, because our culture isn’t for everyone and everyone’s not for our culture. We work in teams, so I’m looking for people who can be autonomous, but yet can function in a team environment. And I’m looking for people who present themselves in a very professional manner.”
Michael Sawaya, Executive Director – Henry B Gonzalez Convention Center
“We look for people who line up with our core values: teamwork, integrity, innovation, and professionalism. You can’t underscore the importance of professionalism and integrity. And we look for people who are innovative; who bring new ideas to the table.”
Michael Meyers, General Manager – Greater Richmond Convention Center
“In our industry, work ethic is important. We’re in show business and it’s a tough industry; it’s long hours, it’s nights, it’s weekends. So, it requires a commitment. It takes a certain work ethic to be able to do well and understand that it’s just not a typical ‘nine-to-five.’”
Matt Hollander, General Manager – Miami Beach Convention Center
“We’re always hiring attitudes. We are in the hospitality business. The things that we do on a day-to-day basis are generally not the most technical, meaning we can teach people how to conduct the day-to-day tasks that they need to do, but we can’t teach somebody to really care about people; they either have that or they don’t. So that’s what we’re looking for.”
Sanovnik Destang, Executive Director – Bay Gardens Resort
“Attitude is the most important thing. You can teach a person the technical skills, but they have to have a good work ethic; be good at customer service. You want somebody who has that naturally ingrained in them. Obviously, qualifications do matter, somewhat, for some positions. But once they meet the basic standards, you can teach them the rest. The best candidates are those who have the best attitude.”
Naveen Gupta, CEO – ISD Bahamas
“Qualifications definitely matters. The most important ones will be experience and references.”
Leroy Campbell, Managing Director – Metro Security Services
“We try to find persons who are aspiring for a level of discipline. We do look for persons who have cadet training – a young person coming from school with cadet training is trained to follow a level of discipline and code standards as far as military bearing and so forth. That is the type of person we strive for.”
Dean Rowe, Managing Director – Point Guard Security Co. Ltd.
“Trust, loyalty, professionalism, and a clean background.”
Arturo Salas, President – Senor Frogs, Nassau
“We have three values, here. Number one is attitude; you have to have a service attitude. You have to be friendly, open to working in a restaurant because sometimes it’s complicated. You have to have that special attitude that service people have. Number two is respect. And number three is honesty. Those are the three things that we always look for.”
Lt. Col. Derek Robinson, Managing Director – Ports Security Corps, Ltd. Jamaica
“When we ask someone to put their life on the line, for a company such as mine, it is really about national service – a service over and above what you can gain. You don’t join my company to get rich. You come because you wish to serve. So, we’re looking for that level of commitment; that level of awareness that what we do is important to the national security of our country. It’s not a money-making venture, at all.”
Kadia Wright, Marketing Director – Peak Bottling Company, Ltd. Jamaica
“People with passion; people with drive who not only want to see themselves excel, but while they’re excelling see the company excel, as well. We want people who will work day and night, if necessary, for the company to achieve its objectives. We want people with that kind of fire in their belly.”
Kevin Hendrickson, Founder and Managing Director – Courtleigh Hotel & Suites
“A passion for success. If you have that passion, we can steer you in the right direction. If you’re passionate enough, we can motivate you towards ensuring that you do the best that you can for our guests, our team members, and, in general, for Jamaica.”
Matt Pizzuti, Deputy Director – Oregon Convention Center
“What we look at most is ‘fit.’ Do they fit with our culture? Is this a person that we can see being somebody that’s adding to our mix or is this somebody that’s going to bring something new and different. We look for that. And then, it’s ‘service heart.’ If this isn’t a business that gets them excited when they get out of bed in the morning – that’s not the right person for us.”