What I Actually Look For When Hiring

Skills are the easiest thing to evaluate in an interview. They're also the least important.

What I'm actually looking for is two things.

First — cultural fit. How is this person going to show up for the team around them? Do their values align with where we're trying to go? You can have the most technically gifted cook or manager in the room, but if they're poison to the culture you're building, they'll cost you more than they contribute.

Second — scalability. Can this person grow? Do they take direction and criticism and actually do something with it, or do they get defensive? I want to hire people I can promote. Every time I fill a role from within it's a win for the whole team — it proves that growth is real here.

The candidates who check both boxes are rare. When you find one, move fast.

Skills can be taught. Coachability, character, and cultural alignment can't. Those either show up in the room or they don't.

Hire slow when you can. Hire for the person, not just the position.