Hiring a new worker? Here's a SUPERSTAR QUALITY you might miss!
In a late-night conversation with a client, we were listing the qualities of a potential superstar. One quality kept coming back to me because it is easy to miss when hiring.
It is not a skill or a credential. It is the willingness to commit extra time.
What the superstar journey looks like
Look at the path of a top performer and you will often find a period when they gave extra hours to:
Learn beyond what the job required.
Research another way to solve a problem.
Experiment without knowing whether it would work.
Think about the day's problems after work.
That extra time is not overtime. It is curiosity and effort that come from the person themselves. You cannot reliably train that into someone.
How to recognize it in an interview
A resume shows skills and experience. This quality shows up in how someone talks about their work:
Ask what they have learned recently and why.
Ask what they tried that did not work.
Ask whether improvement was assigned or something they chose.
A good interview can uncover what credentials leave out. We include these questions in how we evaluate candidates.
We look for this in every shortlist. Tell us the role, and we will look for people who pursue mastery rather than only listing it. [CTA: Talk to us about your hiring needs]
Why it matters more than another credential
A candidate who is missing a skill can learn it, especially if they are willing to spend time learning on their own. A candidate who lacks that willingness rarely develops it just because the resume is strong.
That is why our best placements keep improving after the hire.
What this means for your next hire
When two candidates look equal on paper, pay attention to the one who has a habit of investing extra time in getting better. That is often the difference you notice after the first year, not during the interview.
Want superstars on your shortlist?
M-Ocean Recruiting Solutions directly sources experienced remote workers for US employers and screens for qualities that do not fit neatly on a resume. Every placement comes with a 60-day trial period: you do not pay if you are not happy with the hire.
In a late-night conversation with a client, we were listing the qualities of a potential superstar. One quality kept coming back to me because it is easy to miss when hiring.
It is not a skill or a credential. It is the willingness to commit extra time.
What the superstar journey looks like
Look at the path of a top performer and you will often find a period when they gave extra hours to:
Learn beyond what the job required.
Research another way to solve a problem.
Experiment without knowing whether it would work.
Think about the day's problems after work.
That extra time is not overtime. It is curiosity and effort that come from the person themselves. You cannot reliably train that into someone.
How to recognize it in an interview
A resume shows skills and experience. This quality shows up in how someone talks about their work:
Ask what they have learned recently and why.
Ask what they tried that did not work.
Ask whether improvement was assigned or something they chose.
A good interview can uncover what credentials leave out. We include these questions in how we evaluate candidates.
We look for this in every shortlist. Tell us the role, and we will look for people who pursue mastery rather than only listing it. [CTA: Talk to us about your hiring needs]
Why it matters more than another credential
A candidate who is missing a skill can learn it, especially if they are willing to spend time learning on their own. A candidate who lacks that willingness rarely develops it just because the resume is strong.
That is why our best placements keep improving after the hire.
What this means for your next hire
When two candidates look equal on paper, pay attention to the one who has a habit of investing extra time in getting better. That is often the difference you notice after the first year, not during the interview.
Want superstars on your shortlist?
M-Ocean Recruiting Solutions directly sources experienced remote workers for US employers and screens for qualities that do not fit neatly on a resume. Every placement comes with a 60-day trial period: you do not pay if you are not happy with the hire.