As I wrote last time, your next hire is supremely important. Last question was “ Does she care deeply about the end-user or the customer?” Here is the last of five questions I ask, as a technical entrepreneur, when I am considering whether or not to hire someone.

[5] Does he know when to ask for help?
This is one of those questions you need to find an answer for, but sometimes is hard to ferret out during an interview. If you ask the question if the candidate, most likely the answer will be “Yes.” It is a question of balance and can be subjective. It is definitely one to ask of references for the candidate. I have had hard and diligent workers who work independently to a fault. He doesn’t ever ask for help until he is well down the wrong road and beating his head against the wall. I have also had dependent personalities that stop by my office 15 times a day to update me on what they are doing and to ask a question. Neither extreme is healthy. I want someone who is always ready to give me a status when I stop by or shoot me an email looking for my input on the path they are taking and the challenges they are encountering. That is when I feel most productive as a manager: making it easier on my employees by sharing a tip or a bit of wisdom with them because I know the answer or how to find it. Or, if I don’t know, I can pay to get them in touch with someone who can help them. Another of my favorite interview questions: “How do you like to keep your manager informed about the status of your projects?” and “How did your last manager help you the most?” or “How do you like to be helped?”

These are questions I ask prospective employees and their references. I hope it helps you hire someone who helps your business grow and be ever more successful!

Questions 1 , 2 , 3, 4 , 5