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MY ONE
RULE FOR
HIRING
From a polished
mani to sending
that follow-up
email, we asked
some top bosses
exactly what gets
their attentionOF FEMALE MILLENNIALS SAY AN EMPLOYER’S
POLICY ON DIVERSITY, EQUALITY AND
85 % WORKPLACE INCLUSION IS IMPORTANTNo follow-
up email?
No dice!LEADER
SKILLS
Mark Zuckerberg,
co-founder and
CEO of Facebook “I will only hire
someone to work directly for me
if I would work for that person.”CULTURAL FIT
Jack Delosa,
founder of The
Entourage “It’s
important that you’re clear on your
vision and the culture you are trying
to set. Unapologetically look for
people who are going to match your
DNA. Culture over competence.”CONFIDENCE
Angela Mentis, NAB
group executive,
business banking
“People who have confi dence and
back themselves get my attention.
But, at the same time, I’m looking
for authentic candidates – people
who are true to themselves and
aren’t just saying what they think I
want to hear. I’m looking for people
who are passionate about clients.”CREATIVITY
Louise Higgins,
chief operating
offi cer at NOVA
Entertainment “Hire slow. With
the demands of business there is
always a temptation to fi ll a vacancy
as quickly as possible. If you want
to hire for the long term, those
extra few weeks and interviews
can often make a signifi cant
diff erence in fi nding the next great
talent. When hiring for a breakfast
producer role recently, a candidate
wrote a song and made a video as
to why they would be successful in
the role. This certainly demonstrated
the energy, dedication and creativity
required to work in radio.”WORK ETHIC
Sarah Humphries,
director of Sarah
Humphries Agency
“Before I even get people in for an
interview I look for a history of
internships or work experience
and a job history that includes
retail or restaurant work, as it
shows a strong customer service
focus and work ethic. A university
degree is pretty much the last
thing I look for. When it comes to
the interview itself, fi rst impressions
always count – a fi rm handshake
and welcoming smile are key, and
never show up with chipped nail
polish (it’s all about attention to
detail). When I’m talking to a
candidate, I want to hear a genuine
interest for the industry – they
need to be following the leading
YouTube stars, reading magazines
and telling me who the best
bloggers are. The thing I am most
impressed with is when a candidate
sends me an email afterwards to
thank me for the opportunity.”GOOD
ATTITUDE
Samantha Wills,
founder and CEO
of Samantha Wills Jewellery
“Attitude and culture are the two
major things I look for. We could
interview the most qualifi ed
person for a position, but if they
have a bad attitude, or will not
add to our company culture, it’s
an instant ‘no’. A few years ago,
we were interviewing for a junior
PR position. We had a girl interview
who had put together an analysis
portfolio showing where she
thought she could add value to
our brand. This would have
impressed me from a senior level,
let alone she was young and
applying for a junior role! Needless
to say, I hired her and she went
on to become our senior PR &
communications manager!”PASSION
Debra Eckersley,
PwC managing
Partner “The ones
who stand out are the people who
are passionate about something.
One candidate was interested in
what the future of work looks like
and instead of just talking about it
she was doing something about it.
On her own she became the driving
force in setting up a conference that
more than 300 people now attend
every year. I admire that drive.”