22 Business View Magazine - June 2016
WHAT IS THE MOST
IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTE
FOR NEW HIRES; WHAT
DO YOU LOOK FOR?
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 profes-
sional manner.”
Michael Sawaya, Executive Director - Henry B Gon-
zalez Convention Center
“We look for people who line up with our core val-
ues: teamwork, integrity, innovation, and profes-
sionalism. 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 Rich-
mond 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 hospital-
ity 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 some-
body to really care about people; they either have that
or they don’t. So that’s what we’re looking for.”
