Warren Buffet Says: “Hire for This Trait”

Warren Buffett is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett is considered one of the most successful investors in the world and has a net worth of over $100 billion USD, making him the world’s tenth-wealthiest person.

When hiring, Buffet says he looks for three key traits: intelligence, initiative or energy, and integrity. The most important, according to Buffett? Integrity – the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.y

Why is integrity so important? Because people with integrity tend to:

Keep the lines of communication open with everyone in the organization and are always honest.
Practice what they preach, keep their word, and follow through on commitments.
Stay true to themselves. They do not pretend to be someone they are not. They are genuine and real.

If you are thinking this is a no-brainer and that people with integrity are everywhere, based on my experience, you should think again. Many people who I meet do not keep their word or lay their cards on the table. Commitments are hollow and walls are up; much to my dismay.

Jill, What Can I Do? Hire people who embody your organization’s values. If integrity is not one of your values, hire for it anyway. During the interview process, ask candidates to give you real-life examples of how they live in integrity. Then sit back and listen. In most instances, people will tell you who they really are – you simply have to listen.