Use these hiring principles to create an effective and productive team.

Traditional hiring methods are not very effective. You may end up hiring people that are not productive, that don’t fit the position, or who simply were not honest during the interview. When hiring new people, follow these principles, and you will build an epic team.

1. Don’t trust resumes.
   They are exaggerated, full of half-truths, and misleading.

2. Require a cover letter.
   A candidate cannot write a personalized cover letter to 300 companies. So, if he takes the time to send one to you, you can trust his interest in your company.

3. How well a candidate can do things is more important than how long they have been doing it.
   Often, five years of experience is the same as six months. Length of time is not a good measurement.

4. Don’t look at formal education.
   Hire people that have the knowledge and skills that you need.

5. Hire people that get things done, not delegators.
   Delegators are people that love to delegate and love meetings but don’t get much done by themselves.

6. When you need managers, hire managers of one.
   Those are the people that can manage themselves and the team effectively without much direction from you. To find these people, look for people that have run something on their own or launched some kind of project.

7. If you are not sure who to hire, always hire the better writer.
   Great copy is a sign of clear thinking. Great writers know how to communicate. They can be great contributors to your content marketing strategy.

8. Don’t limit yourself to hiring in one geographical location. The best workers can be anywhere.
   Hiring someone to work remotely can be cheaper and better. Usually, it’s better to hire a great worker from another country than a mediocre worker from your city.

9. Before hiring someone for your main project, hire them for a mini-project. Then evaluate their work.
   Interviews will not give you enough information to make such a big decision. You have to test that person first.