Spoiler alert: you won’t know.
Not right away.
Hiring is like dating. People show up to interviews with their best behavior, their best stories, and their cleanest shoes. It’s all a show until they’re on shift, in your space, working next to your team.
But over the years, and through enough bad hires to build a sitcom, I’ve found a few signals that separate the clock-punchers from the keepers.
Here’s how I do it.
Hire for Behavior, Not Experience
I don’t care if you’ve worked in a bar, a boutique, or a damn amusement park.
If you show up with the wrong attitude, it doesn’t matter.
You can train someone how to run a register. You can’t train them to give a damn.
I’ve hired people with no direct experience who turned out to be top performers.
Why? Because they wanted to be there. They took pride in learning fast. They showed initiative.
I once had someone walk into my business, resume in hand, and just say, “I’m looking for work.”
Didn’t apply online. Didn’t wait around for an Indeed notification.
They got dressed, hit the pavement, and made moves.
That’s the kind of hustle I’m looking for.
Real Story From My Convenience Store
Except that’s not what I got.
At my convenience store, I used to get excited when someone handed me a resume from another gas station or 7-Eleven.
I thought, Perfect… they already know how to run a register, deal with inventory, sell lottery tickets, check them, cash them and report them.
What I got were people trained by apathetic owners. People who’d developed sloppy habits. People who’d cut corners, argued when corrected, and brought their lazy systems into my operation like they were doing me a favor.
They couldn’t. Or worse, simply wouldn’t adapt.
Hiring people from within the same industry didn’t make things easier. It made things harder.
So I stopped hiring experience. And started hiring work ethic.
Watch How They Interview
Forget what they say. Watch what they do.
If they’re checking their phone mid-interview? Out.
If they show up late, underdressed, or looking like they just rolled out of bed? Gone.
I always ask, “What did you like most about your last job?” And, “What did you like least?”
If their answers are thoughtful, cool. If they immediately jump into trashing their old boss, they’re not a fit.
You can learn a lot by dragging out the interview just a bit longer and seeing how their body language changes.
Ask Hypotheticals That Reveal Patterns
Skip the “where do you see yourself in five years” nonsense.
Instead ask:
“Tell me about a time you fixed a problem that wasn’t yours to fix.”
“How would you handle it if a customer walked in five minutes before close?”
“What would you do if you saw another staff member cutting corners?”
You’re looking for ownership, not obedience. You want people who anticipate, not just react.
Try a Paid Trial Shift (If It Makes Sense)
One shift. Paid. No pressure.
You’ll learn more in a 4-hour block than four interviews combined.
How they communicate. How they take feedback. How fast they pick things up.
If your business model allows for it, do it.
Involve the Team
I’m not the one who works side-by-side with the new hire all day. My staff is.
So I get their sign-off. I bring in my most trusted team members and ask for input.
If they say, “Nah, that one’s a problem,” I listen.
When your staff helps make the decision, they’re invested in the outcome.
Pay More to Get More
At one of my businesses, I boosted the starting pay by 50%.
Guess what happened?
Better applicants. Better performance. Less turnover.
When someone knows they’ve got one of the best-paying jobs around, they protect it.
You don’t get loyalty by nickel-and-diming your people.
You get loyalty by giving them a reason to show up ready to win.
Real Talk
You’re not hiring a resume. You’re hiring a person.
You’re building a culture. A vibe. A team that can go to war with you on a Friday night when three staff call out and the walk-in fridge just blew a fuse.
So don’t rush. Don’t compromise.
And when you find someone with that spark, that hustle, that get-it-done energy?
Train them. Invest in them. Keep them.
Because those people are gold—and they’re harder to find than ever.