Key Traits To Look For When Building Your Team
KDCI Outsourcing
KDCI is a leading offshore staffing company based in Manila. We are digital outsourcing masters in the Philippines.
Success is as much a group endeavor as it is an individual one.
Apple started with a team of three: Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne.
Twitter started with a team of four: Evan Williams, Biz Stone, Noah Glass, and Jack Dorsey.
LinkedIn started with a team of six: Reid Hoffman, Allen Blue, Konstantin Guericke, Eric Ly, and Jean-Luc Vaillant.
While these companies may not be run by the same teams today, they all have one thing in common -- they belong to the Fortune 500 and have achieved significant success.
Your Success Begins With Your People
Having the right people on your team is like hitting the jackpot in the business world. It's all about bringing together individuals who not only have the skills but also the drive and passion to push forward.
These are the folks who see challenges as puzzles to solve, driving innovation and creativity. They're the glue that holds the vision together, transforming ambitious goals into reality. With them, you're not just working; you're building a legacy.
Then there's the vibe they bring to the workplace. The right team members infuse the environment with positivity and resilience, transforming challenges into opportunities. They're not just colleagues but brainstorming partners and a support network, who are key to not just surviving but thriving in the competitive business world.
With the right team, you're setting the stage for unmatched success, where work becomes more than just a job—it turns into a mission.
8 Traits Of Amazing Team Members
When scouting for the ideal additions to your team, it's the soft skills—not just the hard skills listed on a resume—that truly make the difference.
Soft skills enable individuals to collaborate effectively, overcome challenges, and contribute to a positive workplace culture, turning a group of skilled individuals into a cohesive, high-performing team.
Below are the soft skills we look for when building our teams at KDCI Outsourcing:
1. Diverse Skill Sets
Diversity in skills and experiences brings a wealth of perspectives and a broad skill set when it comes to problem-solving and innovation. It allows the team to tackle a wider array of challenges efficiently, as different members can contribute unique insights and solutions.
This can be seen in a person’s work history and projects they've been involved in. Ask for specific examples where they've had to use different skills or learn new ones.
2. Adaptability
In a fast-changing business landscape, especially with the introduction of remote work, the ability to adapt is crucial. Adaptable team members can handle shifts in projects, technology, and work environments without losing momentum, ensuring the team remains productive and on track.
This can be seen in how they've faced significant changes or challenges at work and how they handled them. Adaptability often shows through stories of adjustment and resilience.
3. Passion and Drive
Passionate and driven individuals are often self-motivated, which is particularly important in a remote setting where direct management is limited. Their enthusiasm can be contagious, inspiring others and elevating the team's overall performance.
Listen for enthusiasm when someone talks about past projects or interests. People with passion and drive tend to speak more animatedly and in detail about their work and achievements.
4. Collaboration
Effective collaboration is essential for teams to function smoothly, be it on-site or remote. Team members who can work well with others help ensure that projects progress seamlessly, fostering a sense of unity and shared purpose.
Learn about a person’s team projects and their role in them. Look for those who speak positively about teamwork and can highlight the success of the project through collective effort rather than individual contributions alone.
5. Communication Skills
Clear communication is the lifeline of any successful team. Being able to express ideas clearly, listen actively, and address conflicts promptly ensures misunderstandings are minimized and collaboration is efficient.
This can be seen in how clearly and effectively someone communicates with you. Are they articulate? Can they listen and respond thoughtfully? Good communicators also tend to ask insightful questions.
6. Problem-Solving Abilities
Being in high-stress situations requires quick thinking and resourcefulness, as help may not be as readily available. Team members who can independently solve problems contribute to the resilience and self-sufficiency of the team.
To test one’s problem-solving ability, present hypothetical problems or discuss real ones they've encountered, focusing on their thought process and solutions. Problem-solvers will typically detail their approach and reasoning behind their decisions.
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7. Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence promotes a healthy, supportive work environment, which is vital for a healthy team. Understanding and managing one's emotions, along with empathy for others, helps in navigating the nuances of communication and maintaining team harmony.
Observe a person’s self-awareness and how they relate to others. Ask about conflicts or difficult interactions and how they were handled to provide insight into their level of emotional intelligence.
8. Reliability
In any form of work, reliability is key. Team members who consistently meet deadlines and follow through on commitments build trust and ensure the team's objectives are met without the need for constant supervision.
A quick way to verify this is by checking references to verify their dependability. Ask previous employers or teammates about one’s punctuality, ability to meet deadlines, and general accountability.
How To Build Your Team
Knowing what you want in new team members is all good and well, but how exactly do you build a team?
Building your team is a strategic task that goes beyond just matching skills to roles. It involves a careful blend of planning and resource management, ensuring that each team member's strengths complement the others, while also aligning with your project's goals and constraints.
Here’s a step-by-step process of how you can build your team.
Start by identifying the key goals and objectives of your project or organization. Then, determine the skills and roles necessary to achieve these objectives.
If you have an existing team, evaluate their skills and capabilities, then identify gaps in their skills, knowledge, or capabilities. Otherwise, list all the skills and capabilities you need in your team.
Equally important is assessing your available resources (budget for training, the time team members can dedicate to learning without affecting projects, and access to educational tools like online courses or workshops).
The goal is to strike a balance between filling the skill gaps while working within your budget and time constraints.
Determine the optimal size and structure of your team based on your identified objective and available resources. Consider how each role interacts within the team, ensuring that the structure facilitates effective communication and collaboration, thereby maximizing efficiency and productivity in achieving your goals.
Once this is established, clearly define the roles and responsibilities within the team, ensuring each member will be able to understand their contribution to the team's objectives and how they fit within the overall organizational structure.
As mentioned before, look for hard skills (technical abilities, specific knowledge) as well as soft skills (communication, teamwork, adaptability) when building your team. List all of these down, and organize them in order of importance so you can prioritize which qualities are non-negotiable and which ones can be developed over time.
Draft job descriptions that accurately reflect the roles and required skills you need in your new hires. Use a variety of channels to find potential candidates (job boards, networking, referrals). And when doing interviews, focus on both hard and soft skills as well as cultural fit and potential growth.
Develop a comprehensive onboarding process to familiarize new members with the team, culture, and objectives. The goal is to foster relationships and communication among team members while also providing training and resources they need to perform their tasks.
Building your team doesn’t stop with having new members onboarded and productive. The goal is not to have a group of people working on their own, but to build a winning team that supports and encourages each other in achieving your collective goals.
To do this, encourage communication and feedback. Promote a culture of continuous learning and improvement. Recognize and celebrate achievements and milestones. And when conflicts and challenges, address them promptly and constructively.
Build Your Team Offshore
It takes a lot of skill and resources to build the perfect team. If you have the capability, then going through the steps outlined above is the way to go.
But if you don’t, you can hire experts to do it for you.
KDCI Outsourcing specializes in building offshore teams that have more than just the specialized skills and experience you’re looking for, they also have the right attitude and soft skills that will allow them to seamlessly integrate into your operations and work side by side with your inhouse team.
Visit www.kdci.co to learn more!