Orange Code the story behind ING Direct is a great read through and through. CEO Arkadi Kuhlmann tells the story of how he started ING Direct, from creating the company’s famous 12 point “orange code” to how he built the team at ING Direct.
His hiring advice resonated most with me, as it centers on motivation, which I believe is the single most important predictor of future performance, once capabilities and skills have been ascertained. Kuhlmann’s advice:
Motivation and character are the things that separate loyal, enthusiastic workers from paycheck-collecting journeymen. Demand competence but look for character.
Hire people who have experienced rejection and have something to prove to the world. Real heart and commitment come from someone who has tasted failure and injustice.
The need to achieve something is imprinted on one’s personality. If you have it, you can easily recognize it in one another. The best want to leave a mark that says: “We were here and we made a difference”
Another interesting point is on building a team vs. hiring an individual.
Don’t just hire – assemble a cast. Competence is a commodity. Sure, you need everyone in an organization to be able to do his or her job reliably and efficiently. But competence is table stakes for any employable candidate, and that means that it’s equally available to your competitors. Companies will look at resumes and decide that the more years you’ve gone without screwing up, the more valuable you mustbe. But there’s no profit in that. Not losing isn’t the same as winning.
A great summary of the book can be found here.
Also Arkadi Kuhlmann and his branding consulting Bruce Phillip, talked at Google about the book – great video to watch to get a sense of Kuhlmann as a person.
beyond 140 