Tiger Buford, an orthopedic recruiter, argues that remarkable companies hire for entrepreneurial traits, not just experience. He identifies five characteristics of high performers: they execute fast, embrace risk, thrive under pressure, take ownership without permission, and have side hustles. These hires may clash with existing culture but can transform the organization.
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Brought to you by Tiger Buford. Hello, orthopedic professionals. Welcome to Inside Orthopedics. My name is Tiger. I'm an orthopedic industry insider and retained recruiter for emerging orthopedic companies. Thank you for listening. This is episode number 6. The title is Dynamite for Your Orthopedic Company. Let's get right into it. As you know, I often write or speak about the differences between ordinary orthopedic companies and innovative orthopedic companies. The contrast always blows me away when I'm talking to leaders of of both the same day. One simple way to help create a remarkable or innovative company is hiring. In other words, who you bring into your company. So let's first look at an ordinary orthopedic company. So if you want to build an ordinary orthopedic company, then you should hire safe people. This hiring is really pretty easy. Just hire people based on experience alone who fit neatly into your job description. These people will follow instructions, work within their space. They're very safe hires, and once on board, you will show them their office and tell them what to work on, and they will do it. If this is okay for your company, you can stop listening right now and just go to a different podcast. Now let's look at remarkable orthopedic companies. If you want to truly build a remarkable orthopedic company, then you should hire entrepreneurial people. This hiring is much more challenging. These people may not fit into your job description. You must hire based on their traits, not their experience. They may have had multiple jobs in their careers. Their past may be checkered with wins and losses. Their previous companies or projects or ventures may have failed. They may even look funny or sound funny or not fit in exactly into your culture. So if you're interested in an injection of entrepreneurial types What should you look for? So I've noticed 5 character traits in individuals that I, I think have an entrepreneurial bent. These people do really well in startups. Many of these traits can be tested or teased out during the interviewing process. So let's, let's go over all 5. Trait number 1: of dynamite individuals. Trait number 1: They act first. So the entrepreneurial types would rather act than deliberate. The best orthopedic companies often don't start off with a brilliant idea, they iterate into one. And it's hard to learn from thinking, it's much easier to learn from doing. Entrepreneurs are both doers and thinkers, but they usually finish their thinking long before everybody else does. They like to get their hands dirty. They like to act. Ideas were meant to be executed, not discussed in meetings for hours. Entrepreneurial employees get fidgety during meetings and often don't show up to meetings, or have an urge to quit talking and just start doing. So that's number 1, they act first. Trait number 2 of dynamite individuals. They are attracted to risk. Entrepreneurial types are drawn towards risk because they see the potential there. They are almost always optimists. They believe that the time or money invested in a new idea will pan out and it will be worth it one day. In your company, they will often make or support risky decisions. Heck, they may have joined your company because of the risk in the business model itself. And outside your company, they're often found participating in risky or wild adventures. So that's number 2, they're attracted to risk. Trait number 3 of dynamite individuals, they're motivated by big challenges. Many employees shrink into the background when big challenges emerge. Entrepreneurs, on the other hand, rise to the occasion. Big challenges motivate them to work harder. They become energized by the call for all hands on deck. These are the employees who are staying late and working weekends to solve the big problems., they lock in and become even more engaged. So number 3, they're motivated by big challenges. Trait number 4 of dynamite individuals: they have an ownership mentality. Entrepreneurial types think like the owners of the company. This mindset makes them comfortable with ambiguity and understanding exactly how their role impacts or affects others in the company. In this ownership mentality, they seek out the most creative solutions without constantly seeking approval and slowing things down. They don't want to wait for managers to bring feedback, insight, or suggestions to every meeting. When things get really hairy, the entrepreneurs usually stick around and try to help find the solution. While the others may leave your company for more, a more comfortable ecosystem. So number 4 is the ownership mentality. And then lastly, number 5, the trait number 5 of dynamite individuals, they have an underlying hunger. Entrepreneurs have an innate hunger inside them. They often call it an itch when you, when you talk to them. This itch is usually demonstrated early in life, in high school or in their 20s. When you interview them, you often find out that they have a side hustle, a part-time job on the weekends, some consulting, patent they're working on, or something else. They moonlight. Often their side hustle gives them added energy, enthusiasm, and creativity. So don't worry about the side hustle. This actually will help bring extra energy into your company. So there we have it, the 5 character traits of an individual with an entrepreneurial bent. They act first. They're attracted to risk. They're motivated by big challenges. They have an ownership mentality. And they have an underlying hunger. So, now that you can spot them during the interview process, let me give you one word of caution after you bring an entrepreneur into your culture. Having this new individual on your team may not feel comfortable at first. He or she may not work well with your existing teams. But don't be fooled. These entrepreneur types are seldom lone rangers. They will seek out the right people in your organization that they like to work with and make the magic happen. Additionally, he or she may not respect some of the boundaries in your company that others take for granted. They may, may have a tendency to come up with a new or better way of doing things inside or outside their job description. Ultimately, your entrepreneurial hires may add new stress to the organization You may even clash with them personally and desperately at times. But that's the price of adding dynamite to your organization. They may change your organization or they may even change the world. That's all. Thank you and follow me on orthostreams.com or on Twitter @tigerbuford. Don't forget to subscribe. Be safe out there.
