Competitive

9. Ask the candidate about their hobbies, interests, and outside activities.

Look for: A candidate who does things that are competitive. The obvious answer is to look for someone who competes in sports, or other very competitive activities such as chess, sailing, theater, and music (for example, real musicians love to “do it just a little better than the other guy”). Look for these types of activities.

10. Ask the candidate if they’ve ever won a sales contest, and how they felt about it.

Look for: A candidate who obviously is excited about winning the contest. You’ll hear it in their voice, and if they’re sitting nearby you’ll see it in their face and their body language. Bear in mind here, you’re looking for the way they answer this question more than the answer itself.