40-year-old Ben Goodwin, who runs a successful CEO-focused recruiting agency, advises passion trumps technical ability all day long when it comes to hiring new candidates. These are going to be the most valued traits in future employees, he argues—from creative problem solving to a dynamic skillset and excellent public speaking skills. Goodwin’s skills-based approach to recruitment prioritizes candidates’ motivations and self-awareness over their resumes.
Goodwin chronicles the process in detail, offering valuable advice for first-time entrepreneurs as they take the leap and start their first businesses. He’s found candidates who really want to win have a “real fire in their belly.” It’s this authentic desire that drives them to greatness. This self-starter spirit, he goes on to make clear, is far sexier than any touted pedigree or Ivy League credentials. He speaks from experience, I’m sure, when he claims that passion breeds a defensive reaction to threats to your work — and your company’s mission.
In his interviews, Goodwin commonly asks questions designed to test how much self-awareness a candidate has. He wants people who can communicate their unique capabilities and profile honestly. His philosophy is clear: “To keep your ego in check, you have to know what your derailers are, which means you have to be humble enough or vulnerable enough to admit to them,” he explains.
As we’ve seen throughout his career, Goodwin has never chosen money over values. Despite great personal need, he rejected large monetary advances. This commitment exemplifies his conviction that an ego too big would sink the ship. “We cannot hire people whose personal egos are ever bigger than the mission of the team,” he states, reinforcing his stance on the importance of humility in the workplace.
Goodwin understands that employees who are unengaged or have no connection to their company’s purpose can be a huge threat. He argues that passion is one of the most important leadership characteristics to create employee engagement and retention. “Between passion and technical acumen, passion always wins out,” he declared, demonstrating his belief that passion is the basis for success.
His ideas have found a receptive audience, going on to be highlighted in multiple CNBC articles. In an increasingly competitive, tech-driven professional climate that often centers hard skills, Goodwin’s mindset is refreshing. It’s a beautiful reminder of the value of passion and self-awareness. He adds, “Somebody who can communicate that cluster has probably done a lot of their own inner work. This may seem surprising, but it underscores that to be a high functioning team, individual growth is essential.