In this ever-evolving era of startups and entrepreneurship, it is oftentimes difficult to see what businesses are looking for in an ideal employee. While as much as they want to diversity the selection of candidates, the overall concept of a perfect employee still remains the same.

First and foremost, an ideal candidate is confident in their work and in themselves. With a large amount of applicants to pick from, you want to make sure the next person you hire for your company is assertive and self-assured. There are too many applicants who waste their time comparing themselves with others. Everybody has his or her own strengths and weaknesses. The difference between a confident employee and a weak applicant is that they can accept everything as they are. This level of confidence can be translated in their personal interactions and overall office work. If you find yourself struggling to accept your abilities, especially when it comes to your weaknesses, make sure you change that. Employers like to find individuals who know they are capable of going above and beyond the average expectation.

On top of confidence, an ideal candidate is interested in building and nurturing work relationships. While there is of course a humbling process where a new candidate is the so-called ‘rookie’ of the office, you want to make sure that individual is leveraging their interactions to the best of their abilities. This is what we call building for success. This will allow them to maintain that vital network with the right people so that they can develop and improve within the workplace.

Outside of their network, an ideal candidate does not work harder, but rather works smarter. Bill Gates once said that, “I would rather choose a lazy person to do a hard job because a lazy person will find a way to do it easier.” As much as you want to find the most talented individuals for your workplace, you want to make sure they are efficient, effect, and consistent in producing the best possible products with the least possible effort. This type of maximized time gives your company a strong leverage pushing other skills needed for their development. Bare in mind, this ability does take time. In order for them to work at such a high level, they first need to understand the process. Once they understand it, the best of the best candidates are able manipulate and shape the strategy to the best of their advantage.

Beyond their work habits, an ideal candidate focuses specifically for the customer. Mark Cuban once said that, you should “treat your customers like they own you because they do.” In any business, this statement is very true. Ideal candidates recognize this dynamic and are able to change their perspective and viewpoint when talking or communicating with a customer. That type of mentality allows them to understand any customer or client’s concerns and create impactful and solutions on the day-to-day basis.

Finally, an ideal candidate sees the bigger picture for a company. When working with any type of individual, you want to make sure that they understand the overall vision and goal for your company. For an ideal employee, these individuals do not just understand the goal, but also look for opportunities to enhance your goals each and every day. They are the movers and game changers of your industry and the perfect individuals to help scale your startup into a full-fledged empire.