Choose to hire people who live according to values that you respect rather than focusing on specific skills. Someone who is living to a higher order – loyal, loving, committed, of integrity – exudes a feeling that you know when you encounter it, and that is a person who will make the right choice when under duress.
For example, if a customer has a problem at closing time, the person without values could cut that person off and handle the situation abruptly; however, a person with values will likely choose to hang in with that customer to resolve the situation to its most reasonable outcome.
That being said, whenever there is a question about integrity, dig into a given task and institute a process to handle it so you don't have to rely on that individual's values to run your business.
Key Point: Think twice before hiring friends. While your friends might be talented, they also know you as a friend. In a stress situation, they could default to getting personal rather sticking to business.
