How to Spot the Right Talent Before Hiring Them

I was having a conversation with one of my clients and mentor recently, and she opened up about her struggle with hiring. She runs a growing fashion retail business in Lagos.

When she first started, she had just one admin staff who proves to be loyal, hardworking, and willing to give her best. But as the business grew, so did the workload. Orders kept coming in, customer inquiries never stopped, and social media needed constant attention. Slowly, she began to notice the signs of strain on her staff: forgotten details, mistakes that weren’t typical, and a tiredness that no pep talk could fix.

She knew she couldn’t keep watching her only staff burn out. She needed to bring someone else on board, not just to handle the tasks, but to keep her small team motivated and sane.

So, she put out a job ad. Within a week, she interviewed a young lady whose CV looked perfect. She had a business degree, customer service experience, and confidence that impressed her. Desperate to ease the load, she hired her immediately.

But within weeks, reality hit. The new hire wasn’t patient with customers. She preferred quick, dismissive answers over listening. When problems arose, she often pushed them back to her colleague instead of solving them. Instead of easing the pressure, she added to it. The stress on her and her staff only grew heavier.

Frustrated but wiser, my mentor decided she wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. She sat down and rethought her hiring approach. This time, she looked past qualifications and focused on attitude, mindset, and problem-solving. She asked scenario-based questions to see how candidates thought, not just what they had done on paper.

That’s when Lois walked in. Her resume wasn’t extraordinary, but her passion was. She spoke about why customer care mattered to her and shared a story about coming through during a critical moment at her previous job to fix a delivery issue, saying, “Customers don’t just buy products—they buy trust.”

That line stuck with my mentor. She hired Lois, and everything changed. Customers loved her warmth, her former staff finally had breathing room, and the entire business felt lighter. Lois, who happened to be the new staff even suggested small process changes that saved time and reduced errors.

Looking back, my mentor told me, “I thought hiring was just about filling a gap, but I realized it’s about finding the right fit. The right person doesn’t just do the job, they lift the whole team.”

And she’s right. Spotting the right talent isn’t about who looks best on paper but about who shares your values, brings the right attitude, and grows with your vision. Skills can be trained, but passion, patience, and commitment can’t.

Have you ever hired someone who looked perfect on paper but wasn’t the right fit in practice? Share your story in the comments and I’d love to hear how you handled it.