The 3 Traits Scale AI’s CEO Looks for — and Why They Matter for Every Hire (not just startups)
When you’re scaling fast, the difference between a good hire and a great hire often comes down to traits, not titles.
Recently, Scale AI’s CEO shared the three traits he prioritizes when building his team, and they’re exactly the kinds of signals innovative companies should be hiring for, too. While the article is tailored towards scaling startups, these practices can be implemented for any organization.
Read the original article here.
1. Curiosity: The Startup Superpower
Startups operate in an environment where roles evolve quickly, priorities shift, and playbooks don’t always exist. Curious hires don’t just survive in this environment; they thrive in it. They’re the people who dig deeper, figure out better ways to solve problems, and bring fresh thinking to the table.
How to screen for it:
Ask candidates to describe something they learned recently that their job didn’t require.
Pay attention to how they ask you questions during the interview. Often, curiosity is evident during interviews, in how people think and what they say, not just in the final 5 minutes for candidate questions.
2. Collaborative Humility
Startups move fast, but velocity disappears when egos get in the way. High-performing teams need people who lead and listen in equal measure. Scale AI’s CEO emphasizes humility as a core hiring anchor; not weakness, but a willingness to work through problems with others rather than around them.
How to screen for it:
Ask for examples where a candidate changed their mind after new information or feedback.
Notice how they talk about their teammates. True collaborators give credit, share wins, and learn from others.
3. Leadership at Every Level
Job titles don’t define leadership. In a startup, today’s individual contributor may be tomorrow’s team lead or strategic owner. Identifying leadership traits early means building a team that can scale as the company grows.
How to screen for it:
Explore how candidates have influenced decisions without formal authority.
Ask for examples of when they took ownership beyond their job description.
Why These Traits Matter for Your Hiring
Functional skills get candidates in the door. Traits determine whether they scale with your company. Curiosity fuels innovation. Humility creates trust and collaboration. Leadership drives momentum.
When you center your hiring strategy around these qualities, you don’t just fill roles. You build a resilient, adaptive team capable of growing with your vision.
Build Teams That Scale With You
If you’re a founder or hiring leader building a marketing or growth-oriented team, finding candidates who embody these traits is critical. At JRo Recruiting, we help startups and growing companies build teams that thrive.
Let’s talk about how to bring these kinds of candidates into your pipeline.