Corner Office, Interview with Howard Schultz, chairman, president and C.E.O. of Starbucks; New York Times, 10/10/10

Adam Bryant, Corner Office, New York Times; Interview with Howard Schultz, chairman, president and C.E.O. of Starbucks: Good C.E.O.’s Are Insecure (and Know It):

"Q. How do you hire? What are you looking for in, say, somebody who would be a direct report?

A. I want big thinkers. I want people who are going to be entrepreneurial. I want people who are going to have important things to say and the courage to say them. I want people to challenge the status quo, but I also say something to everyone I hire, and that is: “You don’t have to come in here and try to hit a home run, and let me tell you why. You’re coming in here because I and many others believe very strongly in who you are and what you can bring to the company. So you don’t have to come in here and prove something right away.”

People who succeed at Starbucks are going to demonstrate a healthy level of respect and understanding of the culture of the company and the people who have come before them. There have been great people who have come into the company who haven’t succeeded because they have not embraced the culture and values of the company, so you need to do that.

I think the first 30, 60 days after a new person arrives at Starbucks is the most critical stage. So I will spend more time with that individual on the front end than I probably will that whole year, ensuring that they understand the deep level of sensitivity around the heritage and tradition of the company.

Q. A lot of the qualities you’ve mentioned are intangibles. How do you find out if a job candidate has them?

A. I think one of my strengths is that I have a very good antenna about people. I’ll ask a few things that are probably different from a traditional interview. First off, I want to know what you’re reading and then I’ll ask you why. Tell me what work-life balance means to you. I would want to know specifically their level of understanding about our company and Starbucks culture, and I’ll see early on who’s faking it and who’s not."

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/10/business/10corner.html?scp=2&sq=corner%20office&st=cse