when i hire people, i look for one thing.. are they smart... period.. end of story. if they pass what i think is smart ( and yes its subjective), the you start to drill down into experience, personality, etc. Smart people apply what they have learned to a variety of skills, and are willing to learn more. You can find them anywhere.. one of the best hires i ever found was in an ice cream shop.. she became one of the best PMs i ever had.. We put so many people into silos, sometimes the solution is staring you right in the face!!

How do you hire people? Are you meeting them in person at the data center?