What I look for in a new hire

• Name: Jason Pastega, 36
• Company: Skout Natural Foods, Portland, Ore.

Integrity is the most important quality we look for when hiring for Skout Natural Foods. You can teach much of the knowledge regarding our business, but certain values are essential. Our brand and products are built upon integrity. We exclusively use all-natural, organic ingredients in our trail bars, and product transparency is our top priority.

We may ask interviewees, "What philosophy do you operate by when interacting with others?" Or, "Discuss a time when your integrity was challenged. How did you handle it?" Or, "How do you earn the trust of others?"

People of integrity tend to become personally invested in the success of the company. We want people who have the discipline to focus and work hard, but who can also think outside of the box.

We've trusted our intuition since we launched in 2008, and it has worked. We've found a solid crew of dependable individuals, four full-time and three part-time, and we all function as partners. It has amplified the growth of our family-owned company.

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