Finding a good business developer can be a daunting task. While most recruiters are looking for employees with extensive business development experience, they may not be the best candidates. They have often done routine work over the past 15 years, which is not what you are looking for. Find proactive, caring candidates who have leadership qualities and can be good followers.

Qualities to look for when hiring a business developer

We have created a portrait of the ideal business developer for you, and you can search for candidates based on the following characteristics:

• They are caring and have a high level of empathy.
• Great business developers always take an interest in the people around them. They are excellent conversation starters interested in learning about the people they interact with. In many cases, they recognize the contributions of the people around them and don’t care to take credit for their work.
• They are very active and like to take the initiative: no matter the company’s size, an excellent business developer will not wait to be told what needs to be done. He always tries his best to solve problems. When a project is at risk, they will recognize it without warning because a BusDev must always think ahead and be ready to rush to help, even if he is not asked for it.
• They drive change: great business developers are often different and like to be different. Some may consider them quirky and weird in a good way. They believe you shouldn’t waste time trying to fit in when you can always stand out.

Ideal business developers are not arrogant know-it-alls. They understand their strengths and weaknesses very well. Essentially, this means they feel comfortable and don’t feel threatened by delegating to others to fill in areas they lack.