Barbara Corcoran Only Cares About This One Trait When She’s Hiring
Written by
Jamie Stone
Edited by
Zuri Anderson
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When “Shark Tank” star Barbara Corcoran built her $66 million real estate empire, she discovered that successful hiring isn’t about impressive resumes or perfect credentials. Instead, she focuses on one crucial trait that determines whether a candidate will thrive in their role: Identifying if they’re a “container” or an “expander.”
“There are only two kinds of employees: Containers and expanders,” Corcoran explained, according to her YouTube video. This simple classification system has become her primary hiring filter, trumping traditional resume screening every time.
The longtime money expert described expanders as visionaries and risk-takers.
“They want to see how far they can go. They’re very good at sales. They want to market better. They think ‘How far can I stretch?;’ ‘How can I recruit?;’ ‘What can I do differently?'” Corcoran said. These employees are natural growth drivers who persuade people to their way of thinking and like to see what’s new around the corner.
Containers provide the essential structure that keeps businesses running. They’re “good at making systems, organizing, they like to save money, they ask the hard questions. They corral money,” Corcoran explains. These detail-oriented employees excel at financing, legal work, filing systems, saving the business money and anticipating what is needed down the road.
Dive deep into Corcoran’s thought process behind these types of potential employees and what you can learn.
Why Resumes Don’t Matter
“I don’t even look at resumes, I’m just trying to size them up and figure out if they’re an ultimate container or an ultimate expander,” Corcoran said. Her hiring strategy centers on one key question: Which one are they?
The secret lies in identifying what your team needs most. Corcoran advises to size them up and look for opposites of who you are and your team. If you’re surrounded by creative visionaries, you need organized containers. If your team is heavy on systems people, you need expanders to drive growth.
The Takeaway for Job Seekers
For anyone looking to impress potential employers using Corcoran’s system, the key is demonstrating clear traits from either category. Show you’re an expander through examples of innovation, sales success or creative problem-solving. Prove you’re a container by highlighting organizational wins, cost savings or systems improvements.
The resume becomes secondary when employers can clearly see which type of valuable contributor you are.
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