This is part two of a two-part series on beam holders. Read on to find out what that is, and how you can find them.

In my last column, I wrote about the value of beam holders to your business. In the words of Sharon Sloane, chief executive of Will Interactive, a company that makes training videos, a beam holder is “Someone who feels personally responsible for the welfare and growth of the company and will do whatever it takes.”

I refer to these folks as Super Stars in Game Breaking Positions. These are the people you want working for your company at any time, and especially when your business is in dire straits.

So how do you find them? For higher-level positions, I recommend spending the money for a search firm. While you may need to shell out big bucks, it’s a wise investment in your business to find the right person. Particularly if you are in a hurry to fill a position. Please read more about it in my column, “How to Search for Superstars.”

If you have adequate time to fill a position and want to hire someone yourself, determine what attributes you would like in that person and set those as criteria for hiring.

Here are examples of criteria others look for. An article I read on http://www.fastcompany.com, “The Top 5 Traits All Top Performers Share” by Morton Mandel and John Bryne listed these five traits:

1. Intellectual firepower
2. Values
3. Passion
4. Work ethic
5. Experience

Another article in http://www.tlnt.com, “The Five Attributes of High-Performing Employees” by Laura Stack, mentions these:

1. Looks good on paper
2. Has a Yoda attitude, personified by the saying, “Do. Or do not. There is no try.”
3. Has sharp, well-defined goals
4. Ambitious
5. Has excellent time-management skills

And yet another article on entrepreneur.com, “5 Attributes to Look for in High-Performing Employees,” by Ryan Caldbeck, lists these five:

1. Horsepower (intelligence)
2. Ownership and pride
3. Work Ethic
4. Integrity
5. Teamwork

I wouldn’t argue with any of these qualities. These are all excellent traits to look for in an employee. And despite all these articles, you don’t have to stick with just five. Select which qualities are most important to you and look for those when hiring. That should lead to you building an A team of beam holders and super starts.

Let’s say your business is going along just fine and you don’t have any available positions. I recommend you always keep your eyes and ears open for the next beam holder. If someone you meet at a party or networking event particularly impresses you, get his or her business card and file it away for when you do need someone. You always want to keep your A team well staffed.

And one last point. Once you hire these people, you need to compensate them well to ensure they will stick around. Always keep them ahead of the curve on compensation. You aren’t the only one always on the hunt for beam holders.