The Three E's Hiring Screen
Screen for energy, empathy, and enthusiasm after testing raw intelligence
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 95%
Serhant's hiring approach begins with a function and raw intelligence rather than a familiar industry resume. He argues that highly intelligent people can figure out an unfamiliar business, while experienced candidates may keep describing what they used to do. For executive roles, he therefore looks outside the industry and then tests three behavioral qualities: energy, empathy, and enthusiasm. Those qualities are connected to three operating outcomes—speed, quality, and experience—which provide a practical check on whether the hire improves the company. The mechanism is designed for a startup that cannot simply repeat an old playbook. Intelligence supports adaptation, the Three E's shape collaboration and customer impact, and the outcome metrics keep the screen tied to actual performance.
Origin
Ryan Serhant says he moved away from experience-led hiring after meetings with experienced candidates repeatedly focused on what they used to do.
Core principles
- 01Raw intelligence can outweigh a conventional resume
- 02Out-of-industry hires are less attached to old operating assumptions
- 03Energy, empathy, and enthusiasm shape how intelligence is applied
- 04Performance must improve speed, quality, and experience
How to run it
- 1
Define the function
Specify the business function the person must own rather than copying a standard industry resume. Make the expected contribution concrete.
Pro tip Describe the problems to solve, not just the previous title required.
Watch out Do not leave essential role outcomes undefined.
- 2
Test raw intelligence
Look for evidence that the candidate can understand unfamiliar systems and figure things out. Give more weight to reasoning than pedigree alone.
Pro tip Use a new problem that cannot be answered by reciting past experience.
Watch out Intelligence does not replace integrity or required competence.
- 3
Look outside the industry
Consider people from high-growth environments that faced analogous operating challenges. Evaluate how their thinking transfers without requiring the same playbook.
Pro tip Rideshare operations is Serhant's example of adjacent high-growth experience.
Watch out Do not ignore mandatory domain knowledge.
- 4
Screen the Three E's
Test the candidate's energy, empathy, and enthusiasm. Observe how these traits appear in difficult or ambiguous situations.
Pro tip Ask for examples that reveal behavior rather than self-ratings.
Watch out Do not confuse performative excitement with sustained energy.
- 5
Measure the three outcomes
Judge whether the hire improves speed, quality, and the experience left with others. Use all three rather than rewarding speed alone.
Pro tip Define an observable indicator for each outcome before onboarding.
Watch out Faster work with worse quality or experience fails the scorecard.
In the wild
Serhant describes hiring someone with operational experience in a high-growth rideshare app for a cloud brokerage opening a state every month. The person would not know his exact business but could transfer the ability to solve rapid scaling problems.
→ The company gains adaptable operating intelligence without importing a legacy brokerage playbook.
Common mistakes
Hiring the resume instead of the thinker
Industry experience can anchor conversations in old methods rather than the business the company is becoming.
Rewarding speed alone
Movement that reduces quality or leaves a poor experience does not satisfy the operating metrics.
Is it for you?
Best for
Startups and changing businesses that need leaders to invent better operating methods.
Not ideal for
Regulated or technical roles where required credentials and domain competence cannot be learned after hiring.
From the transcript
“Um listen, I hire first and foremost for intelligence.”
“I also test for energy, empathy, and enthusiasm.”
“And then our three key metrics are speed, quality, and experience.”
From the episode
Sales Expert: 3 Ways To Get A YES Every Time
Ryan Serhant