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Determine what a 'good' candidate means to you
There aren't strict rules for what makes a good candidate since different PIs may look for different qualities.
Nevertheless, you should still determine what qualities are important to you before you start hiring since people
can make or break your work. Common desired qualities in candidates include:
Independence
Project management skills
Responsibility and good research practices
Willingness to be a team player
Specific technical skills
Good communication with the PI and lab members
Drive and motivation
Strong work ethic
One of the best ways to determine what to look for in a candidate is
by understanding what skills and qualities are missing amongst you
or your team.
Figure out how many
people you need
There is no right number for the amount of people
that make an efficient lab, but when deciding
how many people to recruit, you should take into
account several factors:
Your goals
Your lab budget
The number of research projects you have
The productivity of your staff
The amount of time you plan to train and mentor
Your lab space
