Excellent article by @jeff_haden in Inc. on identifying the traits of the exceptional employee.  Taking a page from Jack Welch, most organizations usually contain about 10% of their workforce performing at the exceptional level.  Identifying these individuals in the hiring process is key to increasing your share!     http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/8-signs-an-employee-is-exceptional-that-never-appear-on-performance-evaluations.html