[Note: This post was updated July 2022 for freshness & clarity.] In the book, The Truth About Managing People, professor Stephen P. Robbins shared a very useful and applicable tip when hiring people: When in doubt, hire conscientious people! The APA Dictionary of Psychology (VandenBos, 2007) defines conscientiousness as: the tendency to be organized, responsible, and hardworking, construed as one end of a dimension of individual differences (conscientiousness vs. lack of dire