I just finished a course on Hiring the Right Faculty.  I think this is such an important area to focus on for anyone involved in the hiring process.  Hiring can be very expensive and time consuming for everyone involved.  One of the biggest take-aways I got from the course was something called 'deal breakers.'  These are traits that new instructors must have.  Sometimes we assume (especially when we are working in specialty areas) that if an applicant has worked in the field and knowledgeable in a subject area, then they will be a good instructor.  Teaching something is very different that doing.  The ability to transferknowledge to another person is not always intuitive or even easy to learn.  When hiring faculty try to stick to your initial criteria and be open about the challenges in the