Change. Transformation. Disruption. Innovation. Today’s buzzwords ring throughout corporate America. Yet these terms aptly describe what I experienced as a long-tenured general counsel in a company that transitioned from wholly-owned to private, to a company owned by the federal government, and finally a public company. I served under five different CEOs and a board of directors that turned over at least four times, each of the entities requiring a different set of skills. Facing numerous changes and challenges, I knew that one constant would ensure success: surrounding myself with a great in-house legal team. To build a good team, I created this checklist to review when hiring or promoting direct reports.

Our recent webinar showcased an expert panel discussing how growth in responsibilities and influence impacts recruitment and pay for top legal talent, based on findings from the new Equilar and BarkerGilmore report, General Counsel Pay Trends. Click here to access the WEBINAR RECORDING, and review the REPORT.

When it comes time to hire, what are the most important criteria to use when selecting someone who will thrive in your organization? While credentials, work experience, and great references are important, they only scratch the surface of hiring the ideal candidate. What else should you consider when making the final hiring decision? To answer this question, I surveyed successful GCs from multiple industries across the country for their perspectives. A special thanks to those who shared their insights for this article. Read on for some of their tried-and-true evaluation metrics.

As the role of the top legal officer at public companies continues to evolve, median total direct compensation (TDC) has increased 6.7%, according to the Equilar & BarkerGilmore General Counsel Pay Trends 2018 report. The report examines the 500 largest (by reported revenue) U.S.-headquartered companies that trade on one of the three major U.S. stock exchanges (Nasdaq, NYSE, or NYSE American).

Cornell Boggs most recently served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Toys “R” Us and managed the global legal function. Previously as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Dow Corning Corporation, the world’s largest silicone product producer, he led Global Legal, Government Affairs, and Corporate Security, and served as Chief Compliance Officer.

Michelle Banks most recently served as Executive Vice President, Global General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, and Chief Compliance Officer of Gap Inc. (Fortune: 178/NYSE: GPS), the third largest global clothing and accessories retailer and owner of the Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Athleta, and Intermix brands. At Gap Inc., she led the global equity, foundation, franchise services, governance, government affairs and public policy, integrity, legal, privacy, and sustainability functions while managing teams in 15 countries.