Warby Parker CEO: Our best employees share 3 qualities

Last year, eyewear-maker Warby Parker became one of the only online retailers to exceed a $1 billion valuation before going public or getting acquired.

The company's co-CEOs Dave Gilboa and Neil Blumenthal — along with cofounders Andrew Hunt and Jeff Raider — have grown Warby Parker into a go-to destination for affordable designer specs since its founding in 2010, boldly challenging the monopoly held by industry heavyweight Luxottica.

The company has headquarters in New York City, a new office in Nashville, and operates nearly 40 retail locations across the country. For the rapidly expanding business, hiring employees who will help push the company's mission forward is as important as ever.

Business Insider recently spoke with Gilboa at Cosmopolitan and SoFi's Fun Fearless Money event about the qualities Warby Parker looks for in the people they hire. Here's what he said:

1. Curiosity

"We found that the characteristics of our best employees tend to be that they're curious, lifelong learners. Within our business and the world in general, things are changing so rapidly that even if you have certain relevant experience for a function, odds are that the way that function operates is going to change so dramatically over the next few years so we need people who are flexible and adaptable that want to learn and change."

2. Passion

"Another is people that are passionate about the brand and want to be at the company for the right reasons that don't look at it just as a job, but are really excited to build something much bigger as part of our team."

3. Proactivity

"In a startup, there are so many things going on at the same time that we just don't have the ability for people to wait and be told by their manager exactly what they need to do. We need people that have identified problems and solve them."

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