Preferred: A four-in-hand knot and a mean game of squash.

Never employ anybody who wants to be employed too much. They cause nothing but trouble always trying to improve things.
Pick people who don't care what they do - You'll find that they will do much more with that attitude than those who are keen to get ahead.
The ideal candidate is ever so slightly shabby, just polite enough (Nobody likes a Yes man), and a pragmatist.
Shun the idealistic & those with integrity. They have no place in the workplace.
Ask open-ended questions and make the interview into a chat. Quickly tell him/her all the work stuff first. Start with the salary - Nobody ever expects that first. Then move on to random things - Never be afraid to break off the interview to invite him or her to look out of the window and ask him/her if working here wouldn't get them down. The answer to that one can be very telling.

I was only ever very briefly allowed to recruit my own assistants. They were all good people who did well, but they used to make my department get talked about.

I work from home by myself now most of the time...

Better that way.

M.

My experience is limited to accountancy I should add.
In that context what I wrote makes perfect sense.
Sooner or later all accountants end up running naked through a shopping centre laughing wildly. It's only ever just a question of time.
In England accountants are what postmen are in the US.
It's a problem.

Sounds like a nice life, familyman.
Hard work too, I should think, but more rewarding in many ways.
Sugar Mamas are new to me and I think they are to be encouraged -
They could be another great US import into England... I'll have a word with John Simons...