How does one hire the best employee?

قَالَتۡ إِحۡدَىٰهُمَا یَـٰۤأَبَتِ ٱسۡتَـٔۡجِرۡهُۖ إِنَّ خَیۡرَ مَنِ ٱسۡتَـٔۡجَرۡتَ ٱلۡقَوِیُّ ٱلۡأَمِینُ﴿ ٢٦ ﴾

And said one of them (the two women): “O my father! Hire him! Verily, the best of men for you to hire is the strong, the trustworthy.”

Regarding this verse, Sheikh Abdul Rahman bin Nasser Al-Saadi mentions, in his Tafseer;

• تفسير السعدي:

﴿قَالَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا﴾ أي: إحدى ابنتيه ﴿يَا أَبَتِ اسْتَأْجِرْهُ﴾ أي: اجعله أجيرا عندك، يرعى الغنم ويسقيها، ﴿إِنَّ خَيْرَ مَنِ اسْتَأْجَرْتَ الْقَوِيُّ الْأَمِينُ﴾ أي: إن موسى أولى من استؤجر، فإنه جمع القوة والأمانة، وخير أجير استؤجر، من جمعهما، أي: القوة والقدرة على ما استؤجر عليه، والأمانة فيه بعدم الخيانة، وهذان الوصفان، ينبغي اعتبارهما في كل من يتولى للإنسان عملا، بإجارة أو غيرها.

فإن الخلل لا يكون إلا بفقدهما أو فقد إحداهما، وأما باجتماعهما، فإن العمل يتم ويكمل، وإنما قالت ذلك، لأنها شاهدت من قوة موسى عند السقي لهما ونشاطه، ما عرفت به قوته، وشاهدت من أمانته وديانته، وأنه رحمهما في حالة لا يرجى نفعهما، وإنما قصده [بذلك] وجه اللّه تعالى.

The translation of which is;

One of the two daughters said: “O my father, hire him,” meaning, make him an employee to tend the sheep and water them. “Verily, the best of men for you to hire is the strong, the trustworthy,” meaning, Musa is more deserving to be hired because he combines both strength and trustworthiness. The best employee to hire is one who combines these two qualities: strength and capability for the task and trustworthiness to avoid betrayal. These two qualities should be considered for anyone who is to undertake work, whether by hiring or otherwise. Any failure or deficiency in the work will be due to the lack of these qualities or one of them. When they are present together, the work is completed and perfected. She said this because she witnessed Musa’s strength when he watered the sheep for them and his diligence. She also saw his trustworthiness and piety as he helped them without expecting anything in return, intending only to seek the pleasure of Allah.