In the weird news that came out of the Equifax breach was the nugget that their chief of security didn’t happen to have a bachelor’s degree in computer science hanging in her office – she had a master’s in fine arts – a music major. Op-eds and blogs are blasting Equifax for having the audacity to put an artist in a chief security role. But the combination of engineers and musicians in my social media feeds have also churned out some surprising supporters, and a number of individuals highlighting the fact that many great engineers happen to also be great musicians. The skills often go hand-in-hand.

Equifax has a number of issues – the major of its security officer probably isn’t one of them. In fact, if you’re a company looking to find the best talent – and narrow your options among a pool of professionals – the skills you need may not be the ones you’re looking for. Here are some off the-beaten-path traits that may help you land an extraordinary hire.

1. Musical Skills

Interview question to ask: ‘Do you play a musical instrument?’

Musicality and data analytics actually marry together quite well. And if you’re doing a tough technical interview, a question about music could break up the questions, and give your interview subject a chance to pause and show a little personality, as well. Even a non-music player could segway this into a response about their favorite type of music – so you also get the chance to see how a candidate thinks on their feet.

2. Game Night Hosts

Interview question to ask: ‘If you were to host a game night with your friends, what would you play?’

Not every role requires a social butterfly – but if you’re hiring a program manager or technical lead, it couldn’t hurt. Survey a room full of technical professionals, and you probably find a pretty high proportion of gamers. And they’re not just playing online. Games of strategy like Settlers of Catan and Risk are also on the list. Will playing strategy games make for better engineers? Not necessarily. But it may flesh out an attention to detail or creative spirit you haven’t otherwise placed.

3. Weird Hobbies

Interview question to ask: ‘What do you enjoy doing outside the office?’

As much as Washington, D.C. wants to make it so, working is not a hobby. But having a hobby will make your workers better at their jobs, whether it’s running, yoga, crafting or reading. And while average hobbies are great, weird hobbies might be better. A bit of eccentricity can add to the thought diversity within an office. Don’t reject that employee with a hobby that’s unique – whether it’s performing in civil war reenactments or geocaching.

4. Former Losers

Interview question to ask: ‘Can you describe a time when you overcame a struggle – not related to your job?’

Current losers = bad hiring decision. Former losers = individuals with tenacity and the ability to overcome adversity. There’s nothing wrong with cruising through life, but it takes a certain amount of chutzpah to surmount some obstacles on the way to success. And while national security requirements should always be considered, there’s also good reason to take a chance on someone who has made mistakes in the past – and learned from them.

The moral is – your next great hire might be looking somewhere unexpected, and may have a skillset you didn’t anticipate. So don’t underestimate that music major when it comes to your next data security hire.

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Lindy Kyzer is the director of content at ClearanceJobs.com. Have a conference, tip, or story idea to share? Email lindy.kyzer@clearancejobs.com. Interested in writing for ClearanceJobs.com? Learn more here.. @LindyKyzer