With immigration barriers going up, and with salaries on the rise, how are you thinking about hiring? What advice do you have for execs that are looking to create world class teams?

Creating world class team is all about hiring the right talent for the job. The barriers and constraints that we come across everyday will continue to exist forever and successful organization will continue to thrive amidst changing external influences. So it is important to hire people with right attitude and skills. You can always train people of skills and adjust plans, strategies etc., by forward looking approach and anticipating risks. So I would say look for certain attributes in the candidates like how is their learnability, how well they work in a team like environment, do they have the mandatory skills to perform on the job, how they can handle change - are they open to changes or averse to changes etc., My suggestion as said before should basically focus on what kind of people you want in your organization who will give you the best chance or success rather than on prevailing circumstances.

I will look on the following attributes on hiring besides the core parameter of balancing companies benefits with employees satisfaction to work efficiently.
1. Self motivated to learn.
2. Easily adaptable to acceptable change as needed.
3. Confident to work as individual and as team.
4. Understand his role to companies Business.
5. Clear and transparent personality with the company.

While many attributes emerged over the time one most important attribute I look while hiring is having business acumen.

Doing the same thing, not looking for anything else besides skills, fit for organizations culture, knows how to think

Not much differently than I have in the past. I try to find the best candidates I can, for the $ I can afford, and that are hopefully the best cultural fit in my organization.