Final answer:
Political affiliations are not typically considered in the hiring process, while technical skills, cultural fit, and conflict resolution abilities are important factors to evaluate to ensure employee performance and team collaboration.
Step-by-step explanation:
The option that is NOT typically recommended to be considered when hiring new team members is d) Political affiliations. Essential factors for hiring include a candidate's technical skills, cultural fit within the organization, and conflict resolution abilities. These attributes directly impact an employee's performance and their ability to collaborate with others. However, considering political affiliations can introduce bias and is generally not relevant to a candidate's ability to perform their job duties. Furthermore, focusing on such criteria may lead to a lack of diversity which can hinder innovation and problem-solving within teams.