HOW TO ASSESS A CANDIDATE’S ATTRIBUTES
I recently did a blog called, '3 Qualities Every Employee Should Have'. Those three are:
Adaptability
Positive attitude
Strong work ethic
But now you know the qualities, how would you go about evaluating whether someone has them?
Interviews can give you a strong indication of their professional abilities, whilst understanding their experience or work history a bit more - but it can be tricky to decipher their character.
Their personality may shine, but how will you know if it'll translate into the workplace?
Keep reading for my top tips:
ADAPTABILITY
Although as an employer, you'll want your employees to feel stable in their work with a level of predictability - this is never guaranteed.
No matter what role, seniority, or industry – there will always be changes.
Ask how they've adapted to new roles in the past
A job change itself is one of the hardest things to adjust to, so asking they dealt with the change of culture, responsibilities, and expectations can give you a picture of how fast they adjust to new situations.
You don't want people to pretend that everything was perfect either. Mental challenges such as anxiety and imposter syndrome aren't just normal but expected in a job change.
What you're really trying to find out here is how they handled the challenges.
If the worry came from fitting in with the team, did they make an effort to get to know people and collaborate, or did they wait for people to come to them?
To be adaptable is to be proactive.
ASK HOW THEY APPROACHED LEARNING NEW SKILLS
Regardless of how senior they are, there's always something new to learn. You want to know that they're okay with being uncomfortable to develop.
ASK HOW THEY HANDLE UNEXPECTED CHALLENGES OR CHANGES
Whether it's a difficult situation with a client, or an added responsibility to support workload - get the candidate to give an example of a challenge and what they did to overcome them.
And although challenges can be negative, many can be genuinely positive. However, if a candidate instantly hides in fear of uncertainty, they'll never be able to embrace opportunities.
As a result, asking this isn't just to see how they've handled tough times, it's about seeing if they make the most out of opportunities thrown at them and whether they adjust and turn it for the good, or view it as an unnecessary disturbance.
DO THEY HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE?
Leading on from the last point - the mindset of an employee makes a huge impact on their success... and how easy they are to get along with.
Pessimism creates unneeded problems and when you're hiring, positivity is non-negotiable.
But surely everyone is positive in an interview? They're trying to sell themselves so coming across as cranky would defeat the purpose.
But there are 3 things you can easily pick up on to tell if a candidate brings sunshine or rain:
How is their body language and tone of voice?
If they show they're excited and positive through eye contact, high energy, and verbal cues, that's a good sign.
How do they talk about their employer?
It's obvious a candidate isn't 100% happy with their current role, otherwise, they wouldn't be looking. This means there's no need for them to complain or talk badly about their old boss.
This also indicates they didn't take the experience as an experience but an inconvenience. Positive people make the best out of every situation, especially when they're addressing an employer.
So when you ask them "Why do you want to leave your current role?", you should be looking for replies like:
"I'm looking to progress and have a role that involves more [list responsibilities]"
"I have a real interest in [industry/ role] and I'd to pursue a career in it."
"I want to develop my ... skills."
This shows they're forward-thinking and have used their previous position as a stepping stone regardless of the potential struggles.
And this isn't about toxic positivity either, this is about moving forward to make the most of the opportunities out there.
How do they respond to being a part of the culture?
Pessimists would rather stick to themselves and don't see the benefit of being a key contributor to the team. You want someone who embraces the culture and sees it as a big part of their role.
Collaboration and teamwork are crucial in every team and although as a leader you can encourage it, you also need to hire people who are willing to get involved.
STRONG WORK ETHIC
This is probably the hardest one to tell in an interview because until you see them at work, you won't know if they approach it in the right way.
But this is where situational questions come in. “Tell me about a time...”
“You've gone above and beyond for work”
“You've had a deadline to complete something. How did you approach it?”
“Tell me about a time you had to learn a new skill. What lengths did you go to learn?”
But let's not forget: work ethic isn't beneficial without a healthy work-life balance.
Make sure you ask the candidate about how they unwind after work and deal with stress. You don't want to give them the impression that you don't care about their well-being.
- Written by Oliver Howson
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