Assessing candidates for an open role can be very difficult. How do you really know you’re hiring the right employee? If you don’t ask the right questions and fully assess their skills, you won’t know until the day they start. Here’s what to look for as you hire.
You Want Someone Who Is Adaptive
This is especially important when hiring for startups. At any given moment things can change. Therefore, the person you hire needs to be quick on their feet, and able to handle just about whatever is thrown at them. In other words, as your company grows and pivots, it’s important to have people on board who can grow and pivot right along with it and you.
The Perfect Candidate Is Committed To Their Career
A candidate that has no loyalty could be a red flag. For example, if a person jumps from company to company chasing higher salaries, they might not be willing to stick it out with you in the tough times.
It’s better to hire someone who will maintain the focus of being the best they can in their career for the overall betterment of the company. Yes, it’s important to show them that there is room for growth. However, if massive fast growth and higher pay as quickly as possible are their only considerations in working for you, they might not be the best fit.
Their Core Values Should Mirror Those Of Your Company
It’s not enough to hire someone with a strong work ethic, and loyalty to your company. You also need to be sure that the things that matter most to them are in line with your company’s culture. If your company is focused on collaboration, you might not want to hire someone who prefers to only work alone on all projects.
Another example would be if your company believes in self-starting and empowerment of employees, you probably shouldn’t hire someone who needs a lot of hand holding, and constant feedback on when to start projects and/or what to do all the time.
A Positive Attitude Is A Huge Plus
The candidate doesn’t need to be a Pollyanna per se, but they should have an overall sense of optimism. Optimistic people are better able to think outside the box, and perform better at work because they feel like everything can be figured out even when challenges arise.
Having an eagerness to learn, and being easy to like are also great qualities most positive people possess. Bringing someone on board that has an aura of negativity can make the atmosphere incredibly uncomfortable for your current employees, as well as your current and potential clients.
Your Best Candidate May Already Work For You
If you have a new position in your company, it may be the perfect role for someone who is already working there. People that already work for you know your company’s culture, its goals, and how things are done. Transitioning them into a new position could give them the opportunity to shine brighter than they did in their previous role.
Has your company been using interns? Maybe they are a great place to start in looking to fill the role you have available. They passed all the tests and have been doing the work anyway, so it might make sense to bring them on permanently in the job they’ve already learned how to do.
Who They Are In Person Should Match Who They Are On Social Media
Let’s face it, in the age of social media, it’s easier than ever to find out if the person you are considering for a role is presenting themselves as they truly are. If your company wants responsible and well-mannered candidates, you might not want to hire the person who has a public social media feed flooded with poor taste (i.e. lots images of them drinking too much, posts laden with profanity, posts that bash their current company, posts that frequently lack integrity, etc…).
They Need To Be Skilled In The Role You’re Hiring For
It may seem obvious, but if you aren’t completely certain a candidate can actually do the specific job you’re hiring for, don’t hire them. This is why it’s so important to test their knowledge of the exact responsibilities and skills that come with the role. If you don’t know precisely what to assess for, get feedback from others. In fact, you could use an interview script written by somebody else that caters to this position if you’re not completely knowledgeable about it.
We greatly appreciate the input of Vervoe to our blog. The original text and many other great HR-related articles can be found at the link above.
