MightyRecruiterHow to Interview Candidates for Passion and Cultural Fit
While a resume is a useful tool in the job application process, it can only do so much. It is for this reason that employers have interviews in order to meet with a candidate one-on-one in order to get a better sense of work ethic and overall personality. It is for this reason that you need to interview candidates for passion and cultural fit in addition to just seeing if they have the skills needed to succeed. In many instances, it can be advantageous to hire an unskilled but passionate employee than a skilled but disinterested worker.
Why You Need to Hire Someone Who Is Passionate
There is always the possibility that you will interview someone who is simply looking for a paycheck and does not actually care about the work being done. These types of job candidates are likely to work for the company for a few months until they can find something better. In order to have a viable business, you need to prevent high turnover rates and try to hire people who can grow along with your company.
You also need to make sure that when you interview candidates for passion and cultural fit that they will acclimate well to your other employees. You need to have a solid understanding of how your employees work together so that you know what to look for in a candidate. Do you have an environment where people are always joking around and regularly go out to eat lunch together Do you have an environment where people are cordial to one another but for the most part, everyone keeps to themselves By having the answers to those questions, you will know who will and will not fit in well.
Ask the Right Questions
Once you get a good sense of a candidate’s skillset, you can begin to ask him or her about her work habits. The second half of the interview should be dedicated to questions about how well an applicant works with others, so as you interview candidates for passion and cultural fit, ask questions like:
-What are you most passionate about This question will let you know if a candidate is passionate about the specific industry you are in or if a candidate is passionate about some common interests other people in your business have like sports or volunteering.
-Do you prefer a hands-on or hands-off management style As an employer, you may play a very active role in how your employees operate, or you may leave people to their own devices. This question lets you know if an applicant will work well with how you handle your workers.
-What do you look for most when you are applying for a new job This lets you know if the interviewee has a comprehensive understanding of the position being applied for.
-How do you generally contribute to a team This lets you know if a candidate tends to take on leadership roles or if a candidate is more of a follower.
In addition to asking these questions while you interview candidates for passion and cultural fit, you should also ask all your interviewees to describe aspects of past jobs. For instance, you can ask all job candidates to talk about someone they worked with at their last job that they really got along well with. Anyone can say that they work well as part of a team, but by asking for specific stories, you will know whether an applicant is being honest or not. This also gives candidates an opportunity to differentiate themselves from the crowd and talk about what makes them truly unique.
Look Toward the Future
Although your company may have a certain atmosphere right now, it is crucial to bear in mind that anything can change. If your business is fairly new, then you may not have taken a lot of professional risks. However, as the company grows and gets bigger, you may be in a position where you want risk takers to offer ideas and help you expand the business. Ideally, you will be able to find someone who can help you in the present but will also be an invaluable asset going forward. There is a lot to look for whenever you interview candidates for passion and cultural fit, but your organization will be much more productive if you take the time to search for passion. Skills can be learned, but passion is often set in stone.
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