Finding Great People | Employer Questions To Ask In An Interview
Every business or organization measures success differently.
For some, it’s strictly a financial metric.
For others, success is “moving the needle” of change on social issues.
Regardless of how it’s measured, success is sweet.
The Most Important Ingredient
Many businesses go to great lengths, and take on detailed initiatives to grow and improve, in an effort to be more successful. Extensive customer service training, improved technologies and price competitiveness are just a few examples.
And, while all of these can be excellent ways to become more efficient and profitable, the “secret ingredient,” if you will, in achieving desired success is often still lacking.
It’s simple, yet complex, and it requires commitment to excellence and training on the part of the leader.
I’ve come to believe that the most important ingredient to having any successful business, team, or organization is finding GREAT PEOPLE.
Wait, that’s it? That’s the secret?
I believe it is.
How To Find Great People When Hiring
Finding great people doesn’t have to be rocket science, but often involves extensive interviewing and careful thought prior to hiring.
It’s amazing what a motivated, team-oriented, and hard-working individual can contribute to a business or organization that is working towards success.
On the other hand, a lazy, selfish or discontented individual can quickly infect even the best of employees and completely change a positive environment to one of negativity and under-achievement.
It’s well worth the time and effort to make measured and thoughtful decisions regarding the people you choose to be the foundational pillars of your organizational structure.
It’s true that great leadership is paramount in guiding a great team toward success. But, what is a great leader without great followers?
Ask The Right Questions
So, you might be thinking, “sure, everyone wants great people, but how do we determine who those people are?”
Some organizations focus strictly on what experience an applicant has in regards to particular talents and skills. There’s nothing wrong with this type of skill-centric approach to hiring.
But, sometimes, you miss the “needle in the haystack” or “diamond in the rough” great people, by not considering other factors.
Now, I won’t pretend to have the magic blueprint for finding great people, but I do believe that there are some thought-provoking questions to consider when identifying great people to join your organization. And, while these are relatively simple questions, they can be overlooked during the hiring process, when focusing solely on hard skills, certifications and “know-how.”
Employer Questions To Ask In An Interview
The below are questions to not only ask an interviewee, but also for employers to ask themselves regarding the interviewee. These may give you insight into whether an applicant may be one of the “great people” you are looking for:
- Does this person have a history of a good or a bad attitude? (asking them what they liked/didn’t like about previous jobs can sometimes open the floodgates of complaints in a disgruntled employee).
- Is this individual a team player? (Ask them why they think they are team player, and why teamwork is important to them.)
- Will this individual understand and respond well to the order of authority/leadership we have? (Wait! Do we even have an organizational structure that can be clearly communicated to this individual? If not, we have some work to do!) Try asking about leadership they have been associated with and what made it good or bad.)
- Is this individual teachable? (Not only in learning capacity, but can they receive constructive criticism?) Try asking how they learn best and what they do to learn new things.
- Does the individual being considered for the job possess the qualities and/or skills needed for this position?
- Will this individual mesh well with the team and culture that they will be a part of?
- How will we define success specifically for this individual? (Whether the applicant asks or not, they want to know the answer to this question!)
- What are the long-term goals or plans for this employee should they meet all other criteria?
NOTE: You will notice that there are four questions to answer before asking about whether the individual possesses the skills to do the job.
This is by design.
You may identify people that simply don’t have the skill level for a particular position, but who scores highly in questions 1-4.
I believe it is wise to consider finding a place for these people. They will make your organization better, even if in a different role, simply due to their potential in these areas (after all, who wants a really smart, capable team member… that has a rotten attitude?)
Success Is Waiting On That Ingredient
Finding great people for your business or organization is not an exact science.
Sometimes a hire is exactly what you thought they were, and sometimes much better or worse.
But, if you can work the employer questions to ask in an interview into your hiring process, I believe they will help give you a better chance of success when trying to make an awesome hire.
So, here’s to cooking up your next batch of success… hopefully you’ll be able to add in the most important ingredient… great people.
They sure do make success that much sweeter!
