When it comes to hiring for an open position in your organization it is important to look at candidates from multiple vantage points. The correct qualifications need to be there of course, but there are also some soft skills that need to be measured you look for and are essential to an employee’s fit in the workplace.
An example of this would be appearance. Normally you are not allowed to judge a potential employee based off of appearance, however according to the BFOQ (Bona Fide Occupational Qualifications) if it is essential in the workplace you can make decisions based on it.
One of the biggest hiring mistakes I see within companies is not screening for alignment with the workplace culture. Every organization has a culture, including a set of beliefs, values and ideals and it is important that the potential team member be aligned to your culture. Why? Because a large majority of employee turnover is due to poor cultural and environmental alignment. And, employee turnover costs companies money impacting profit. Some common things that you should uncover during an interview would be:
Values
What is important for them when it comes to work ethic? What are some essential beliefs that this potential team member has that they will not sway on?
Attitude
Is this person here because they want to be, or is this just another resume that they blindly turned in?
Demeanor
How is this person behaving? Do their actions seem honest and sincere? What are they going to act like when they are thrown into the team?
Honesty
Is this a position that this person is sincerely interested in, or is this person just trying to make a paycheck. Is it like pulling teeth trying to get them to give detailed answers?
Self-Perception
How does this person present themselves and what do they feel that they can offer? Are the over or under estimating their abilities?
These are some important things that every good team member must possess. So how do you uncover these attribute? By asking good behavioral interviewing questions.
A bad employee fit can have a negative impact on your team. While it is possible to display high potential on an individual basis it is also important to work effectively in teams. As a leader, setting up your team members for success requires all team members having the right fit, so why would you hire someone that you know would struggle to even fit in?
As long as the criteria that you are looking for follows the guidelines of the BFOQ, you can use the criteria to make hiring decisions on candidates that will fit within your culture. With great fit will come increased productivity, lower turnover, and increased profitability.
What are the key behavioral questions you ask potential employees that uncover their ability to fit in with your workplace?
Additional Reading and References:
Ways to find candidates who fit your culture
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