Finding the right candidate for a job can be tricky. You don't want to put perfectionist expectations on candidates, but you also don't want to settle for "acceptable."
Each candidate might have different strengths that make them worthy of hiring, but there are some traits that shouldn't be considered optional. Before you hire a candidate, make sure they possess all four of these attributes.
Reliability
You want your team to be made up of people who you can count on. Reliable employees are not freeloaders looking to capitalize on the benefits or insurance your company offers. They will not drain company resources or take risks that will harm the company. They come on time, prepared, and they work hard to get the job done. You can tell a lot about a candidate's reliability based on whether they make it to the interview on time and come with any items you asked them to bring.
People Skills
The best workers aren't the smartest or most experienced ones. They're the ones who can find common ground with just about anyone. Employees with a strong awareness of people and interpersonal communication skills are naturally more effective on the job. They can better handle conflicts because they know how to deescalate a situation. If you have any customer service duties to handle, you might use these candidates.
Humility
Arrogance is one of the worst qualities of a candidate. It's great for an employee to think highly of themselves, but they should still be willing to accept criticism. They should also understand that just because they can do something well doesn't mean there's no room for improvement. A standard interview question is "What's your greatest weakness?" This is a time for candidates to reflect on their shortcomings without beating themselves up. If a candidate insists that they have none, then it's going to be impossible to get through to them when they make a mistake.
Generosity
Candidates should not be only looking out for themselves. If a candidate has a "my way or the highway"-mindset, they're going to be a pain to work with. Generosity can include sharing physical items as well as intangible ones, such as credit for a well-written sales report. During the interview, give your candidates a chance to talk about a time they demonstrated generosity in the workplace. The best candidates will light up the opportunity to do so.
Don't just ask your candidate if they have these skills. Ask them to provide examples of how they've used them. You should also pay attention to their demeanor during the interview to gauge how much you trust them. Your instincts are of vast importance during the hiring process.
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