It has become more important than ever that employers do whatever they can to ensure that they do not make a bad hire, with the economy still down and no dramatic recovery in sight, as doing so only creates a drain on the company’s time and resources. It is time that employers begin taking a careful look at the way they interview their candidates and perhaps make a few changes in the process which could save the organization from the unnecessary loses resultant of a bad hiring choice, in this economy which cannot afford to see companies throwing away money in such a way.
To interpret, this will mean that employers will need to begin modifying the way they conduct their executive search and interview processes, and they will need to adapt their methods to include a way in which to assess the individuals personal compatibility with the company culture. A person may have the skills, work history and exceptional references, and look lie the perfect candidate on paper but if you overlook the personality issue, their specific type may not blend well with the preexisting culture, and they will remain out of place in the organization. You may think personality might not have a big impact but over time it can lead to nonproductive, employee turnover, and a variety of other unwelcome outcomes.
Here is a look at the top ten questions executive search firms have identified as being the most effective at determining a candidate’s corporate culture compatibility, and which employers should begin using if they want to prevent making a bad hire.
- When you work the best and are the happiest, what type of environmental are you in?
- What traits and/or attributes in a manager or boss draw out your greatest drive and efforts, and make you strive to succeed? Also, what expectations do you have of your seniors that you believe are critical for your success in a position?
- What are your feelings/thoughts on inner office friendships with coworkers?
- How would your previous managers describe their relationship with you, and what do you think they would say that you could do more of, cut back on?
- What specifically about your current job or those previous did you like? What did you not like?
- What would your previous coworkers and managers say about your work style and contributions?
- How would you describe your work style? Would you say your prefer to work as part of a team or individually, and, given the choice, what percentage of time do your prefer to work between these options?
- How would you describe the part you tend to play in a team? How would coworkers describe your role in a team?
- Can you give an example of a situation in which you went above and beyond in your duties to achieve success in a project?
- What do you believe is the single most important factor necessary for you to meet with happiness and success in the workplace? What are a few other factors that you believe to be important as well?
