To Predict a good hire is essential for a successful recruitment process. When businesses hire a candidate, they hope that the candidate will be a go-getter and fit in with the team.
Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Sometimes businesses make the mistake of hiring a candidate simply because they get a “good feeling”.
Certainly, there are many factors to consider to predict a good hire. In short, do not simply go with your gut feeling when making a hiring decision. It can be a very costly mistake.
Nonetheless, we have found that when hiring managers follow a set of rules, the likelihood to predict a good hire increases exponentially.
Here are some elements of success when predicting a good hire.
Attitude
An effective way to predict a good hire is to identify the attitude of the candidate. For example, what is their disposition towards work?
There are numerous ways to evaluate attitude of the candidate.
For instance, ask the candidate about their previous employment. Ask them to discuss a time when they had a disagreement with their boss.
Another example may be to ask what they would change about their previous job.
Afterwards, observe the way they respond and what they say. For example, if the candidate responds in an unprofessional manner, you have an idea of what you will deal with if you hire the candidate.
Overall, the demeanor and the communication skills that the candidate presents at an interview will be an outlook of the attitude they will bring to the company.
Accountability
To predict a good hire, accountability is another key factor to consider. Accountability is the extent to which the candidate takes responsibility for their outcomes.
In short, does the candidate take responsibility for the outcomes that occur, regardless if it is good or bad?
In psychology, there are two types of mind sets that take responsibility for results. This is called the locus of control.
Internal Locus
In short, internal locus mindsets take responsibility for their work regardless of external factors. For example, they will look back at their processes and identify ways to improve.
External Locus
The external locus mindset blames other factors for negative outcomes. For instance, they often use terms like, “it was not my fault!” or “If it weren’t for such and such, I would have been a success”. In addition, they might lay blame on their manager or other departments for the failures.
To figure out accountability of candidates, a great question might be to ask them about a failed project they lead. Moreover, ask them to explain the reasons why it failed. Afterwards, observe and listen.
If they take accountability and give examples of how they could have done it better, you have an internal locus mindset.
In contrast, if the candidate blames others for the outcomes, you have an external locus mindset. This should be an obvious red flag.
Previous Job Success
In identifying ways to predict a good hire, asking candidates about previous job success is essential. For example, researchers have projected that past behavior of candidates will reflect their future behavior in the new position.
Therefore, it is essential to ask behavior-based questions during the interview. For example, ask questions where their performance was measured. Ask them to describe metrics they were responsible for. How did they perform in comparison to their peers?
These questions can provide valuable insight to predict a good hire.
Cultural Fit
To predict a good hire, cultural fit is a strong benchmark for success. To clarify, this is when candidates share similar values with the organization and show genuine interest in the vacant position.
In truth, screening for someone to be a cultural fit is challenging. Defining a company’s culture is tricky.
If the company has core values, this can be a starting point on determining a good cultural fit. When screening for candidates, it is important to observe if the candidate share an optimism with the core values.
In addition, it is essential to understand the position of the candidates. For example, how motivated are they with the vacant position? Is this a position they see themselves growing in or is it a short-term placeholder?
Conclusion On How To Predict A Good Hire
Predicting a good hire takes time and experience to get it right. By applying these basic principles, hiring managers will increase their chances to predict a good hire.
Our staffing agency screens and interviews multiple candidates every day. If your organization needs assistance with recruitment, please let us know and we will send you our best, prescreened candidates.