Potential Employees: What's More Important? Experience or Character

Hiring managers tend to overemphasize industry experience, sometimes immediately dismissing applicants without specific job related experience. This is unfortunate, because companies can miss out on prime candidates who, if taught the proper skills, could be an excellent choice for either temporary staffing or a long-term employee. So how do you discover that diamond in the rough? I'm glad you asked!

On the Quest for Character

Whether you are seeking to hire valuable employees through our staffing service in Orlando or searching for a temporary employee in Tampa, Bradenton or Sarasota, it is imperative to sometimes look beyond the experience and take a peek into the character of the person sitting in front of you. Here are five questions you can ask your applicant to help reveal their character:

•  If we're sitting here a year from now celebrating what a great year it's been for you in this role, what did we achieve together? The interviewee should have enough strategic vision to not only talk about how great the preceding year was, but to answer with their eye on the bigger picture and why they want to be there. Hopefully they did their research on your company first too.

•  We're constantly making things better, faster, smarter or less expensive. In other words, we strive to do more--with less. Tell me about a recent project or problem that you made better, faster, smarter, more efficient, or less expensive. Give me some examples of systems or processes you installed that didn’t exist in the company before you worked there? Employees and teams at every level in every company should be keeping their eyes and ears open---looking for problems to solve, striving to make the company better as a whole.

• So, {insert name here}, tell me your story? This will allow the candidate to come up with a creative answer. It also tells you something about their likeability. If they become very uncomfortable and defensive it tells you they probably take things too literally and are not open to thinking outside the box. Next…

• Who is your role model and why? This can display how reflective your candidate is (or isn’t) in their professional and personal development which I believe is a quality directly connected to ambition and success.

• Tell us about a time when things didn't go the way you wanted-- like a promotion you wanted and didn't get, or a project that didn't turn out the way you had hoped? A candidate who demonstrates they are a self-starter and will view their position as a partnership is a keeper! Their answer will fall into a three different categories 1) self-depreciation 2) blame or 3) opportunity for growth. The employees’ ability to wear different hats and sometimes go above and beyond their “normal” call of duty is essential for team building. You want team players, not those that play the blame game.

So unless you are interviewing doctors and lawyers, experience isn’t everything. Be smart and keep an open mind at the start of every interview. Happy interviewing…

Are you looking for a temp-to-hire or full time employees? At HH Staffing Services, we offer an easy way to find the best candidates for the job. Let our Tampa, Bradenton, or Orlando staffing service evaluate, screen, and prepare potential employees for your next open position.

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