Effectively Gauge a Candidates Personality - Spark Hire

Effectively Gauge a Candidates Personality - Spark HireA persons resume and cover letter speak volumes about who they are as an employee, but in order to make an informed hiring decision, you need to be able to assess a candidates personality to get a sense of who they really are as a person. What matters to this individual? How will they get along with their co-workers? How can you help them to thrive at work? Its tough to get a sense of all this just by reading their materials, so heres how to gather this information more effectivelyAsk them deeper questionsDont feel limited by traditional bewerbungsinterview questions such as Whats your biggest weakness? and other clich prompts. Push a little further and youll be able to find out more about the candidate and their cultural fit. For instance, try asking them what theyre reading. Whether its historical fiction or a biography, this will give you some insight as to what theyre like when theyre not at work.Talk to referencesPeople who have worked with the candidate in the past can give you a good sense of what theyre really like. When the individual provides you with references, take the time to talk with these references in order to better understand the person youre interviewing.Meet them outside of the officeA formal interview situation makes most people very nervous, and can prevent them from showing their true personality. For this reason, some hiring managers enjoy meeting candidates in a more relaxed setting, such as a coffee shop. This way you can chat, but the candidate feels more at ease. When the individual opens up, you get a better sense of what theyre really like.Make small talkSome hiring managers gloss over small talk because theyve got a lot of interviews to get through in a short amount of time. While this is understandable, small talk can actually be a key part of the interview process. It allows you to see how the individual interacts in social situations where they may not be totally comforta ble. If they can hold a conversation well with you, theyll probably do well with clients, colleagues, and management.Gauge how they listenWhen youre providing information about the company, what is the candidate doing? Do they appear to be zoning out, simply waiting for their chance to speak again? Strong listening skills are essential for success in a business environment, so you want to be koranvers that the person youre interviewing is focused on what youre saying. If it appears as though theyre not really listening to you as you speak, make note of this.How do you gauge a candidates personality when youre interviewing? Let us know in the commentsImage djoronimo/BigStock.com