When hiring new people for your organization, it is important to decide what would make a great team member. Asking the right questions always depends on knowing what you are looking for. Deciding on the necessary qualities of a new addition to your company can be the key to finding the perfect fit and balance to your present team.
Meridee A. Moore, founder of Watershed Asset Management was interviewed recently in the NY Times about how she hires new employees. What caught my attention was that she always asks the candidate if they have ever been in anyone’s wedding party. She feels that if the person’s answer is yes, it means that they are trusted by at least one person in the world. What a great way to find out how trustworthy a person is!
This question points to many important qualities that a candidate should possess in order to play a significant role on a team:
- Honesty and trustworthiness, not only in the work environment, but also in their personal lives
- Open communication and the willingness to share ideas
- Exceptional listening in order to truly understand
- Passion and drive to achieve
- Giving credit to others when deserved
- Ability to overcome obstacles or challenges
Creating questions that can get at the heart of your important team member characteristics can promote a successful hire. Anecdotal stories of how a candidate dealt with both personal and work situations, can give you great insight as to how they will handle different situations on your team. Asking them if they ever recognized someone in their life for outstanding performance and how they shared that, could show how well they support others on a team. Just take the time to find those great questions. It is well worth it.