It’s Not Just About Skills – 5 ways to check your candidate’s personality fits the bill
Mar 28, 2017
It’s Not Just About Skills – 5 ways to check your candidate’s personality fits the bill
Mar 28, 2017

When you’re trying to find the perfect IT professional to join your company, it’s not just the skills and qualifications of the candidate that you need to consider. There’s something else too: their personality.

So far, they’ve mostly just been told about the role itself. It’s only in the interview where they get to first see your offices, meet your staff, and get a feel of your company environment.

It’s important for companies to celebrate their company values and culture – not just what they do and how they increase profits. Many organisations have developed work-hard-play-hard vibes – with meeting areas full of comfy sofas, games consoles in break rooms, and the odd half-day trip to the local.

On the flip side, some celebrate a more traditional, corporate culture – where working hours are for just that: work, and games consoles, plush furniture and trips to the pub are left for after hours only.

Both approaches have their merits, but your candidate is likely to lean more towards one than the other.

Here are 5 interview questions that you can ask to find out if your candidate is a great personality fit for your company: 

What 3 words would your friends use to describe you? This gives you an insight into the candidate as a person rather than an interviewee, and it shows how their relationships with your staff will be if they’re hired.

Describe the best boss you’ve ever had. What was it that you liked about them? This shows what they are looking for in a boss, and whether the manager of the role matches up to that description.

What do you like to do outside of work? You can really get to know someone’s values, priorities and even their skills from this single question. Perhaps they volunteer at weekends – this shows a sense of empathy and a keenness to assist others. Maybe they play in a band – an implication of creativity and good team-working skills.    

What are your 2 biggest achievements both in and outside of work?  This highlights not only their achievements (which you’ll of course want to know anyway), but it also shows what they recognise as an achievement and consider important. 

Do you have any questions? The candidate simply asking you a question instantly implies that they have a genuine interest in the role. But more than that, the question that they ask can give you a really good view of what is at the top of their priorities in their career.

These questions aren’t only to help you figure out if a candidate is a good fit for you, but they also give the candidate a great opportunity to check you’re a good fit for them, too.

By ensuring a candidate’s compatibility early on, you’re much more likely to end up with an employee who not only has the right skills for the job, but shares your company’s values, culture and environmental preferences. In turn, this will enable you to cut staff turnover by building a workforce who will want to stay with your company throughout their career.

Get in touch with us at Langley James on 0207 788 6600. We’ll use our bespoke approach to help you attract and retain employees that are not just perfect for the job but are the perfect fit for your company too.

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