When we are interviewing people to join our clients’ teams we are closely looking into what the person’s work history. We explore what kind of character traits this person possesses and how the person communicates trust. We listen to their stories about their accomplishments and impact on the companies they have worked with. We examine the candidate’s unique capabilities, how they think and solve problems. The underlying interview theme is building trust, and understanding who this candidate truly is and what they are capable of bringing to your organization. We are looking for alignment with you, your team, and your goals.
As recruiters, we look for several common attributes in candidates we know we can trust.
Attributes
- Does this candidate communicate transparency, competence, and credibility?
- How does this person demonstrate leadership? Do I believe that this person is capable of developing followership (the ability to get others to follow you)?
- How does this person show compassion and respect for others?
- Does this person give concrete examples of how they solved problems? Is their thinking sound?
- Does this person explain what they learned when things did not turn out as intended?
- Do they take personal responsibility for results?
- Does this person communicate openly and share a little about who they are outside of work?
Verification
Recruiters can be very helpful in the verification part of your process. We have looked at hundreds if not thousands of candidates just like the one you are looking for. We know how to calibrate talent, and we know who these people are and what their strengths are, we can surmise if the fit will be good or not. We know who is difficult to work with, and who has the capabilities, temperment and drive to advance your company.
If you are not using a recruiter, you will need to figure this out by speaking with references or others who have worked with the candidate. If the person is working, you will need to be discreet, and it would be better for the candidate if you called someone who worked with them at a previous employer, and not their current one.
What is it that you want to verify? You want the facts. Here are questions to help you determine the truth:
- What did this person lead and accomplish?
- Was this person able to develop and execute a strategy that led to a successful outcome? How did they accomplish this?
- If the outcome was not successful, then was it the result of something this person did or a market/regulatory/finance/reimbursement situation, or was it something they oversaw?
- Does this person build bridges and relationships, demonstrate respect and, stay optimistic and solution-oriented?
Trust is the most critical factor in leadership skills. Trust is also essential for earning the confidence of others and creating followers.
While we are temporarily have lost the ability to meet in person, and we may choose to keep video interviews as a strategy for the future. It is important to know how to verify the trustworthiness of a candidate and to learn what you need to know about people and make hiring decisions that add value to your organization. This is true regardless of in-person or video interviews – you will need to verify what you find out.
We hope this three-part series was helpful to you and we look forward to hearing from you soon. Stay well.
