When looking for a new employee, you are always looking for person who’s a great fit technically, someone who has the hard skills needed for the job. There are other qualities you are looking for as well, the so-called soft skills – a person’s judgment, resilience, drive, creativity, adaptability and ability to work with others. The combination of both hard and soft skills is what separates the best candidates from the rest.
Evaluating someone for these qualities can be difficult in the relatively brief time devoted to a job interview. It takes careful thought to formulate the kinds of questions that will draw out the candidate and elicit genuine responses. Working with recruiters in Oregon, Washington and Alaska can help your business tap into diverse talent pools and find candidates with high self-awareness, among other soft skills.
Here are a few questions to start your process of assessing self-awareness.
1. What was the best time you ever had in a job?
The purpose of this question is to help determine a candidate’s fit for the job at hand. It helps you discover what really motivates a candidate and drives them professionally.
This question can give you an idea if the person is more of an independent kind of worker or someone who prefers frequent collaboration. It will also give some indication if the person is someone who enjoys planning and strategizing or is more action oriented, or someone who enjoys managing others.
2. What was your most difficult assignment?
This question is intended to find out about a person’s determination, how they handle adversity and how gritty and resilient they are. It should give some indication of a candidate’s commitment to the job and how they handle difficult assignments and tasks.
3. Is there something in your life you greatly regret?
Regrets often offer a window into a person’s core values and feelings. This question may reveal emotions about the things that really matter to the person and what kind of integrity they have.
4. What are you reading?
This shows a person’s curiosity, their eagerness to learn and grow as a person. Reading shows they want to know more about themselves and the world. This could also lead into extended questions about how a candidate looks to improve their skill set to become a more well-rounded professional.
5. Where did you go for your last three vacations?
In addition to being a great icebreaker, this should give you some idea of the person’s openness to change, to trying new ways of doing things and to new experiences. If the person only goes to the same place each year, maybe they are more comfortable with a set routine and are uneasy in a changing environment.
If your company is looking for real candidates who can make a difference, contact Opti Staffing. We will work with you to learn about your business, your mission and values, your skill needs and your culture, so we can provide you with workers who will give you the best return on your investment.
