Commitment Muscle

Interview questions these days are pretty much the same as they’ve always been, right? You might be surprised. Not only have interviewing methods changed quite a bit recently, some of the standard go-to questions aren’t even relevant anymore.

According to a recent article from Forbes.com contributor Paul B. Brown, asking the standard “where do you see yourself in five years?” simply isn’t interview worthy. The work-world hasn’t been as solid as it once was. For example, many workers didn’t see being unemployed in five years. Consider Blockbuster employees or newspaper editors – these positions no longer exist.

Recruiters argue, saying that the question shows insight into the candidate’s thinking process and ambition. Sure, sure – that’s always been the point of the question. What can you ask of your interviewees that will really show something more about the person?

Ask the person what they have been (or are now) utterly committed to in their life. Ask them something like: “What really turns you on and attracts you almost in spite of yourself? What are the things that you can’t put out of your mind?”

What does your business really need out of a potential employee? It might not be what you think. There are many characteristics to look for in a new-hire, but the most important is commitment. Look for the person that wants to do a great job. How are you going to know that they’ll be committed employees? Ask them about their past.

Commitment could be viewed as a learned trait, and the more practice the better. Weighing the candidate’s commitment aptitude doesn’t have to be work related. The article calls this idea the ‘commitment muscle’ – if they have it, work it out! If they don’t have it, it’s hard to attain.

The best way to find out if an employee can commit to your organization full-heartedly is to find out whether they’ve been able to do so in the past. How? Just directly ask them! Ask what their passions are, what drives them. To read more about how looking for commitment during the interview can help your organization, click here to read the full article.

Post a comment