How to find conscientiousness in job applicants

How to find conscientious in job applicants

Select candidates based on good character first and foremost. Character flaws can appear as thievery, narcissism, bigotry, greed, arrogance, or in other forms. People with these liabilities can poison your team spirit and draw your organization into legal and financial peril. Be vigilant about keeping them out, and fix your mistake quickly if you let one in. Character can be hard to evaluate directly, so we look for conscientious people. Conscientiousness is an excellent proxy for character, because people with the desire and ability to honor their responsibilities will rise to the occasion and rarely let you down.

*Disclaimer: employment laws vary by jurisdiction. I encourage you to run your interview templates by a good attorney.

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How to identify conscientiousness in job applicants

Every business wants to hire people with good character, but how do you assess character during an interview? Research shows that the quality of conscientiousness is strongly correlated with the personal characteristics you want on your team: concern for others, ability and desire to follow through, motivation to do a good job, competence in following instructions, attention to detail, and more. Here are ways you can detect the presence or absence of conscientiousness in applicants.

Behaviors that you can observe in applicants that offer insight into conscientiousness

· Did they follow your application instructions?

· Did they include a cover letter? (Bonus points for a letter customized for your company).

· Did they return your phone calls and emails in a reasonably prompt manner?

· Did they follow your interview directions (such as bringing requested documents)?

· Did they show up on time for all of their interviews?

· Did they visit your website or otherwise investigate your company before the interview?

· Did they dress and groom themselves in a professional manner?

· Did they send a handwritten or electronic thank you note? (One of our outstanding salespeople wowed us with a delicious batch of post-interview, home-made, thank-you cupcakes).

Questions you can ask directly at any time during the interview process that surface conscientiousness

· Tell me a time where you made a professional mistake and let someone down. How did that make you feel? Did you do anything to make up for it?

· Do you have any organizational systems you use to keep track of your commitments? (Calendar, notebook, memory, etc.) How do you use them?

· If you tell someone you’re going to do something, what system do you use to remind you?

· How many emails are currently in your inbox? How do you manage your email? Do you practice “inbox zero” or do you find yourself with lots of mail in your inbox that requires action?

· Tell me about a time you were asked to do a project you didn’t enjoy. How did you think about it? How did you get through it?

· Tell me about a time you went above and beyond what was asked of you. Why did you do it?

· Tell me about your departures from your previous employers. How do you handle each separation? How much notice did you give?

· When you work for a company, where are the boundaries of what you’re willing and unwilling to give? (Typical hours you’ll work per week, staying late to meet a deadline, doing something outside your job description.) How did these boundaries play out at previous employers?

· What are some things in life that you stuck with through difficulties? Others that you quit? What was the difference between those situations?

· What do you like least about your current job and why?

· Do you smoke?