Avoid Hiring Failures:
Assess Interpersonal Skills and Motivation
Levels
by Patricia
Schaefer
A new study performed by Leadership IQ, a leadership
training and research company, shows that poor interpersonal skills and lack of
motivation are the top reasons why new hires fail. Lack of coachability
(26%), emotional intelligence (23%), motivation (17%) and a poorly-matched job
temperament (15%) led the list for the hires’ failure.
Mark Murphy, CEO of Leadership IQ, asserts that “Hiring
failures can be prevented.” He states that managers will see “vast improvement
in their hiring success” if they focus more of their interviewing energy on
these four areas.
In this year’s Wall Street Journal/Harris Interactive
business-school ranking, M.B.A. recruiters consider interpersonal skills one of
the things they care about most when hiring M.B.A.’s; in fact, elite schools
like Harvard and Stanford University suffered in the rankings from students who
projected the wrong attitude and were described with words like “sense of
entitlement,” “ego problems,” and “arrogant.” Business schools were rated
top-notch where both technical aptitude and agreeable attitudes were evident in
their students.
Assessing technical skills during an employment interview
is often given top priority and is relatively easy to determine and evaluate. Interpersonal skills are frequently considered of less importance and are more
difficult to appraise. The reality is that technical skills can be learned, but
interpersonal work attitudes are usually the hardest things to change about an
individual on the job. At the same time, these attitudes have a great impact on
an employee’s performance and growth in a job. Learning about an applicant’s
history of interpersonal attitudes and behaviors is a true compass of how that
person is likely to behave with bosses and coworkers in the future.
How to assess key interpersonal skills and motivation
level during employment interview
One of the ways to determine whether or not a job applicant
has a history of positive attitudes in the workplace is to ask questions
specifically targeting the four areas that have been identified as affecting
hiring success.
Coachability: Does the applicant have the ability to
take direction and feedback, and make necessary work changes?
Sample Interview Questions:
- Tell me something a past supervisor told you needed
improvement, and what did you do about it?
- Give a specific example of a policy you conformed to
with which you did not agree.
- Tell me about a situation at your job where you had to
take on new tasks or roles. How successful do you think you were?
Emotional Intelligence: Does the applicant have the
ability and maturity to perceive, assess and positively affect their own and
coworkers’ emotions?
Sample Interview Questions:
- Tell me about a conflict you’ve had with a coworker.
What was the cause of the conflict, and were you able to do anything to
alleviate it?
- Describe a time at work when you successfully used
tact and diplomacy.
- How do you go about building good work relationships?
Motivation: Does the applicant have the desire and
drive to put forth an optimal level of effort in order to excel at their job and
reach their full potential?
Sample Interview Questions:
- What are your short and long-term career goals?
- Give me an example of when you set a demanding work
goal, and how you overcame obstacles to achieve it.
- Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond
the call of duty.
Temperament: Is the applicant’s attitude and
personality a good match to the prospective job and work environment?
There is no such thing as one perfect personality when it
comes to jobs in general. What is important is how well an individual’s
personality matches the requirements of a particular job.
One way to determine this is to first conduct a job
analysis audit. This means compiling objective data of what is required to be
successful at a position. This may include particular styles and levels of the
following: problem-solving and decision-making; communication, interpersonal
and leadership skills; motivation; planning and organization; team building and
the ability to influence others.
Sample Interview Questions:
- If the position requires a team player: Would you
rather work on your own or on a team?
- If the position requires a certain managerial style:
Describe you managerial style, and what traits you feel are most important
when supervising others.
- If the position requires exemplary organization
skills: What role do you think organization plays or should play in this
position?
When it comes to assessing a job applicant, interviewers
should keep in mind to look at “the whole person.” This includes appearance,
body language, professionalism, education, skills, experience, attitude,
self-motivation, and interpersonal skills. And if you want to help ensure
hiring success, seek out applicants who have a history of achieving positive
work relationships and have the drive to attain company and personal-best goals.
Copyright 2005, Attard Communications, Inc.
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