Finding the right candidate for a job can be a frustrating – even demoralizing – task. So many applicants have combinations of the right requirements but just don’t seem to fit. However, a good candidate may be right under your nose, according to a Harvard Business Review article titled, “Stop Eliminating Perfectly Good Candidates by Asking Them the Wrong Questions.”
Qualified candidates, the article points out, are frequently compared to a preconceived idea and, not quite fitting the pattern, are screened out. In other words, a company’s comfort with this established pattern of employees may speak to a larger discomfort with candidates who offer opportunities for company growth and innovation – new answers to old questions.
In order for companies to hire qualified, innovative employees, they have to define the right questions and be open to discovering unexpected answers.
Capabilities: These will be questions that focus on a candidate’s capabilities, not just their experience. Too many job descriptions ask for five or more years of experience without giving thought to how a candidate’s approach to the role may or may not be a good fit.- Collaborating: Similar to capabilities, companies will want to test if their candidate is a team player and how they will work to fill gaps between roles when collaborating on projects.
- Passions: Lastly – and perhaps most importantly – an interview should discover what passions the candidate will bring to the workplace. A team’s ability to unite through a common goal or meaning bridges differences in ideas and approach and fosters innovation.
The marketing research industry is sustained by innovation and, like many other industries, will only stagnate without dynamic employees and teams. Eliminating a cookie-cutter style of interviewing enables companies to find diverse talent and foster continued growth. Companies must focus less on checking off boxes and more on discovering a candidate’s abilities and interests and how those attributes will complement the team. With the right questions, a new employee will not simply fill a necessary role but will provide an opportunity for growth and innovation within a team and company.