So you’re interviewing a potential new employee and you’ve gone down the list of standard resume questions. You know what their strengths and weaknesses are, you’ve reviewed the resume, and you may have even checked out their references. Here’s a question, though:

Did you evaluate their personal values?

This is difficult to do, but there are personal values that every individual has that are going to impact the way he views his work. Here are a few to consider:

Honesty & Integrity

Is the person you are looking to hire an honest person with strong moral values, or will he or she be easily swayed to change his ideals once he becomes part of a group?

Work Ethic & Dedication

Does the person you are interviewing really love his job or is he simply looking for a way to bring home a paycheck? Those who love what they do are more likely to do a wonderful job and are more likely to patiently work through challenges.

Dependability & Responsibility

Will this person be where he says when he says, with the completed project in hand? Will he take responsibility for his own actions or attempt to place the blame on others? His level of personal responsibility will provide huge insight when it comes to predicting his level of ethics in the workplace as well.

Positive Attitude

Does the person you are interviewing possess a high level of energy and a genuinely positive attitude? Even the toughest problems don’t seem quite as bad when faced with motivation, passion, and determination.

Professionalism

Despite his or her high level of energy and positive attitude, does the person you are reviewing act professionally and in a mature manner? It’s possible to have fun in the workplace without being immature and irresponsible. Being able to look at life in a positive light while at the same time acting professionally and harboring excellent client relationships is a huge plus.

Think about the positive personal values you’d like to see in an employee – and take a few minutes to assess whether or not you see those values in your current employees. Often times these values can be shifted by the way a person feels about his job or organisation. Do you need to make changes?

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

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