Past Performance Predicts Future Behavior Part 1 (for managers and supervisors)

With the current economic state, we are in a pretty tight job market. Employers can afford to be choosier when filling a job opening. With so many applicants knocking at your door, how can you be sure to choose the right one?

A friend of mine recently lost his sales job with a major pharmaceutical company. Part of his strategy for re-employment includes passing out business cards with his title as “Job Seeker” and he lists his qualities as: highly motivated, team player, energetic, results focused, and so on. Great descriptors, but they don’t tell the story of what he can do for me and my business.

Choosing the right employee goes beyond finding the right mix of personality and potential. You must also determine if they can actually do the job. Rule of thumb: if they’ve done the same or similar job in the past and have been successful, you have a greater assurance they will be able to do the job for you. You must be able to see a translatable skill set in addition to a good education, relative job experience, compatible personality, and all the other soft skills. Get the prospective employee to talk about what they did, when they did it, why they did what they did, and the results of their actions. If they speak in hypothetical terms (If this happened, then I would…), then you can conclude they do not have the skill set or experience you are seeking.

A good interview will help you weigh out the great candidates and those who simply aren’t a good fit. This is true for both new hires to your organization as well as those vying for a promotion. Plan at least an hour of your time for questions that will encompass the skill sets and metrics for the job opening. Your interviewee should be able to provide specific examples of a situation where they demonstrated the behavior you are seeking including the actions taken and the beneficial outcome of their actions.

For example, if you are looking for someone who can provide great customer service you may craft a question like this as a litmus test, “Tell me about a time when you dealt with an extremely difficult customer. What made this customer so difficult? What did you do to satisfy this customer? What was the outcome of your interaction(s)?” Ask the question then listen. The candidate should be able to identify the customer, explain the situation, clearly communicate the action taken, and demonstrate the results either as an anecdote or with tangible evidence of their success. Second to this, their example should be relevant to the job they are seeking and recent (within a year if possible).

When you can see a pattern of behavior consistent with the job requirements in a contender, consider a second interview to ensure the best fit. Past performance is the best predictor of future behavior.

If you have questions for the experts at Team @ Work, email us at: kristen@teamatworkcoaching.com