How to Interview for the Right Candidate Based on Business Values
A guide to finding the best fit for your company culture and vision
In the first few years of business, we made some errors in hiring staff. It led to wasting time and money and in some cases, reputational damage. We hired based on technical skills, personal connection or the desperate need to fill a gap. Although those people no longer work for us, it had nothing to do with them and everything to do with our hiring process. These people were quality humans with so much to offer the world – they just were the wrong fit for Lyons PM and we found out the hard way. This led to uncomfortable conversations, relationship ruptures, personal stress and pressure on the business. To make it clear, this problem was ours, not theirs. We had to fix things if we wanted to reach our business goals and, to sleep better at night.
Why doesn’t someone with all the right skills and experience always work for your business? It comes down to values. Just like any relationship, if you don’t stand on common ground with your fundamental values, eventually the relationship fails. No matter how many great characteristics a person has, the strength of the foundation lays with values.
One real example of how the misalignment impacted us. We interviewed for a Project Manager, a position we desperately needed filled. One of the candidates stood out form the rest on paper. Years of industry experience and qualifications coming out of their ears. We quickly set up an interview. During the interview the candidate answered every technical question we had about Construction and Project Management, they were confident and there seemed to be no gaps in their skillset. What a find! Hired immediately.
It only took weeks to work out we had made a mistake. This person knew their stuff, generally a nice person and they were friendly with staff and as a rule, fitted into the culture of the business. Outlined below are our values here at Lyons PM verse what was evident in our new staff member.
Growth – Of self and others
This person politely declined further training opportunities and didn’t offer to help others to build capacity. Rather than forthrightly offer to help contractors overcome an issue for the greater good of the project progressing, they would see it as their problem.
Integrity – Genuine, Moral, Fair
While this person was not overtly lacking integrity, they would often make comments that were sexist or derogatory. They would only speak to the male manager and not the female CEO in matters of business and employment. As time went on, we realised they were working for another employer at the same time. This could be something that others do to supplement an income but the distraction from our work was obvious and the other employer was unaware.
Determination – Working with Purpose and grit
This person definitely got the work done and the standard was good. What they did do, is close their computer and walk out the door right on knock off. Waltzing in late was common. We certainly don’t expect people to work above their hours but we all know those people who don’t do a second above and beyond. We love building connections with our clients and driving projects to completion. There was a disconnect with this person whereby the determination to achieve progress was missing. It was just another job.
Interviewing is one of the most important and challenging aspects of hiring. Finding someone who has the skills, experience and qualifications for the job is one thing but finding someone who shares your business values and vision, that’s where the gold is for building your business and having long-term valuable team members. Our big question – How can we assess if a candidate is aligned with our core values of Growth, Integrity and Determination? In this blog post, we will share some tips and examples of how to base your interview questions around these values and find the right fit for your company.
I promise you that any skill or knowledge you require will eventuate if your team member first holds your values.
Growth
Growth is a value that reflects our company’s ambition, innovation and continuous improvement. You want to hire someone who is eager to learn, grow and contribute to your business goals. To assess a candidate’s growth mindset, you can ask questions like:
- What are some of the skills or areas that you are currently working on improving?
- How do you approach new or unfamiliar tasks or challenges?
- How do you measure your progress and success in your work?
- How do you handle feedback and criticism?
- How do you cope with change and uncertainty?
These questions will help you understand how a candidate views their own development, how they deal with obstacles and opportunities, and how they adapt to changing situations. You want to look for someone who is curious, proactive and resilient, and who sees feedback as a way to learn and improve.
Integrity
Integrity is a value that reflects your company’s honesty, ethics and responsibility. You want to hire someone who is genuine, moral and accountable for their actions and decisions. To assess a candidate’s integrity, you can ask questions like:
- How do you handle conflicts of interest in your work?
- How do you communicate and collaborate with others who have different opinions or perspectives from you?
- How do you balance competing priorities or demands in your work?
- How do you deal with mistakes or failures in your work?
- How do you handle confidential or sensitive information in your work?
These questions will help you understand how a candidate behaves in different situations, how they respect and value others, and how they take responsibility for their outcomes. You want to look for someone who is transparent, fair and reliable, and who admits and learns from their errors.
Determination
Determination is a value that reflects your company’s drive, purpose and grit. You want to hire someone who is motivated, committed and goal oriented. To assess a candidate’s determination, you can ask questions like:
- What are some of the professional or personal goals that you have achieved or are working towards?
- How do you plan and execute your projects or tasks?
- How do you overcome challenges or setbacks in your work?
- How do you handle stress or pressure in your work?
- What are some of the things that inspire or motivate you in your work?
These questions will help you understand how a candidate pursues their objectives, how they manage their time and resources, and how they cope with difficulties and stress. You want to look for someone who is enthusiastic, focused and persistent, and who has a positive attitude and energy.
The moment we changed our hiring strategy to interviewing candidates intentionally to find people who share our business values it changed everything. We now have a team who are driven to be their best and help others to do the same. They strive to succeed for our clients and overcome challenges to produce outstanding results. Our return client rate is high and our feedback excellent across the board. Skills can be taught but values are innate and will drive success.
Happy interviewing!
Katie, Director, Lyons Project Management
