According to a study by the Society for Human Resource Management, it takes an average of $4,129 and 42 days to fill an open position. If new hires aren’t the right fit for their role, they’re much more likely to leave or lose their jobs, which means companies have to put the time and money back in again to recruit, interview, hire, and onboard their replacement.
To prevent making the wrong hiring decision, it’s important to ask candidates questions that give you a good idea of who they are and what they will be able to tackle. The best way to do this is by adapting your questions to fit their personality.
The questions you ask should give candidates a chance to demonstrate their strengths and express their motivations. However, the questions should also confront a candidate’s natural blindspots so you’re able to understand how they’d handle situations that challenge them.
By making an effort to understand the candidate’s personality and adapt the questions accordingly, you can avoid making a costly mistake.
Quick tip: You can invite candidates to take Crystal’s assessment before the interview, so you know how to structure the questions!
Assertive, confident personalities(often D-types in DISC) tend to be skilled at setting and achieving goals, leading others, and making decisions independently. They are often naturally straightforward people, who may have difficulty accepting supporting roles or gently working through conflict. They tend to be most motivated by personal and professional accomplishments.
You should ask assertive, confident personality types questions that give them a chance to demonstrate their self-sufficiency and discuss their career experience and goals, while also challenging them to show self-awareness or growth. Here are a few examples:
Strength: Tell me about a time when you saw an issue and took it upon yourself to resolve it, rather than waiting for someone else to fix it.
Motivate: What is your proudest professional accomplishment? What did it mean to you when you achieved the goal?
Challenge: Describe a time you wish you’d handled an issue differently with a colleague. What was the initial problem, and how did you deal with the situation?
Creative, talkative personalities(often I-types in DISC), tend to be skilled at thinking outside the box, inspiring other people, and expressing themselves. They may have difficulty analyzing details, working on their own, or waiting patiently for long-term results. They are often most motivated by self-expression or social events.
It’s essential to ask creative, talkative people questions that invite them to discuss their unique way of thinking and motivate them to share openly while challenging them to discuss their analytical thinking experience. Examples include:
Strength: Describe a time when you had to come up with new ways to address a problem.
Motivate: Give me an example of a time you were able to be creative with your work. What was the most exciting and most challenging about it?
Challenge: Tell me about a time when you had to work through a long, detailed project. Did you enjoy it, and what would you do differently?
Warm, supportive personalities(often S-types in DISC), tend to be naturally skilled at keeping their cool, displaying empathy, and connecting with others on a deeper level. They may have a hard time addressing conflict with others, rushing through projects, and firmly leading a large group. They tend to be most motivated by affirmation and recognition from those around them.
Ask warm, supportive personality types questions that allow them to demonstrate their patience and express how they feel appreciated. Challenge them to address a time where they faced conflict. Ask them questions like:
Strength: Describe a time when you had to explain something fairly complex to someone else patiently.
Motivate: Give me an example of a time when you felt appreciated for something you did well.
Challenge: Tell me about a time you faced a conflict while working on a team. How did you handle that?
Reserved, analytical personalities often C-types in DISC) are likely to be skilled at creating processes to improve the team’s effectiveness, solve complex problems, and use data to inform decisions. They feel challenged by change and large groups of people, since they are more comfortable on their own, following a steady routine. This personality also tends to be motivated by time and privacy, especially at work.
You should ask reserved, analytical personality types questions that allow them to demonstrate their logical thinking and share how they like to use their time while challenging them to share how they adapt to change. Examples include:
Strength: Describe a time when you helped establish a needed process for others to follow. How do you think that impacted the team’s workflow?
Challenge: Give me an example of a time when you experienced a lot of change at work. How did that impact you, and how did you adapt?
Motivate: Tell me about a time when you could take your time on a project to ensure success. What were you able to accomplish with the time?
Making the right hire is essential to preventing unnecessary costs in the long-run. You can learn more about the best fit for each job by using Crystal Jobs for your hiring process.
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