When considering your next hire, think not only about wanting someone with experience, but also someone who can grow within the position and take it head-on. For this, you need to hire for both potential and positive attitude.
Avoid the “experience trap.” Too often companies automatically assume that past performance indicates future success. But more importantly, you need to consider whether past lessons learned can translate to a new position. You may wind up hiring someone whose bad habits follow them and need to be changed or unlearned. Instead, hire someone who can adapt to new challenges and anticipate them before they happen. In an interview, you want to look for curiosity, determination and an eagerness to learn something new.
Attitude matters. Positivity may seem like an “extra” trait, but positive employees will boost others with their outlook, fostering a positive company culture. These are the employees who often become leaders because others look to them for inspiration, and they are motivated to help others do well. Those with a positive attitude also disagree productively, seeking to find a solution or common ground, rather than the negative employee who simply argues and shuts down. This employee will go up against challenges by seeing how they can overcome it and help create a culture of respect.
How do you gauge it? When interviewing, ask questions about difficult situations and evaluate how your candidate responds. Did they see it as a puzzle to be solved or a frustration to be dealt with? For potential, ask about a time when they had to go above and beyond to get a job done or how they dealt with a personal situation that took them away from work. To find that good attitude, ask about their motivations for why they left and joined previous and current employers. Their answers will tell you a great deal about their outlook.
If you want the most out of an employee, find one who not only has the right skills, but also the temperament and potential to add value beyond the bottom line. It will benefit all they meet. For more insights on hiring, contact the Medical Professionals.
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