BUSINESS

  PERSONNEL POINTERS

HIRE PASSION, NOT PROMISES

USE THESE FOUR INTERVIEW QUESTIONS TO GET TO THE HEART OF AN APPLICANT

REBECCA L. JOHNSON, C.P.O.T., C.O.T., C.O.E.

ANYONE CAN promise a job well done, but a person with true passion will perform. A few months ago, my neighbor, Luis, told me he had applied for a firefighter position, and he was invited for an interview. I have never seen him more excited! He shared with me that he has wanted to be a firefighter since he was a small child and that if he got the job, it would be a dream come true.

The next time I saw Luis, I asked about the job. Unfortunately, he was not chosen. Most people would be discouraged — but not Luis. Instead, he took EMT certification classes and signed up to be a volunteer firefighter to improve his chances on the next hiring round. He is a husband with a full-time job, wife and two small children, so I am sure that adding in the extra hours to take classes and finding extra time in the day to volunteer is not easy. People with passion don’t take the easy road, though. I feel certain that Luis will be wearing a firefighter uniform in the future, and the people in our city will gain an excellent first responder.

People with passion are not hard to find; you just have to know what to look for.

Here are four interview questions that will give the applicant an opportunity to reveal whether he or she has passion.

1 WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOBBY AND WHY?

Ask for details. For example, if the hobby is reading, ask what type of books he or she reads, how often, and inquire about a favorite book. Passionate people use great enthusiasm when describing what they do, both in work and in play.

2 HAVE YOU EVER VOLUNTEERED?

Passionate people enjoy contributing to a cause they believe in. Ask about individual contributions. For example, if the applicant volunteered for a fundraiser, inquire as to how much money he or she personally raised.

3 HAVE YOU EVER WON AN AWARD, IF SO HOW DID YOU FEEL?

A natural outcome of passion is high achievement. A passionate person enjoys being rewarded, but is driven by the passion not the award.

4 TELL ME ABOUT A TIME WHEN YOU FAILED

Like Luis, passionate people experience failure, but they are not defeated by it.

HIRE PASSION

A person with passion can be a great hire, but don’t make the mistake of forgetting to fuel the passion with opportunity for growth. OM

MS. JOHNSON is the founder and president of Eyetrain4you and the executive director of business services for GPN. Email her at Rebecca@GatewayPN.com, or visit tinyurl.com/OMcomment to comment on this article.