As a manager, you need employees that are committed to your organization’s mission and willing to work hard.  Everyone can work, but hiring an employee that enjoys coming to work, exhibits go the extra mile energy, and strong dedication is essential for overall productivity.  It’s important that you look for passionate employees during the interview process.  Here are a few tips that will help you determine whether a candidate will be truly passionate about their job.

Look for Risk-Takers.
A large part of passion is made up of confidence and courage.  When you’re passionate about something, you have to be willing to take a stand for something you believe in, even when it’s not the popular position.  Ask the candidate to tell you about a risk they’ve taken.  If the candidate is passionate about what they do, they’ll be able to give you an example.  If they haven’t taken any risks, then chances are they usually play it safe, and aren’t the type of candidate you’re looking for.

Take Note of Body Language.
When answering questions in an interview, body language and tone can tell a lot about how engaged a potential hire is in their work.  Do they use hand gestures when explaining how they performed in their previous role?  Do their eyes light up and do they become animated when describing a problem they solved? Do you hear excitement in their voice when they talk about their career goals? These are all signs that someone is enthusiastic and passionate about their work.  Be wary of a candidate that is monotone when describing what they liked about their last job or that doesn’t maintain strong eye contact when delivering responses.

Ask About their Interests Outside of Work.
Have a candidate tell you what they’re passionate about outside of the office.  An applicant that’s excited to tell you about a hobby they have, sport they play, or nonprofit they’re involved with, will more than likely bring enthusiasm to the office as well.  When someone is passionate about other aspects of their life, it carries over into their career as well.  Passion is a character trait; there’s no on and off switch.  On the contrary, someone that isn’t engaged in activities outside of work will likely just go through the motions at their job.

Make Sure Passions Align with the Job Role.
Just as candidates have unique strengths and weaknesses, they have unique passions.  It’s important to make sure the things a person is passionate about are a good fit for the role you’re trying to fill.  A person that’s excelled from their passion of creating engineering solutions on their own might not be passionate about working as part of a large team.  A person that’s passionate about interacting with people won’t be happy sitting behind a desk.  By asking questions about the applicant’s previous accomplishments, you’ll be able to figure out where their passions lie and determine whether they can direct those passions where you need them to benefit your organization.

A candidate’s skills and qualifications are important, but at the end of the day it’s the employees that are motivated and passionate that will lead your company to great success. Let the professionals at RealStreet Staffing assist you in finding passionate job candidates. Our team of qualified recruiters will deliver talented engineering and construction professionals and design a staffing solution to fit your needs.  Contact us today to see how we can help.