3 Ways to Hire for the Wow Factor!
February 25, 2008 by Phil Gerbyshak
Filed under Business
In a recent post about hiring great people, Rosa Say shared this comment:
You’ve struck somewhat of a nerve with me within this posting, because while I’m realistic about not expecting people to be completely turned on high at work all the time, we settle for way too much mediocrity in life. As far as the working world goes, hiring with better – and yes, shoot for the stars expectations, is such a crucial start. We get what we expect to get, and so much, from working conditions to customer service will not improve until we improve in demanding better of ourselves.
Reviewing my article, I see I should have called it “Setting Good Expectations for Hiring” and not hiring great people, for I set the bar really low. Thanks for calling me out Rosa.
So let’s dive in, and talk about how do we hire for the “Wow Factor!” First, let’s define the “Wow Factor!”
Wow Factor! defined:
The thing that sets you apart from your peers and makes you say Wow! Especially important in a job interview when there are many candidates that have exactly the same credentials as you do. Typically the Wow Factor! is something you innately know but that you may not be sure why it’s so important to you.
So rather than discuss hiring adequate associates, or associates that may be 7 or 8, let’s shoot for 10 and share 3 ways to hire for the wow factor.
Passion – ask the interviewee what she/he is passionate about. See how excited they get, regardless of whether they are talking about stray dogs, cooking, or customer service.
Learning – ask the interviewee what she/he has learned in the past 14 days. Again, it doesn’t matter what they’ve learned, the important thing is that they learned SOMETHING, and share that with you.
Servant’s Heart – ask the interviewee about the last time they helped someone, how it felt, why they did it, and when they plan to do it again. The best may be a little embarrassed, but when pushed, they will happily tell you about a meal program they are involved in, an after school program for kids, or something that shows a servant’s heart.
What do you think? How do YOU hire for the Wow Factor! We’ve all shared how to hire adequate people, now let’s make it great!
Phil Gerbyshak is currently looking for 2 associates to provide WOW! customer service on his IT Help Desk in Milwaukee, WI. Do you know anyone who has these skills? Leave a comment below.
I am all for hiring passionate people, but I am not sure if hiring “passionate about anything” works. If I am looking for someone to be passionate about HR work, yet they are passionate about coin collecting I am not sure that passion will transfer to the one I desire. People get passionate about American Idol, not sure if that makes them a great employee or one who spends their working time discusing last night’s show.
So is there a such thing as “guided” passion? Anyone have a list of passions that translate well to the workplace?
Phil & Michael,
Michael’s point is understandable about passion for one thing not necessarily translating directly to another. But here are a couple of thoughts:
1. Simply finding out if someone can “get passionate” about a topic is telling. Anyone who doesn’t show affect about something may have some issues of the heart. If that’s the case, there may also be problems addressing #3 on Phil’s list.
2. When someone does identify a personal passion, ask the question, “How would you see that kind of excitement carrying over into your work?”
This is a useful way to see if the individual can somehow connect the dots for you. It could be less of a mystery than meets the eye.
Note of caution: For those who have a more objective, intellectual approach to life, asking to suddenly name their “passion” can be off-putting.
Instead, try asking about what “captures their interest” or where they like to “get involved”. The language itself can help both parties get to where they need to be.
Good topic!
Steve, I agree with you, passion is generally something that can be guided or developed for new areas. A passionate person (even on unrelated topics) is still better than one who isn’t passionate about anything. Anyone who has learned to be passionate, has also been focused and committed to that thing, which are great traits to practice in order to become passionate in the workplace.
As for other ideas, one big thing to look for is someone who is willing to step outside their comfort zone. I just wrote about this topic on my site and its important to look for it to help determine if people are willing to step up, take a chance and have a mindset that failure is OK, its better to take chances and be willing to do new things. Without that, people often stay complacent.
Here’s to the end of mediocrity. I’ve seen so many people hired at my workplace simply because they are warm bodies. I’m looking forward to making a go of my company in hopes of being able to hire some “wow” associates. Thank you for the great post!