A big part of hiring the right person for the job means finding someone who is willing to roll up their sleeves and get to work. Local temp agencies are able to separate hard workers from lazy candidates because they know the right interview questions to ask.
Behavioral interview questions dig into a candidate’s personality, offering a solid look at who the person is and how they’ll perform on your team. Asking questions tailored specifically to work ethic is a must because you want to hire a candidate who isn’t afraid of a little hard work.
Three Questions to Gauge a Candidate’s Work Ethic
What do you do when you’ve finished all your tasks before the end of the workday?
It can be hard to know how much work to give employees, because you want to keep them busy, without overloading them. Finding out what candidates do when they’ve finished their assignments will tell you a lot about their work ethic.
Be wary if the person seems confused by this question, as they feel finishing their tasks means they’re done for working for the day. You want a candidate who will come to you and ask for more work if they finish early, instead of spending the rest of the day wasting time.
Describe a time when you went the extra mile to meet a deadline.
Some deadlines are easy to meet because employees have plenty of time to work toward them. However, last-minute projects do happen, and completing them on time requires a lot of effort. It’s important to find a candidate who is willing to double down and work extra hard.
The best candidates will be able to easily think of an example to share because they’ve done this many times. Steer clear of anyone who has trouble coming up with a response — or shares one that doesn’t really sound like extra effort — because they’ll likely push back if put in this situation.
Tell me about a time you took on extra tasks, despite not being your responsibility.
True team players understand everyone plays a role in the success of the company. Therefore, they’re willing to lend a helping hand when needed.
Candidates should have no trouble sharing examples of times they volunteered to help an overworked colleague or otherwise offered to help with a task they weren’t assigned to, so a deadline could be met. If a candidate has trouble coming up with a response, they’re probably not a team player.
There’s no need to stress about hiring during the pandemic because HTSS, Inc. is here to guide your search. Get in touch today to find out what we can do for your Lehigh Valley team!