Impressive résumé? Check.  College education?  Check. Put-together appearance?  Check.  Everything about this potential new hire looks great on the surface.  She has all the knowledge and experience you could ask for to be a fantastic fit with the position.  So this candidate will be a great success when you hire her, right?

Not necessarily.

According to a recent study by Leadership IQ, 46% of new hires will fail within the first 18 months—and it’s not for the reasons you might think.  Only 11% of new employees fail because they lack the technical skills to do the work.  (You thoroughly evaluated technical skills during the interview process, remember?)  The other 89% failed because they lacked adequate interpersonal skills:

• 26% could not accept feedback;
• 23% could not process or manage their emotions;
• 17% lacked motivation; and
• 15% had the wrong temperament for the job.

This isn’t to say technical skills aren’t important to evaluate, they’re just much easier to assess during the hiring process.  A meticulous look at interpersonal skills isn’t always at the top of the interview list, and is often overlooked even when certain positions cry out for a good match.  Failure to consider all of a candidate’s qualities can result in a contradictory pairing, such as a communications coordinator who is rude, terse, and emotional when corresponding with others.  Perceived unimportance of interpersonal skills could be due to the supervisor’s or hiring manager’s inexperience, or it could be a result of inadequate onboarding procedures. So how can you improve your chances of getting a new hire right the first time?

For starters, look within.  Many companies are finding their top candidates through networking and employee referrals.  Current employees who are a good fit are likely to yield contacts like them, who also have a chance of matching well.

Beyond that, place more of an interview’s focus on the emotional and behavioral aspects of each candidate.  Ask questions designed to elicit responses about a candidate’s work style and demeanor.  Yes, it’s very difficult to assess someone’s emotional and behavioral repertoire during an hour-long interview.  But keep an eye out for subtle clues.  How does this
person respond under pressure?  How might the candidate handle specific scenarios in your workplace?  Would this candidate get along well with your other employees?  What has this person done to defuse past problems?  Asking the right questions during an interview will help you select a well-rounded fit for the position.

Focusing more on emotional and behavioral aspects will help you make better hiring choices, and will ultimately save your company time and money.  And if your supervisors and hiring managers need training to know what interview questions are most effective, let us help.  We are YES! Your Human Resources Solution, Orange County’s premier Human Resources consulting firm.  Our experienced and friendly consultants can arm your staff with the know-how to recognize top talent—we can even expand your applicant pool to new and exciting areas.  Find out more about how we can help you catch and keep key performers.  Visit our website or contact us for a free consultation!