It’s tempting (and too easy) to base your hiring decisions solely on a candidate’s professional credentials. As important as they are, they tell you very little about whether a candidate will succeed on the job over the long term. You need to evaluate a candidate’s personality as well – and that information doesn’t show up on a resume. Here are a few tips to help you get a closer look at a candidate’s personality:

• Define Positives and Negatives

Before you post the job, determine what personality traits the ideal candidate has. Conversely, figure out what traits you want to avoid. Knowing what to look for helps you discover a candidate’s personality and determine their true fit for the position. This process also helps ensure that all candidate’s are judged according to the same standards.

• Remove Yourself from the Equation

The face-to-face setting of the interview is the best time to explore a candidate’s personality. Just be aware that you bring your own biases to the table. The way you interpret a candidate and his personality is closely connected to your own personal preferences and never fully objective. Keep this in mind before passing any final judgments

• Ask Behavioral Questions

You won’t get much honest or useful information simply asking a candidate to describe his personality. The better strategy is to ask behavioral questions in which you lay out a scenario and ask the candidate to describe how she would react. The responses communicate a lot about the candidate’s character, values, demeanor, and working style.

• Describe Your Culture

Rather than trying to skate around the issue of personality, don’t hesitate to confront it head on. Describe your company culture in detail, focusing as much as possible on the vacant position and the person you want to fill it. Then gauge the candidate’s reactions and responses. If it’s clearly a bad fit for one or both parties it will probably be apparent.

• Look Past Preconceived Notions

You know what the ideal candidate looks like, but don’t get too hung up on checking every box on your list. We have a lot of preconceived notions about personality, especially as it pertains to the workplace. And in many instances, those notions are wrong. You could be passing up exciting talent and unnecessarily prolonging the recruiting process by being too judgmental.

• Gather All the Facts

The interview tells you a lot, but not everything. Aspects of the candidate’s personality have been revealing themselves since he first made contact with you. Did he conduct himself professionally throughout? Did his resume or cover letter show signs of creativity? Does social media tell you anything? Make your final judgment about personality based on everything you’ve learned.

When you’re ready to start connecting with top candidates, contact the agriculture staffing experts at Morris Bixby.