As the fierce debate over the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to a lifetime job as a Supreme Court Justice is unfolding, I’ve been thinking a lot about hiring. And I find myself thinking back to a college class that really stuck with me throughout the years, a Philosophy seminar on Aristotle’s Ethics. I will always remember the professor’s question to all of us impressionable minds eager to engage in meaningful discussions:
“what does being a good person mean to you?”
I go back to this question at various times in my life, especially when my core values seem out of sync with the world around me. For the Greeks, character is seen as a deliberate choice to do the right thing, at the right time, and in the right way. A person’s character is the result of many individual actions.
When it comes to hiring, what does “quality of hire” mean? What should take precedence – character or qualifications?
In pondering this question, I remembered a great article in the Recruiterbox What Warren Buffett Wants to Know Before He Hires You. According to Warren Buffett, when looking for people to hire, we should be so lucky to have candidates who have the following 3 qualifications: integrity, intelligence, and energy. But what is the one trait that we should never compromise on? Again, according to Buffett, integrity is the most important trait to look for in employees. When a person doesn’t have integrity, especially if they have intelligence and energy, they will be in a position to cause irreparable damage to the business.
Hiring teams tend to put a lot of emphasis on applicants’ experience and qualifications, and rightly so. But I would argue that equal weight should we given to their character. I believe it is the most important quality for long-term success on the job. Unfortunately, it is also the most difficult trait to asses and measure during the hiring process. Which bears the question: how can leaders really judge a person's character? Well, it takes one to know one. But a more practical advice is to dare dig deeper beyond the standard interview questions about skills and experience. Be sure to mix in behavioral questions to uncover not only qualifications but also the candidate’s core qualities.
The first step is for the hiring team to identify both the competencies (job skills) and the character qualities to look for in a new hire. Then agree upon the top five for each category. Once the two lists are compiled, create an interview plan to include questions that can help assess for character. A few questions to consider:
How do you focus on doing what is “right”?
How do you make time to help others?
How do you ensure that your communication is honest and genuine?
What would cause you to get upset on the job?
What are three things you’d want to be remembered for in your time here?
It is key to let the candidates do most of the talking. Listen to what they say, how they say it, and what they don’t say. Pay attention to body language. Do they seem authentic and genuine? What can you learn about their values and character? The more they talk, the more you can learn about who they are as human beings.
While it is certainly a challenge to screen for character, not doing it will likely cause bigger challenges down the road. Experience and qualifications will never make-up for lack of character and integrity.
“The truly good and wise man will bear all kinds of fortune in a seemly way, and will always act in the noblest manner that the circumstances allow.” ~ Aristotle
