Technical skills are easy to interview for. Someone either knows something or they don’t, and their qualifications can be tested to determine whether they will be able to perform the job. In comparison, hiring for cultural fit can b a bit more challenging, but it is no less critical to your business growth and long-term success. To understand that means you need to know your own company more intimately than many hiring managers do. Here are 4 critical questions to ask yourself to determine whether someone will be a good fit.

1. What works for your company?

As a hiring manager, you have seen examples of new hires who are able to make an immediate impact. The ones who understand their role and can onboard quickly and hit the ground running. Those new hires are a recruiter’s dream candidate, but not every applicant will be a good fit. Ask yourself what has worked well in the past. Is it related to experience? Is it about attitude? Don’t allow yourself to limit your candidate pool too much based on previous successes, but you should know what has worked in the past and how that can translate to future hires.

2. Will co-workers embrace them?

Team building is critical. As a hiring manager, you should know your team top to bottom. You need to know what skills complement their existing skill set as well as what gaps exist and how new recruits can meet those needs. Ask what types of personalities would be a good fit for the team. Truly effective groups can balance multiple workloads and characters to create true synergy. Think about how you can hire for balance and energy.

3. Which personality skills fit in with your team?

Personalities can have a huge impact on the dynamics of a team. As mentioned above, make sure you are bringing in enough diversity of experience and personality that you maintain a good balance. Your team knows what works for them, so be sure to solicit feedback. Ask them what types of experience and personalities they most enjoy working with. They can provide unique insight into what personalities will mesh well with the team from their perspective and experiences.

4. What really doesn’t work for your company?

Some of the most important lessons in hiring are learned from the failures and mistakes we make. While these failures are rarely discussed and even less likely to be analyzed in depth, but those lessons are valuable nonetheless. Look back over your own hiring experiences. What do you know to not work well for your company? Ask other hiring managers the same question. Everyone who has made tough hiring decisions knows that not every candidate turns out to be a great fit no matter how good they look on paper. Those lessons learned are so important in creating a really effective team – don’t overlook them.

Work With a Top Staffing Agency in Middle Tennessee

Are you looking for the right employees to join your team? We can help you find the right skills and characteristics of potential team members. Contact All-Star Personnel today to get started on working with a top staffing agency in middle Tennessee.