​How Do You Know If a Job Candidate Has the Passion for the Work?

Few things are more frustrating than investing months or years in training a new colleague, only to discover they lack the passion for the work and will seek opportunities elsewhere. All the time, resources, and energy poured into their development are instantly rendered futile, offering no future benefits.

As this scenario repeats with multiple new colleagues over time, the willingness of others to mentor new team members diminishes significantly. Team morale suffers as newly skilled members leave the organisation, indifferent to those who invested in them.

In some organisations, the revolving door of new hires who leave after a short stint to pursue entirely different disciplines discourages any investment in new talent. While this problem isn’t new, it appears to have become more prevalent in recent years.

What Can Leaders and Recruiters Do About This Dilemma?

It’s nearly impossible during the recruiting process to determine whether a prospective team member has the passion, commitment, and interest to build their skills and engage in the work of the enterprise over the long term. After all, passions can shift as life experiences change what is most important to people.

Junior team members, in particular, might not yet know what truly excites them or where they want to invest their time. Some won’t admit it during the interview process, but they never intend to stay more than a few years. They see the role as simply a stepping stone and plan to explore new opportunities as they arise.

A Question That Can Help

While there are no guaranteed ways to ensure a prospective team member has or will sustain the passion necessary for a long-term commitment, one question offers insight into the candidate's mindset. Asking prospective team members what they see themselves doing in 5-10 years often reveals where their true passions lie. Interestingly, most people are very honest when answering this question.

Responses will range from “I have no idea” to “I can see myself doing something entirely different in 5 to 10 years.” Because candidates typically don’t see why an honest answer to the question would cause concern, they are usually very open in their responses. While this answer should not be the sole deciding factor, it provides valuable data for interviewers to assess whether a commitment and passion for the work exist.

Of course, the ideal answer leaders hope for might be: “I hope I’m still in this organisation, doing amazing work, and enjoying great personal and team success.” While some candidates might be savvy enough to give this answer even if it’s not genuine, they are the exception.

Questions to Ask Candidates:

1. What aspects of this role do you find most exciting and why?

2. How do you envision your career developing over the next 5 to 10 years?

3. Can you share a past experience where your passion for a particular project or job made a significant difference to your performance?

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If you would like to know more about how you can learn about candidate's passions, how to ask strategic interviewing questions, culture fit and how you could incorporate coaching to get the most out of your employees and their passions, get in touch with our team.