Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group which controls more than 400 companies, is famous for his honesty, audacity and approachability.
And when you see him interviewed on TV or in print, he truly seems like the nicest billionaire you could ever meet.
Not surprisingly, Branson is the first to admit that his success has been built on great people and teams. He knows how to hire well.
So what is Branson’s secret to hiring well?
Look for someone who is a good person.
“If you’re good with people and you really, genuinely care about people then I’m sure we could find a job for you at Virgin,” says Branson.
Pretty obvious, right? But the fact is we’ve all been tricked by bad apples and toxic personalities who we initially thought were good people.
They may have been friendly and polite in the interview, but we all know that the real test of character is when things get difficult or go wrong. You can also tell a lot about a person from how they describe success as well.
Behavior-based interviewing is the best way to separate the good from the not-so-good. Here are four interview questions that can help you better understand the kind of person you’re dealing with:
1. When talking about an accomplishment, does the job candidate talk only about himself?
If the interviewee’s answer about his greatest accomplishment is only about himself – celebrating his own contribution – he might not be the team player you’re looking for. But if he talks about how he helped coach or pitch in, that’s a sign of someone who puts the company and others before his own needs.
2. When discussing a mistake made in the past, how big is the mistake?
If the job candidate is only willing to describe tiny mistakes, that can be a red flag, too. While making the same big mistake over and over is not what we want, making one-off calculated mistakes shows curiosity and courage. This is also a person that likely owns and learns from his mistakes. Another good sign.
3. When was a time the job candidate gave feedback to his former boss?
Employees who genuinely care about the success of the company are willing to kindly and directly share constructive feedback even with bosses. That’s a person not just looking for a promotion, but rather, looking to promote the best interests of the company.
4. When you ask about a time the job candidate dealt with an upset client, how’d he handle it?
How a candidate talks about handling an angry or frustrated customer reveals a lot about if they’re a good person. If you hear resentment or contempt that’s a bad sign. But if the potential new hire expresses concern and empathy when dealing with a peeved customer that’s a good sign.
So, take a page out of Richard Branson’s playbook.
Find and hire good people if you want to build a great company.
Have a great week.
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