Uncovering Candidate Motivation: 6 Key Questions for Effective Recruiting
Recruiting the right talent is a critical and challenging task for any founder.
While some believe it's a straightforward process, many quickly realize that effective recruiting is an art that requires skill and insight.
A crucial aspect of this process is understanding a candidate's motivation – why they want to join your team and if they are likely to stay.
Here are six powerful questions that can reveal much about a candidate's motivation and how well they fit your team. Read on to learn how and why that is important.
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Understanding the Importance of Motivation in Recruiting
Six Questions to Uncover a Candidate's Motivation
Q1: How Did This Make You Feel?
Q2: What Did You Do Next?
Q3: How Did You Approach This?
Q4: What Happened Next?
Q5: What Was the Result From This?
Q6: What Did You Learn From This?
Look Beyond the Resume
The Importance of ‘Motivation’ When Recruiting
Recruiting is so much more than just filling a position: it's about finding someone who aligns with your team's culture and goals.
Understanding a candidate's motivation is key to predicting their commitment and fit within your organization.
In an interview with your potential next hire, don’t scratch on the surface only: the real person becomes visible when you start digging deeper with specific questions.
Here are 6 of them that help you learn more about the person you are talking to, what depth of skills they truly bring, and how well they will click with your team.
Six Questions to Uncover a Candidate's Motivation
Q1: How Did This Make You Feel?
With this question, we’re tapping into Emotional Intelligence: it probes the candidate's emotional engagement and resilience.
Understanding their emotional response to situations helps assess how they might handle stress, teamwork, and customer interactions.
Passionate candidates typically demonstrate a higher level of commitment and are more engaged, which is crucial in dynamic startup environments where emotional investment can drive innovation and productivity.
(Be careful: Passion without boundaries can lead to burnout. Laurent and I spoke about this in The People & Culture Stories Podcast episode “The Dark Side of Entrepreneurship”. Tune in.)
Q2: What Did You Do Next?
Here we want to discover Decision-Making Styles: this inquiry allows you to delve into how the candidate makes decisions and takes action.
Their responses can highlight their ability to think critically and act decisively—key traits for roles requiring autonomy and initiative.
It also offers insights into their ethical and moral compass that is essential for ensuring alignment with your company's values and culture.
Q3: How Did You Approach This?
Now we head into evaluating Problem-Solving Skills and Adaptability: by asking about their approach to challenges, you learn about the candidate’s problem-solving strategies and their ability to adapt to unforeseen complications.
This question helps gauge whether their work style and level of motivation match the needs of a startup environment, where flexibility and innovative thinking are often key to overcoming obstacles.
(I am sure you know what I am talking about. It is a bit of a code for “chaos” and “survival”.)
Q4: What Happened Next?
Let’s not end it just yet but seek detailed narratives for deeper insight: encouraging candidates to provide detailed accounts of their experiences moves the conversation beyond rehearsed answers, allowing for a deeper understanding of their real-world capabilities.
This can reveal their proficiency in communication, their attention to detail, and their persistence, all of which are vital in a fast-paced startup.
Or in other words: let’s see how they are coping when things continue to go wrong and how aware they are of the impact of themselves in moving the needle.
Q5: What Was the Result From This?
The logical next step of confirming what they just said on their own Impact and Understanding of the Broader Mission: this question assesses the candidate’s ability to link their individual actions to larger business outcomes.
Understanding if they consider the broader impact of their work indicates a strategic thinker and someone likely to thrive in roles that contribute directly to the company’s success.
Here they reveal whether they produce results with context and vision, or whether you need to manage them more closely so that they know what they’re doing and why.
(The more they see the impact of their actions themselves, the better. It means less context management for you.)
Q6: What Did You Learn From This?
Let’s find out how they value Learning and Growth: this reflects on how candidates perceive and capitalize on learning opportunities from their experiences.
A focus on personal and professional growth is a strong predictor of an employee's longevity and success within the company. Will they stay long(er) and embrace the ride, or are they looking for something else?
Candidates who are committed to learning are more likely to adapt and grow with your business, aligning well with the dynamic needs of a growing and changing company.
Look Beyond the Resume
These six questions are effective tools to delve deeper into a candidate’s motivation, helping you understand them beyond their resume.
By getting to know the person behind the formal qualifications, you can better evaluate their fit for your team and the likelihood of their long-term commitment.
Remember, a candidate who aligns well with your team's values and dreams is both a time and financial investment that pays off massively in the long run.