As a small business owner, you can’t afford to make a bad choice when it comes to hiring new staff. A ‘bad hire’ can cost you valuable time, money and mis-hire carnage.

No small business stands alone; the best small businesses are collaborative ventures. And that means the best candidates must be strong team players, willing to do what is necessary to reach a project goal or other business deliverable. But teamwork and an entrepreneurial and independent spirit can be challenging to identify on a resume. What questions should you be asking during the interview process to ensure you are choosing the right candidate?

Question #1

When do you do your best work – when working as part of a team or working alone on a single task or assignment.

We all enjoy a little peace and quiet every now and then. And intentional solitude has been proven to boost productivity, but if you’re interviewing a candidate who prefers isolation over teamwork, chances are they’re not the team player your small business needs.

Question #2:

What do you know about this company and why do you want to work here?

This question shows whether the candidate did research on your company. It is a great way to gauge their interest in the position and the organization. An individual who does their research before the interview will stand out as a more informed and competent candidate.

Question #3

Ask your candidate to describe a successful project they worked on, what their role was, and why the project was ultimately successful.

If a candidate quickly tells you about their personal achievements –  and why their role was vital to the project’s success – chances are they’ll be better suited to a position requiring less team focus.

But if the candidate was keen to elaborate on details about the project team – highlighting group actions and collaborative successes – you’ve just identified an ideal team player.

Question #4

We’ve all experienced conflict at some time. Anyone can have a bad day. And while conflict may be unavoidable, how someone chooses to deal with that conflict reveals a great deal about who they really are.

Ask a candidate to describe a situation where they had to deal with conflict and how they resolved the issue.

Did the candidate talk about something that happened months or maybe even years ago – but with very real, very current emotion? If they did, it’s a big red flag. A candidate who displays an emotional response to a work-related conflict is giving you a clear signal that they have a limited capability to thrive in group settings.

But, if your candidate was quick to describe something that happened in an even manner without overt sentiment, they’re demonstrating a strong ability to step aside from personal emotions and focus on moving forward for the benefit of the team. And that’s something only a great team player will do.

Knowing the right questions to ask a candidate can be tricky! If you run a small business, you can’t afford to hire the wrong person; you need to be confident your next employee is the right person for the job. And that’s where the specialized recruiters at WinCorp Solutions can help. They’re specialists, just like you are. Reach out to the team today and let them help you find your next SBS (small-business-superstar).