How to Identify Hidden Candidate Qualities

Every hiring manager should make time for reference checks, especially for leadership roles or those heavily requiring soft skills. While interviews offer insights into a candidate’s background and skill, they only provide one side of the story. Reference checks provide an external perspective, allowing you to make more informed hiring decisions. I recommend asking candidates for references and also seeking out objective references they may not directly provide. Schedule at least 30 minutes to ensure plenty of time to ask questions. Before the call, do some research on each reference’s relationship with the candidate, how long they worked together, and their professional connection. Top 5 Reference Check Questions 1. Why do you think the candidate chose to leave your company? This question offers valuable insight into the candidate’s motivations and career aspirations. It can also provide the other side of the story if the exit from the previous company was at all contentious. I prefer to work with people who do their best to leave places in good condition and not burn bridges. 2. Is this person one of the top 5 people you’ve ever worked with? Why? Ranking forces specificity and offers a clearer sense of how this candidate measures up. I find this more insightful than simply asking if they’d work with the person again, as it provides a more direct assessment. If a candidate provides a reference that does not absolutely put them in their top 5 that is a red flag. 3. What’s one area this person improved in while working with you? I put a lot of weight on a candidate’s ability to grow and adapt. This question can reveal how quickly they enhance their value on a team. It’s often helpful to follow up by exploring the process they undertook to improve and how much help the team or company provided. 4. Can you give an example of a time they made a difficult decision or tackled a tough problem? This question is essential for assessing resilience and problem-solving. It’s important to hear about specific challenges the candidate handled, which reveals their grit and determination. I really look for an example of the candidate doing a hard thing that helped the team or company succeed. 5. What was the best thing about working with them? And the most challenging? Unlike traditional strengths and weaknesses questions, this phrasing highlights the candidate’s impact as a teammate. It can reveal aspects of their work style, personality, and how they interact and communicate with others. I love to hear that a candidate is a joy to work with because of their positive attitude, which often has nothing to do with their skill in the role. BONUS: What did you learn from them, and what did they learn from you? I love this question because it often brings out unexpected answers. It reveals the candidate’s openness to feedback and their potential for growth. I want to work with people that are coachable and love to learn, but also enjoy teaching others.

They’re the hardest to measure. The hardest to develop. The hardest to replace. And yet, they’re often treated like an afterthought. In reality, they’re what separate great hires from bad ones. 👉 Emotional intelligence. 👉 Problem-solving. 👉 Communication. 👉 Adaptability. 👉 Influence. These aren’t just workplace buzzwords. They’re the skills that drive innovation, collaboration, and leadership. As Peter Drucker put it: “The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.” But here’s the problem: - Job seekers struggle to prove these skills. - Hiring managers struggle to assess them. - Traditional hiring methods (resumes, interviews, even technical tests) aren’t built to measure them effectively. So how do you recognize spot these skills in candidates? 🔹 Go beyond the resume. Instead of relying on past job titles, ask about challenges they’ve faced and how they navigated them. Stories reveal problem-solving, communication, and adaptability. 🔹 Listen for “we” vs. “I.” UCandidates who naturally talk about teamwork, collaboration, and shared success tend to have strong interpersonal and leadership skills. 🔹 Test for adaptability. Throw in a curveball question. See how they respond to an unexpected change. Are they flustered, or do they roll with it? 🔹 Look for self-awareness. Ask about a time they received tough feedback and how they handled it. Someone with strong emotional intelligence won’t just blame others—they’ll reflect, adapt, and improve. 🔹 Pay attention to how they interact. The way candidates communicate with you in the hiring process is often the best indicator of their soft skills. Do they listen actively? Ask thoughtful questions? Show curiosity? Soft skills might be hard to measure, but they’re impossible to fake. And hiring without considering them? That’s a costly mistake. What are your go-to strategies for assessing these essential skills in candidates? Let’s compare notes. ⬇️

I just rejected the 'perfect' candidate. Harvard MBA. FAANG experience. Stellar portfolio. Why? Because I watched how they treated our receptionist. Here's the truth: The interview starts the moment they enter the building. My 5-point candidate evaluation checklist: 1. Pre-interview behavior 🔍 • How do they treat support staff? • Are they on time? • How do they handle waiting? 2. Real-world scenarios 📊 • No more "where do you see yourself in 5 years" • Instead: "Tell me how you'd handle [actual current challenge]" • Watch their thought process, not just the answer 3. Team interaction 🤝 • Informal coffee chat with potential teammates • See how they handle different personalities • Observe their listening skills 4. Follow-up quality ✍️ • Do they send thoughtful thank you notes? • Are they asking insightful questions? • How do they handle feedback? 5. Cultural contribution 🌟 • What unique perspective do they bring? • How do they handle disagreement? • What values do they demonstrate? The result? • Better culture alignment • Longer employee retention • Stronger team dynamics • Fewer hiring mistakes Remember: Skills get them through the door. Character gets them the job. What's your non-negotiable when evaluating candidates? Share your insights below! 👇 #HiringTips #RecruitmentStrategy #TalentAcquisition

Here's how you can evaluate a candidate's emotional intelligence during the interview process: 1. Observation of interactions:   - Pay attention to how the candidate interacts with different interviewers   - Look for signs of empathy, self-awareness, and social skills   - Note their ability to read and respond to nonverbal cues 2. Active listening:   - Observe how the candidate listens to questions and responds   - Look for signs that they are truly listening, rather than just waiting for their turn to speak   - Assess their ability to ask clarifying questions and summarize key points 3. Self-awareness:   - Ask the candidate to describe their strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement   - Evaluate how self-aware they are and their willingness to acknowledge and work on their limitations 4. Relationship management:   - Inquire about how the candidate has handled conflicts or difficult team dynamics in the past   - Assess their approach to resolving interpersonal issues and fostering collaboration 5. Adaptability and stress management:   - Present hypothetical scenarios that require the candidate to adapt to change or handle pressure   - Observe how they respond and their ability to remain calm and composed 6. Empathy and compassion:   - Ask the candidate to describe a time they had to support a team member who was going through a personal challenge   - Evaluate their ability to put themselves in others' shoes and provide emotional support 7. Motivation and inspiration:   - Inquire about how the candidate has motivated or inspired their team in the past   - Assess their ability to create a positive, energizing work environment 8. Ethical decision-making:   - Present scenarios that require the candidate to make tough ethical choices   - Evaluate their decision-making process and the rationale behind their choices

10 Interview Questions That Reveal True Potential (Beyond the resume and rehearsed answers) Standard interviews rarely show you the real person behind the resume. Most candidates practice the same answers to the same old questions. These questions help you see past rehearsed answers to find hidden talent. Here are 10 interview questions that uncover a candidate's true potential: 1️⃣ Work Prioritization ↳ "If everything on your to-do list is labeled 'urgent,' how do you decide what to do first?" 2️⃣ Learning Velocity ↳ "Tell me about something complex you learned recently. How did you approach it?" 3️⃣ Feedback Response ↳ "Describe a time when you received tough feedback. What did you do next?" 4️⃣ Problem Ownership ↳ "What's a problem you identified and fixed before anyone asked you to?" 5️⃣ Collaboration Style ↳ "How do you handle a teammate who isn't delivering their part of a project?" 6️⃣ Failure Navigation ↳ "Tell me about a significant professional failure. What did it teach you?" 7️⃣ Ambiguity Handling ↳ "Describe a time when you had to make a decision with incomplete information." 8️⃣ Impact Measurement ↳ "How do you know if you're doing a good job day-to-day?" 9️⃣ Growth Mindset ↳ "What skills are you currently trying to develop and why?" 🔟 Motivation Depth ↳ "What aspects of this role would make you excited to come to work every day?" Remember: Great interviews are conversations, not interrogations. The goal is understanding how someone thinks, not just what they've done or how well they interview. What interview question has given you the best insight into candidates? Let me know in the comments below ⬇ ♻ Repost if you found this insightful! 👊 Follow Ford Coleman for more!

Discover the true potential of candidates by moving beyond conventional interviews and using strategies to uncover their growth, resilience, and adaptability—qualities that will help you find the perfect fit for your team. Here are five strategies employers and hiring authorities can use to prioritize candidates who demonstrate these qualities during the interview process: 📘 Ask Behavioral Questions: Use behavioral interview questions to reveal specific examples of how candidates have handled challenges, adapted to changes, or learned new skills. 📗 Focus on Career Progression: Examine how candidates have taken on new responsibilities, pursued professional development, or sought challenges that showcase their growth mindset. 📘 Explore Problem-Solving Experiences: Encourage candidates to share situations where they overcame difficulties, what they learned, and how they applied that knowledge in future roles. 📗 Assess Learning Agility: Inquire about their commitment to continuous learning, such as taking courses, earning certifications, or pursuing personal projects that demonstrate self-improvement. 📘 Evaluate Cultural Fit for Adaptability: Consider how well the candidate aligns with your company’s culture, especially regarding adaptability and openness to change. By adopting these strategies, employers can move beyond traditional hiring metrics, allowing each candidate to showcase their growth, resilience, and adaptability, ultimately identifying those who truly align with the organization’s needs. #GrowthMindsetHiring, #BehavioralInterviewing, #AdaptabilityInHiring, #babichandassociates

Two candidates. Same experience. Same skills. But only one got the job.  I’ll never forget this interview:  Candidate A had the perfect resume.   Checked every box.   Technically flawless.  But when we dug deeper?  ❌ Blamed their last team for every failure.   ❌ Dodged questions about conflict resolution.   ❌ Talked a big game—but couldn’t back it up with real examples.  Then there was Candidate B.  Didn’t have all the flashy credentials.   Didn’t try to impress with jargon.   But when we asked about challenges?  ✅ Took ownership.   ✅ Showed self-awareness.   ✅ Had real, thoughtful answers—not rehearsed ones.  They didn’t just tell us they were a strong leader.   They showed it—in how they communicated, handled pressure, and reflected on their own growth.  That’s emotional intelligence—and it’s why they got the job.  Because a resume tells you what someone has done.  But EQ tells you how they’ll actually perform—under pressure, in conflict, as part of a team.  And if you’re recruiting without it?  You’re hiring blind.  Have you ever hired (or passed on) someone based on emotional intelligence? Do you like this post? If you want to see more * Click the 🔔 on my profile! * Connect #MaiPlacement #Ethicalrecruitment #emotionalintelligence

We need someone with 10 years of experience. Really? Let me challenge that thinking. The most successful hires I've seen aren't always the most experienced - they're the ones with the highest potential. Here are 8 uncommon traits that signal high potential in candidates (backed by research): 1. Aspiration & Self-Leadership - Takes initiative without constant direction - Aligns personal goals with company objectives 2. Learning Agility - Adapts quickly to new situations - Applies new skills effectively 3. Emotional Intelligence - Shows high self-awareness - Demonstrates genuine empathy 4. Strategic Thinking - Makes informed decisions - Thinks beyond current role 5. Growth Mindset - Seeks learning opportunities - Views feedback as development 6. Cultural Alignment - Builds trust naturally - Contributes to positive workplace dynamics 7. Resilience - Thrives in uncertainty - Maintains performance under pressure 8. Self-Motivation - Consistently delivers results - Goes beyond job requirements While technical skills can be taught, these character traits and potential indicators are much harder to develop. The next time you're hiring, look beyond the years of experience.  Focus on these traits instead. Your future top performers might not have the perfect resume - but they'll have these qualities in spades. Agree?  Disagree?  Share your thoughts below. 👇

🚀 The Unseen Qualities of Rockstar Employees: A Revelation 🚀 In the realm of leadership and talent acquisition, we've long prioritized skills like teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving. While these remain invaluable, when I was reflecting on my past employees and teams, I wanted to delve into the less obvious yet equally critical attributes that distinguish truly exceptional employees. 🌟 🔍 Beyond the Resume: Uncommon Qualities to Watch For - Adaptability Agility: In today's fast-paced business environment, an employee's ability to pivot in response to changing circumstances is not just valuable—it's indispensable. Look for those who demonstrate this quality not through words but through their actions and decisions during uncertain times. - Curiosity & Continuous Learning: With the rapid evolution of technology and business practices, a voracious appetite for knowledge can be a game-changer. Employees who seek out new skills and understandings without prompting not only grow themselves but become invaluable assets for innovation within your company. - Emotional Intelligence (EQ): Increasingly recognized as a critical driver of success, EQ—the ability to understand and manage one’s emotions and to empathize with others—can significantly enhance team collaboration and customer relations. Employees high in EQ often navigate conflicts effortlessly and foster a supportive, positive work environment. - Cultural Contributions: Beyond fitting into the company culture, look for individuals who contribute to it. Those who bring new perspectives and challenge the status quo can catalyze the kind of growth and innovation necessary for today’s competitive landscape. 🔎Spotting These Qualities Identifying these traits requires innovative interview techniques and keen observation. Behavioral and situational interview questions can reveal much about a candidate’s adaptability and EQ, while projects or tasks that simulate real-work challenges can provide insight into their problem-solving and learning agility. 📈 Impact on Business Success According to a report by Deloitte, organizations that prioritize qualities like learning agility and emotional intelligence tend to outperform in innovation and financial returns. This underscores the substantial impact these "uncommon" employee attributes have on overall business success. Conclusion: As we navigate the complexities of today's business cycles, it is key to embrace a broader view of what makes an employee truly exceptional. It's not just about the skills they bring to the table today but also about their potential to grow, adapt, and contribute to the culture and success of your business tomorrow. Have you encountered an employee whose uncommon qualities significantly impacted your business?   I would love to hear your stories. 👇

With each touchpoint with a candidate, I get a glimpse into what it might be like to work with you if I were a client. Whether that "client" is an insured or an agent, I make note of these impressions. These interactions might be in the screening for a specific position right before we'd be submitting you, or a year earlier when we casually connect for future opportunities. Even if it's been a year, I go back and review prior conversations. I check my notes. Here's the truth: ✅ If there are tons of typos and grammatical errors in your correspondence with me, I can't help but wonder how articulate you'll be when corresponding with clients. ✅ If it takes you days (a week!) to respond to an email or to take an assessment about a role you claim to be super excited about, it does make me question the sense of urgency you'll have on the job. ✅ If you're rude and blow me off, I see a side of you a client might see if you're having an off day, or if maybe that client is someone else's and you feel like "well that's not my job". I have absolutely stuck my neck out for awesome candidates who lacked some of the ideal experience, but where I saw huge potential when they were kind, prompt, professional, and enthusiastic. I've also quietly shut down candidates who, despite being more than qualified on paper, lacked the soft skills that I think are critical in a people business like insurance. Impressions matter (A LOT) - every time.