Hiring IT Talent on Growth Potential

When you need to fill a vacancy, it’s tempting to search for the candidate that best meets your immediate needs. But what if the candidate you select doesn’t have the characteristics to rise to the next level and make a greater impact at your company? Ultimately, you’ve sacrificed a long-term opportunity to solve a short-term problem. That’s why it’s so important to consider growth potential as you evaluate potential hires. Here’s a few interview questions to help you gain insights.

Describe a Time When You Had to Adapt to Changes in the Workplace.

Adaptability is a valuable quality in any employee, especially considering how fast things change in business generally and IT specifically. Ask this question, and then evaluate the scope of the change, the speed of the change, and the skills and character traits that the candidate used to help them adapt.

Talk About a Project that You Completed Independently.

Leaders, by necessity, are often on their own. When you are evaluating candidates, you want to get a sense of whether they need constant direction and hand holding or can work with a certain degree of autonomy. Gauge how comfortable the candidate is working on their own, how much responsibility they can put on their own shoulders, and if they are willing to be held accountable for the results.

Tell Me about Your Dream Job.

This question is surprisingly revealing. First of all, it highlights how the candidate feels about their own growth potential and whether they see themselves taking on more responsibility down the road. Also, it reveals how realistic their ambitions are in the context of your own company. If their goals are out of step with what you have the capabilities to offer, it’s likely that they will look for another job rather than pursue a promotion.

What do You Like to Learn About?

Growth is impossible without learning. Asking this question gives you a sense of how curious a candidate is and how committed to both personal and professional development they will be down the road. But be open minded about it. A candidate doesn’t have to list off exclusively IT-related topics to demonstrate that they are dynamic, well-rounded, and a potential candidate for management.

Making growth potential a feature of your candidate evaluation just makes sense. After all, it’s faster and easier to promote managers from within, and it’s also a boost to morale that encourages everyone to work more effectively. Connect with more candidates that have what it takes to move up the ladder by relying on the staffing specialists at INSPYR Solutions.