Be a Great Boss: The Hill Collection (4 Items)

Your Team Members Are Individuals Too 211

experience the job requires. This may seem obvious, but we’ve

seen too many managers fi nd a candidate so attractive in other

ways, they overlook glaring holes in what they know, can do, or

have done. Other characteristics matter too, and some parts of

the work can be learned on the job, but it’s hard to make up for a

lack of basic competence.

Do You Look for More Than Competence?

Competence is relatively straightforward to assess, and interper-

sonal skills can be uncovered, but character can be difficult to

determine. Here are some ways to get at it.

Ask open-ended questions that aren’t easy to answer briefly.

Encourage the candidate to tell stories about his experience,

including times when ...