In my work as a Strengths Based Sustainable Leadership Coach I witness the passion and the joy that people exude when their strengths are aligned with their job responsibilities. They’re enthusiastic about contributing their gifts and talents to the big picture and what they are charged to accomplish. This is most powerful when the vision and that passion begin with the leader. And, when workers are invited to be a part of making a difference by contributing their strengths. I believe most people want to feel they have value to offer to the whole. Feeling that your contributions matter is at the heart of feeling worthy.
Who you are as a leader matters, how you show up matters and how you are in relationship to your people matters.
This is part 3 in this 5-part series on Passion and Great Leaders by Diana Gabriel, Certified Strengths Strategy Coach.
The quickest way to infuse passion and high performance into a company culture is to hire for it in the first place. Aligning the strengths of the individuals with what is needed to be successful in a position. But how do you hire for passion?
Do you know someone who is so passionate about their work that they have a company logo tattooed somewhere on their body? Or, maybe you know someone who proudly wears clothes displaying their organization’s logo.
When people are truly passionate about their interests, values, and contributions they eagerly express it in many ways. Organizations can harness this passion by encouraging a raving fan-like attitude among employees and customers. This can happen only when leaders are passionate and provide a platform for passion.
Zappos, the large online shoe store known for its customer service, hires talent whose personal values align with the company’s core values. The best candidates have a genuine interest in helping others.
It starts with you, as the leader, knowing the organization’s values as well your own values – articulating them clearly and exhibiting them daily. So, in the hiring process, how do you find people who emulate the same values you and your company represent? You probably won’t unearth them using boring, conventional interview questions. You need to do more than determine someone’s skills, education and experience. You must ascertain whether candidates are a cultural fit.
It can be difficult to know if a candidate is excited because they desperately want any job versus a job at your company. Do they want to be the position or to actively do the position? The best people to gauge true passion, engagement, interest and fit already work for you – let them participate in candidate interviews. Future peers are likely to bring to light valuable information about potential new hires.
When it comes to interview questions, evaluate how the candidates interact with prospective team members. Know what strengths you are looking for in an ideal candidate and prepare interview questions accordingly. The better the fit the more likely it will be that they are engaged and passionate. How important is collaboration to them, to you? Assess the fit for curiosity in others, big-picture vs. little-picture vision, and outside interests and values.
What have you experienced in the hiring process? Does your organization hire for passion? What do you think? You can reach me here and on LinkedIn. I would love to hear what is happening where you work.
Diana Gabriel, PPC
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