A Strength-Based Approach to Hiring

A Strength-Based Approach to HiringBeing able to fulfill the duties of a job is one thing. Being able to thrive in a position is another. This is what strength-based hiring practices aim for; candidates whose interests and competencies are in sync with the day-to-day duties of their job.

Chris White, managing director of the Center for Positive Organizations summed up the advantages of strength-based hiring practices in an article on Business News Daily. “The best-performing managers capitalize on strengths, while organizing around weaknesses,” says White. “To get the most out of [employees, especially] millennials, it is virtually a requirement to imbue the organization with a sense of deeper purpose, and to help team members develop roles that allow them to apply their strengths, values and passions in their day-to-day work.”

So how can companies leverage strength-based recruitment practices to find the best person for the job?

It Starts In the Interview 

You can only learn so much about a person from their resume. An interview is an opportunity to gain some real insight into the interests, character and work style of prospective hires. In companies that employ strength-based recruitment practices, hiring managers typically ask candidates a variety of open-ended, sometimes hypothetical questions designed to illuminate their strengths (and weaknesses).

Such Questions Include:

“What is always the last thing on your to-do list?”

“What’s the best part of your day?”

“Do you prefer starting tasks, or finishing them?”

“When would your friends and family say you’re at your happiest?”

“What subject always came easy to you in school? Which did you struggle with?”

Some of these questions are designed to make candidates think quickly on their feet. Others are more transparent, and simply intended to shed light on the preferences and interests of a candidate. Questions such as these, in conjunction with more traditional questions regarding a candidate’s professional experience, act as a sort of failsafe to ensure new hires will be satisfied, productive members of your team.

At CSS we’ve made it our mission to keep abreast of the latest hiring practices and procedures in order to provide our clients with the best service in the industry. Give us a call, and find out how our talented staffing professionals can connect you with the right candidate for the job today.