How to Interview for Work Ethic

Employer Insights, Industry News

As you interview candidates, it’s common to focus heavily on skills and experience when determining fit. However, evaluating for work ethic is also extremely important in finding candidates who are not only highly qualified for a job – but who have the potential to be successful members of your IT team for the long term. The challenging part is that work ethic is not as tangible of a factor when reviewing a candidate’s credentials, but rather a character trait that varies with everyone. Check out these tips for how to evaluate candidates’ work ethic during the interview process:

Ask about ability to work under pressure.

In almost any IT department, individuals are expected to work quickly when challenges arise. Asking candidates for examples of how they’ve worked well under pressure will give you a glimpse into their work ethic and how they handle stress with others in a professional setting. It’s best to ask candidates for a couple of examples of times they’ve dealt with stressful situations and how they coped with them. You may also want to ask about how they approach their work with personal responsibilities, as this will shed light on their time management abilities.

Pay attention to enthusiasm.

A candidate’s enthusiasm and excitement for the job can speak volumes about their genuine interest in your organization. Asking candidates about their career goals and dreams will give you a sense of how committed they’ll be to the job and their role on your team. Enthusiasm will also be reflective of a candidate’s workplace demeanor in the workplace, which has a direct effect on how they respond and deal with conflicts.

Take note of responsiveness.

The hiring process is really the ideal time to see how quickly a candidate responds to emails and phone calls related to their application and interviews. You’ll want to take note of how promptly candidates get back to your hiring managers, as this can indicate how motivated they’ll be in a work setting to meet deadlines and communicate in a timely fashion with others. Responsiveness is also indicative of how committed a candidate will be to take initiative and grow their career at your organization.

The level of work ethic displayed by your IT team can easily make or break your organization’s success. While hard skills are certainly paramount, taking work ethic into account throughout the hiring process will be essential in employing only the most highly qualified talent.