Have you ever encountered a job candidate who wasn’t enthusiastic about a position, who didn’t support your company goals and mission, or who wasn’t a fan of your company products or services?
Probably not.
The desire to please and impress an employer will often produce droves of candidates all claiming to be passionate about your position, industry, and company. This makes it extremely difficult to tell if a candidate is simply enthusiastic or actually has a passion for their work.
Does employee passion really matter?
Yes, employee passion matters. Where employee engagement typically yields short-term bumps in performance, passion for work establishes consistent, steady, and long-term success. That’s according to a Deloitte study which defines passionate workers as those “committed to continually achieving higher levels of performance.”
Passionate workers are invested in their work, excited by new challenges, not afraid to take risks, and are constantly looking to improve themselves and the company they work for. All of which help businesses build resiliency in today’s constantly changing environment.
The bad news: only 12 percent of people have a passion for their work. That means nearly nine out of ten employees aren’t performing to their full potential. This is a problem.
How to hire passionate employees
Unlike hard skills, you can’t quantify, test, or even measure passion. So how can an employer find those candidates who truly have a passion for their work? Consider these three tips.
1. Ask why, not what
When trying to gauge a candidate’s passion, rarely is what they did in the past as important as why they did it. Asking why during an interview is crucial for uncovering a candidate’s purpose. Why did you chose to be in this industry? Why do you want this position? Why should we hire you? When a candidate’s passion aligns with your company’s mission, you stand to gain increased levels of performance.
2. Use employee referrals
Another way to recruit passionate employees for your company is to ask your existing team for referrals. Passionate people have an innate disposition to connect with other passionate people—not purely for professional points, but to build knowledge and expand capabilities. This means they often have vast, yet diverse networks that are prime for sourcing potential new hires for your company.
3. Build a culture of passion
A culture of passion is one that not only attracts new candidates to your company, but one that unleashes passion in existing team members. According to Deloitte, a work environment should encourage employees to work cross-functionally, to work on projects that interest them, and to connect with others in their field. When employees love what they do, they become living-proof that your company is a great place to work.
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Sign up for our monthly HIVE newsletter and get tips for finding a job, managing a business and advancing your career right in your inbox.
Have you ever encountered a job candidate who wasn’t enthusiastic about a position, who didn’t support your company goals and mission, or who wasn’t a fan of your company products or services?
Probably not.
The desire to please and impress an employer will often produce droves of candidates all claiming to be passionate about your position, industry, and company. This makes it extremely difficult to tell if a candidate is simply enthusiastic or actually has a passion for their work.
Does employee passion really matter?
Yes, employee passion matters. Where employee engagement typically yields short-term bumps in performance, passion for work establishes consistent, steady, and long-term success. That’s according to a Deloitte study which defines passionate workers as those “committed to continually achieving higher levels of performance.”
Passionate workers are invested in their work, excited by new challenges, not afraid to take risks, and are constantly looking to improve themselves and the company they work for. All of which help businesses build resiliency in today’s constantly changing environment.
The bad news: only 12 percent of people have a passion for their work. That means nearly nine out of ten employees aren’t performing to their full potential. This is a problem.
How to hire passionate employees
Unlike hard skills, you can’t quantify, test, or even measure passion. So how can an employer find those candidates who truly have a passion for their work? Consider these three tips.
1. Ask why, not what
When trying to gauge a candidate’s passion, rarely is what they did in the past as important as why they did it. Asking why during an interview is crucial for uncovering a candidate’s purpose. Why did you chose to be in this industry? Why do you want this position? Why should we hire you? When a candidate’s passion aligns with your company’s mission, you stand to gain increased levels of performance.
2. Use employee referrals
Another way to recruit passionate employees for your company is to ask your existing team for referrals. Passionate people have an innate disposition to connect with other passionate people—not purely for professional points, but to build knowledge and expand capabilities. This means they often have vast, yet diverse networks that are prime for sourcing potential new hires for your company.
3. Build a culture of passion
A culture of passion is one that not only attracts new candidates to your company, but one that unleashes passion in existing team members. According to Deloitte, a work environment should encourage employees to work cross-functionally, to work on projects that interest them, and to connect with others in their field. When employees love what they do, they become living-proof that your company is a great place to work.
Sign up for our newsletter
Sign up for our monthly HIVE newsletter and get tips for finding a job, managing a business and advancing your career right in your inbox.