How to identify a passionate and motivated candidate

Shivani Gupta answers the question that many employers ponder: how can I identify a passionate and motivated candidate in today’s competitive job climate?

In today’s intensely competitive job market, securing top talent requires more than merely assessing technical skills and qualifications. Employers now recognise that long-term success hinges on finding candidates who not only have the necessary expertise but also exhibit a profound passion and intrinsic motivation for their roles.

Shivani Gupta, a business coach and the author of Getting Your People to Step Up, provides essential guidance on identifying candidates who exhibit genuine passion and motivation and outlines specific techniques and tools employers should employ to assess these attributes effectively.

Key traits

Identifying candidates who demonstrate authentic passion and motivation is essential for achieving hiring success. Gupta underscored that a critical trait to observe in this process is assessing whether candidates align with the company’s vision and values.

“Hiring people that are skilled but also passionate about the vision that you have for the business are ideal candidates,” she said.

She provided an example by explaining how “Patagonia, an outdoor clothing and gear company, hires skilled people who are passionate about environmental and social responsibility”.

Gupta pointed out that recruiting individuals who resonate with your company’s mission fosters a more engaged and loyal workforce.

“When you hire people with similar passions that exist in your business, you are getting people that have similar values and they become great people to have in your business long term,” she said.

Long-term benefits

Gupta articulates that hiring individuals who demonstrate strong motivation and passion can yield significant and considerable long-term advantages for the organisation.

She explained that when she employed passionate individuals, these employees “cared more about their week” than their peers, “they brought diverse perspectives” to their team, and “brought excitement”, which helped inspire and elevate the passion within the team.

By possessing these traits, Gupta revealed that such individuals frequently assume additional responsibilities and exhibit heightened dedication, leading to increased productivity and improved job retention.

“As a result of some of these traits, they were the high performers who did more in the same amount of time, put their hand up for more work and stayed in their roles longer than the low-performing people,” she said.

Overcoming challenges in assessing motivation

Assessing a candidate’s motivation can be challenging, particularly when it comes to differentiating between genuine passion and a mere desire to impress.

Gupta recommends addressing this challenge by shifting the focus from conventional questions, such as “tell me about yourself”, and instead focusing on inquiries that delve into candidates’ genuine passions.

She also presented the passion model introduced in her book, which involved having candidates “rank their passions in order to how they prioritise” them. This method provides valuable insights into what genuinely drives and motivates them.

Additionally, Gupta highlights how she advises candidates that their role doesn’t need to be their foremost passion. Instead, she encourages a more nuanced discussion about their broader motivations and intrinsic interests.

“I let them know that we are not only looking for people where work is their number one passion and share examples of long-term people where work was not their key passion,” she said.

“This creates a discussion on what makes them ‘tick’. This is key when interviewing people.”

Red flags to watch for

Gupta advises employers to be vigilant for specific red flags that may present themselves during the hiring process of a candidate.

One warning sign Gupta identifies is candidates who consistently echo what they perceive and believe the interviewer wants to hear rather than articulating “their own opinion”. This behaviour may indicate a tendency towards “people pleasing” rather than authentic self-expression.

Gupta also expressed another red flag: “When you ask them why they left previous roles, they blame others, which indicates lack of responsibility.”

Additionally, Gupta recommended incorporating “behaviour questions such as how you deal with challenged people”. These questions can provide insights into whether a candidate is “a right fit for you or not” for the organisation’s culture and values.

The value of motivation over traditional qualifications

While qualifications are essential, Gupta advocates for prioritising hiring highly motivated candidates, even if they lack traditional qualifications.

She acknowledged, “I believe that we can train for skill but not attitude. Finding people that are enthusiastic and passionate are key.”

Gupta emphasised that while skills can be developed through training, preference should be given to candidates who possess intrinsic motivation and enthusiasm, as these qualities are crucial for achieving sustained long-term success.

“As long as they have the qualifications to do the role, I will always lean towards people who have a high level of motivation as they are likely to learn the role quickly and realise their investment rather than someone who has strong qualifications and does not appear motivated,” she said.

“As business leaders and owners, we are all looking for A players in our teams, and hiring motivated people will get you there faster.”

Effective techniques

Gupta advises three fundamental techniques to effectively evaluate a candidate’s intrinsic motivation and drive.

The first approach involves conducting “behavioural interviews”, such as asking condition questions like, “‘Tell us about a time when you went above and beyond what was expected of you?” This technique allows you to understand their motivations and gain valuable insights into their character and work ethic.

The second technique Gupta recommends is the “case study technique”. This involves presenting candidates with “a real issue your business is facing and asking them to share how they would go about solving or detail with that issue”. Utilising this approach effectively evaluates the candidate’s problem-solving capabilities and “communication skills”.

She also noted: “I would speak to them about their passions and any passion projects they have that they are working on, which would highlight what motivates them.”

Recruitment strategies

To attract and identify highly motivated candidates, Gupta outlined that employers should enhance and strategically refine their recruitment strategies.

Gupta expressed that this involves crafting a clear and detailed position description that specifies key performance indicators and outlines the core responsibilities and expectations for the role.

“Ensure that the position description is clear and detailed on the key performance indicators (KPIs) you want the person to achieve,” she said.

She also shared additional strategies that include “using a behaviour assessment tool and have them fill out this process and review the report”, “have them meet other members of the team before offering them the job and get the team’s views in addition”, and “ask them for referees and check each one”.

Gupta added: “Many people say hire fast, fire faster. I say, slow down the process of hiring. Taking the time to hire the right person will save you stress, culture issues and a lot of expense.”