The 4 C's to Look for In A Candidate When Interviewing

We are witnessing a growing trend in the number of employees leaving their jobs for other opportunities. Despite visible signs of a thriving economy, some employees are choosing to leave their jobs in favor of remote work opportunities, work-life balance, entrepreneurship, and growth opportunities. Because of the urgent need to quickly find replacements, this is starting to cause concern among employers.

In an effort to fill vacancies, some leaders jokingly (or not) discuss hiring the first warm body that shows interest in a position. This type of hiring practice will not get you the best employees and will only continue the great resignations we have been seeing.

If you want to be intentional about finding and hiring a good match for your team, consider these four Cs when interviewing:

1. Character

Character is a person's natural disposition—the way a person thinks, feels, and behaves. To learn about a person's character, pay attention to their interview responses and consider the results of background checks and integrity tests. You might also consider any information you can glean from posts on social media. You will be surprised by what you can learn about a person's character. Hiring a person with a dubious character could hurt your team. There is a biblical saying that "bad company corrupts good character.'

2. Calling

The candidate's passion and calling should align with the company's mission. This can be learned from conversations with them, information on their resume about prior employment, and volunteer work. You can learn about a person's calling by asking straightforward questions like, "Why would you like to work here?" or "Why would you want to do this type of work?" If someone is passionate about something, you can tell by the energy in their voice and their eagerness to share specific instances of when and how they have used it to benefit others. These examples would help show whether the company's mission is consistent with the individual's calling. If you desire to hire the best, clearly share your mission and eliminate those who don't show that they are called to the industry or type of work.

3. Competence

Competence is the capacity of a person to perform a task. Although hiring managers place this at the top of their priority list, doing so solely on the basis of a candidate's credentials and abilities is not in the team's or the company's best interests. Don't get me wrong; skills are important. After all, the information on a resume is ultimately what draws employers' attention and secures an interview. Additionally, once hired, a person's abilities are what will get him recognized by others and those in authority. "Your talents will bring you before kings."

4. Chemistry

A person's energy and connection with you and the team are also important. In an interview, a person's personality will come through. Are they more serious, or do they like to laugh? What activities does he or she enjoy? Have them meet with the team as part of the interview, then ask the team for feedback on the encounter.

Interviews should be mutually beneficial. Employees must also ensure that they are a good fit for the company and the position. While these four Cs will not guarantee an employee's retention, they will demonstrate that you have done your due diligence in finding the right fit, and finding a suitable match will help with retention.