Passion in the workplace.
Today, I would like to talk to you about passion in the workplace. I’d like to challenge you to look for passion in an individual when you are interviewing them to join your company. I think it is important to pay attention to this because passion is a really great indicator of whether that person will stay engaged in their work. Also, their passion can be contagious and may keep other individuals excited about the job and workplace to stay engaged.
A few ways you can gauge passion in the workplace in an individual:
1. Look for increased enthusiasm. If you are asking them about past experiences, notice their body language. Do they smile? Do their eyes sparkle a bit? Can you tell by their body language that they are excited about the topic?
2. Ask: How do you stay up-to-date in your field? If the candidate doesn’t have a lot of examples or they are not attempting to stay up-to-date in the field, it is a good indication they are probably not too passionate about it.
3. Ask: What area of interests you the most? I look for creativity in the answer. Are they giving me a typical or generic response? Is there passion in a specific area of the industry?
…and last but not least, my favorite is…
4. Ask: What is your top success story and why? The answer not only teaches me about their passion but also about the individual. Is their success story all about them or did they discuss whom they helped another person grow? This will give you an indication of the type of leader they will be.
A great question to ask yourself if you are wondering where your passion lies is “What topic could keep you up all night long talking about it?” That is your passion! I encourage everyone to make sure that they are in a career that they are passionate about because it makes work so much more enjoyable!
Tandem HR
Tandem HR is a Chicago Professional Employer Organization (PEO), and IRS certified PEO assisting hundreds of small and mid-sized businesses. For more information visit TandemHR.com or call 630.928.0510.