For many roles, the ability to work well in a team is essential – however, testing that skill in an interview setting isn’t easy, so how can you be sure?
There are some subtle signs which offer genuine insight into a candidate’s true mindset. The easiest way find out is to really pay attention to the words they use throughout the recruitment process and in particular their first interview.
Language patterns are one of the most authentic things that you as an employer will be exposed to in an interview, and the words people use most constantly are very revealing and they tend not to change – unlike the message they might be trying to convey.
Look very closely at the actual words people use, particularly the use of pronouns. Once you start looking for those pronouns, you see them everywhere so you’ll notice when people consistently use ‘I, my and mine’ versus ‘we, us and ours.’
While this isn’t foolproof, it can give a solid indication of how the candidate views their world – was it a team success and a team effort or was it their individual success and their own accomplishment?
When you start to listen for those specific words, you may find that you subconsciously focus on the team-orientated responses which will ultimately change your perception of the interview.
The question you start asking yourself as an interviewer is not so much ‘Can the person do the job?’ but rather ‘Is this person a team player?’
Disclaimer This article, and any information contained on our website is necessarily brief and general in nature, and should not be substituted for professional advice. You should always seek professional advice before taking any action in relation to the matters addressed.
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