Tempting
as it may be to ask job candidates for their school report cards a better
method is to look for subtle clues potential slackers give during the hiring
process. People with fixed mindsets believe you are born into greatness and
have a propensity for slacker-type behavior; whereas people with growth
mindsets believe you can grow into greatness if you put forth the extra effort.
A human resource professional recently interviewed potential
candidates to ascertain potential recruits' mindsets by asking for their views
on performance. The following discussion topics were directed to a professional
sports team, but they can be adapted for the business environment as well:
(1) How
much of your success comes from natural talent vs practice and hard work?
People who say it is all talent have a fixed mindset and are not going to
respond as well to training. You want people who say talent gives you a head
start but true success comes from practice and hard work.
(2) How
did you improve your performance? Some recruits said improvement came naturally
to them. In a business setting, listen for whether a job candidate talks about
his own brilliance without mentioning learning opportunities, mentors, or
collaborators.
(3) As
you take on a new challenge or move up in the organization, what will you have
to change or learn to perform at a higher level? Some people may say they already
perform at a higher level and know everything they need to know.
(4) If
job candidates only talk about outcomes and dollars earned or saved rather than
collaboration, teamwork, or what they learned in the process, they are a fixed
mindset.
(5) Tell
me about a loss. Fixed mindset people blame others for failure. Or they may
describe solving a problem caused by someone else and how they were the knight
saving all the stupid people. Growth mindset people embrace failure, accept responsibility,
and learn from it.
(6) You
want the person who knows they have a lot to learn and is willing to learn
rather than thinking their natural talent will carry them to the top. People
who ride on their natural abilities do not know what to do when they have
setbacks.