How Flexible Are They?

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/hiringtips/How_Flexible_Are_They.mp3|titles=How Flexible Are They?]During the hiring interview, consider discussing different scenarios that would require the applicant to be flexible.

Here are a few examples:

– If your job required that you move back and forth between two different locations, would you be fine with that?

– At certain times, we need people to put in extra time. We’ll pay overtime for this, but would you be willing to put in some late hours for a period of time? How about for an extended period of time?

– From time to time, we have an outside source come in to provide direction. Would you easily accept orders from this person?

Those are potential situations in the future. You could also consider this subject of “flexibility” with regards to his previous experience.

Ask the applicant to talk about a previous situation in which he worked very hard on an assignment and then, out of the blue, the assignment was cancelled. How did he feel about this abrupt change?

Did your applicant get transferred to another position that he didn’t feel was right for him? How did he handle that?

If these last two areas of discussion don’t jog his memory, you could ask more directly to discuss situations in which he needed to be flexible in the work environment and how he handled this.

All in all, you’re asking the person how he deals with “change.” Does he have a resistance to change in general or does he welcome it. And what are some of the finer points to your applicant’s willingness to be flexible?

Whatever you discover here could provide more insight into how your applicant will perform up the road.