Anyone who has done a lot of hiring has felt it—there might be a great candidate sitting in front of you, but your gut tells you they just wouldn’t be suitable for the role.
Several times in my leadership career, I have had to "pass" on a really good candidate because I could tell they weren't the right fit. It was not an easy decision to make, especially when it was hard to recruit for a position, and we felt desperate to hire someone. However, hiring someone out of desperation is never the correct answer. I would rather let a position remain vacant than hire someone who will either leave shortly after we invest in their onboarding and training or, worse, will stay in the position and perform poorly.
I have learned over the years that if I ask the right question during an interview, I can usually tell when someone is a good candidate but not a right fit for the position. I remember the first time I asked this question during an interview; I was looking for an executive assistant. The woman in front of me was bubbly, kind, and driven, but my gut kept telling me she would not be a good executive assistant. So, I asked her, "If you could wave a magic wand and have your dream job in 3 years, what would that job be?," her answer solidified my concerns. "I would want to be in a position that allowed me to work with patients and help them." Although my heart sank because I knew we would have to keep recruiting for the executive assistant position, I told her I thought she would be happier in a case manager or social worker position. Her face completely lit up, and she said, "Yes! I would love that, but I don't have any experience."
From there, we put her into a resource coordination role, and she then went on to school to become a mental health therapist. After a few more rounds of recruiting, I was able to find a great executive assistant.
Since then, it's become a question I use in employee evaluations, coaching, and leadership training: "If you could wave your magic wand and have your dream job in 1-3 years, what would that dream job be?" I find that once someone gives that some thought, they can start creating their path to happiness, whether it is in their current position or a new position.
Try asking the magic question in your next performance evaluation or interview, and see how it can help you lead an employee to better job satisfaction and performance.
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