As it becomes increasingly harder to identify top-notch talent, employers must revisit not only their recruitment strategy, but also their interviewing process. While candidates’ experience, education and hard skills are certainly important, assessing a candidate’s self-awareness is also a critical part of the interview process.

Why is self-awareness such an important trait to search for? It shows the candidate’s ability to identify their own strengths and weaknesses, showing commitment to improvement and personal development. If your hiring team hasn’t made self-awareness assessment a top priority, it might be time to start evaluating candidates in a different light.

Here are three questions you can ask to evaluate a candidate’s level of self-awareness and determine whether they’re a good fit for your organization.

1. How do you handle change and deal with challenges on the job?

How a candidate handles change – especially during a crisis – can speak volumes to their ability to adapt and work well with their teammates. In any workplace, challenges are bound to arise and how your employees handle themselves can have a significant impact on your organization’s operations, reputation and bottom line. By asking this question, you can get a sense of how candidates have dealt with past difficulties and whether their approach would work well within your company. Whether it’s a small change (i.e., leadership transition) or a major crisis (i.e., a bomb threat), your employees should be prepared to deal with these types of situations in the most professional manner.

2. What are your areas of weakness?

While almost no candidate enjoys answering this question, it’s essential that your employees have a strong sense of their weaknesses, as well as their strengths. Employees who “know what they don’t know” will be much more likely to seek help and guidance when needed, rather than struggle to figure things out on their own. Candidates who can articulate their weaknesses will be better positioned to learn on the job and take initiative to enhance their performance – without having to be micromanaged.

3. What are you career goals?

Asking candidates about their goals and plans is essential for getting to know whether they’ll have long-term potential at your organization. Giving candidates an opportunity to discuss their goals will help you determine whether they’re seeking a career in which they can grow, or simply looking for paycheck. Investing in employees who value their career advancement will improve the quality of your workforce and set the stage for positive employee retention.

Seeking top-quality talent for your workforce? Headquartered in Houston, TX, Carlton Staffing has remained committed to providing innovative staffing solutions to Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth companies for over 35 years. Carlton Staffing specializes in making connections that work for local employers who need to find great candidates. Contact us today to get started.