Ok, I admit it. I have this strange fascination with “The Apprentice.” This morning on the “Today” show, Donald Trump and Matt Lauer “interviewed” 8 candidates to be on “The Apprentice” next season. (If you're watching for interview tips, stop. Watch for the entertainment value 🙂 I heard one fabulous interview question: “Do you love your job?” One candidate said no, and Trump told the candidate to find a new job. It's not worth spending time at work unless you love your job.
Some of you unemployed folks are snorting, and saying, “I'd love any job that paid me.” And yes, if you're not receiving an income, any job looks pretty darn good. Hiring managers, you can hire people who aren't in love with your job in this economy, and you'll still receive lots of value from them.
But there's an even better way to determine if a candidate is right for your open position. You can ask, “What about your job do you love?” And follow that up with a why or example sort of question. If the candidate says “I love the people,” ask “What is about the people that makes you love your job?” and “Tell me about a time the people made the job wonderful.” If the candidate says “I love the technology” ask about the technology and ask “Tell me about a time when the technology rocked your socks.” Don't forget to ask about the previous job, not just the latest one. I had jobs I loved for widely varying reasons.
Once you've heard the answers, review your organizational culture, the people, the technology, whatever. Is the candidate going to find the same kind of fulfillment with your open position? If not, is it worth changing anything so the candidate can love the job?
If the candidate admits to not loving any job, ask more questions. The candidate is probably in the wrong role. You don't have to perform career development for the candidate. Nor do you have to provide feedback. But you also don't have to hire that person.
You don't have to care if your employees love their jobs. Not everyone will. But people who love their jobs stay longer, becoming more productive. They bring their friends and colleagues. Pretty soon you have an extraordinary culture full of people who love their jobs who help you hire people like them. If you've ever worked in an organization like this, you know how wonderful it can be. The technical staff accomplish way more than you could ever imagine. If you don't care if your employees love their jobs, remember this: when the economy picks up, the best employees will be looking for jobs they can love.