When hiring a new light industrial employee, it’s not enough to simply find someone with the right qualifications. You need an honest candidate, one you can trust to be a valuable member of your team.

When you’re interviewing for a new position, try these steps to test whether or not the candidate is trustworthy.

Use Behavioral Interview Questions

Simply asking about a candidate’s past experience won’t always tell you something about their character. Dig for a deeper response by using behavioral interview questions. For instance, ask them to tell you about a time they “experienced” a difficult situation, such as a challenging project, tight deadline, or a disagreement with a boss or co-worker. These types of questions will allow you to learn more about their character, not simply their skills.

Use Follow-Up Questions for More Detail

For best results, press them to elaborate on their answers. Ask follow-up questions such as:

• How did you handle that situation?
• Why did you handle it that way?
• Do you feel you handled it successfully?
• If you had the opportunity do to it over again, is there anything you would do differently?

This is your chance to learn about their decision-making process and ability to self-evaluate. The best candidates will provide plenty of detail and honest reflection, admitting they could have done things better had they more information or experience.

Confirm This Information

No matter how great a candidate’s answers are, you still want to confirm what they’ve said. Take plenty of notes during the interview, and refer their answers when you contact their references. Their references may not remember all the specific details, particularly if it happened some time ago, but they should be able to confirm the story did in fact happen, and that your candidate acted in the way they claimed.

There’s no foolproof way to tell if someone is being honest in their interview, but by asking behavioral questions and digging for specific details, you should get a good sense of a candidate’s character and trustworthiness.

At Action Group Staffing, we can help take the guessing out of the hiring process. We carefully screen all of our candidates to ensure they have the skills and experience they claim, and carefully match those candidates to your needs. When you’re ready to begin the hiring process, contact an Action Group Staffing specialist today.