48. In matching job candidates with job openings , managers must consider not only such variables as previous work experience and educational background but also personality traits and work habits, which are more difficult to judge.
What do you consider essential in an employee or colleague? Explain, using reasons and/or examples from your work or worklike experiences, or from your observations of others.
In the hiring process, it is more difficult to assess personality and work habits than to determine work experience and educational background. Even so, it is important to try and judge the less quantifiable characteristics of a prospective colleague or employeesuch as honesty, reliability, creativity, self-motivation, and the capacity to get along and work well with others. If it doesnt seem obvious that these are important qualities in a coworker, then consider the alternatives.
First of all, dishonest or unreliable workers harm an organization in many ways. Dishonest employees impose costs on a company whether they steal on the grand or small scale; just taking a few days of unwarranted sick leave here and there can add up to significant lost productivity. And lying about progress on a project can result in missed deadlines and even lost contracts. Unreliability works the same way; if an employee cannot meet deadlines or fails to appear at important meetings, the organization will suffer accordingly.