Every company will go through periods of growth and change. Organizations must be able to pivot, change course, and adjust their strategy and workforce accordingly to keep up with the times. A company’s success can depend on its ability to establish a flexible workforce that can grow and evolve with it. But how do you tell if someone is going to be a good fit for your organization?

Here are a few questions you need to ask yourself.

Determine what kind of job they’re applying for

Define what qualities you want in an employee to help your organization grow. For example, if you need more long-term employees for leadership roles, you may want to find candidates with the potential to stay with the company for a few years. But if you’re looking for someone with a short-term skillset who will spend less time on-site, look for candidates that fit that need.

What kinds of skills do they have?

If you’re looking for a worker that will help your team develop innovative products or ideas, seek out people who have experience in this field. Similarly, if you’re looking for a new hire that can fix your IT issues, look for someone with technical skills. If you need a new employee to help with financial upkeep and inventory management, consider hiring someone who has experience in these areas.

With everything going digital, new jobs are created regularly. If you’re hiring for a pioneering position, it would be twice as challenging to find someone who has all the skills for the job. In this case, look for a highly trainable candidate who has the foundational skills to excel in the position.

How do they fit into your culture?

Interviewing candidates is an opportunity to find out how well they will fit in with the rest of the group. Ask them to describe their career goals and work history so far, and ask them where they’d like to be in five years. Pose important questions that will give you insight into their personality, temperament, and work ethic. Job seekers can provide insight into their experience and allow you to determine whether or not they will be a good fit.

How well do they communicate?

Communication is an essential skill for any business. It is the foundation of healthy work culture and a well-oiled organization. If a candidate can’t express themselves clearly, he or she may have difficulty working with the rest of your team. Ask them how they would handle a meeting that was out of the ordinary, and gauge their ability to keep a conversation going in different social situations.

Don’t judge too quickly, though. Many brilliant and talented people are not the best communicators. It helps to make candidates comfortable during the interview so they can speak freely and express themselves well. Moreover, every person has their own aptitude. Someone who’s not a great talker could be exceptional at written communication.

Evaluate a candidate’s communication skills based on the role they’re applying for. A sales associate should have impressive verbal and written communication skills. But a machine operator doesn’t necessarily have to be a smooth talker.

How well do they get along with others?

Having good people skills is an essential quality for any employee. If candidates can’t work well with the rest of your team, they may not be a good fit. Ask questions that will help you determine how candidates interact with other people.

This is especially critical for organizations that heavily rely on collaboration between teams. Social relationships between employees can and will affect how well an organization is running. If two employees quarrel constantly and openly at that, they will bring down the entire team’s morale and disrupt everyone’s productivity.

How does their behavior at work compare to their behavior outside of work?

While your company culture will play a significant role in evaluating your employees, it’s important to keep your opinions about someone’s personality, lifestyle, and hobbies to yourself. Focus instead on assessing how well candidates will fit into your current workplace culture.

Of course, you have to look out for the benefit of your company. If a candidate has a track record of disparaging their employers on social media, you may want to look closer into that. Negative feedback can hurt the reputation of your business and may discourage talented people from applying to your company and put off customers and clients.

What qualities are most important to you?

No two hiring processes are exactly the same, and you should know what matters most to you in a candidate before moving forward with an interview. Before the interview, skills, qualities and values you want most in a candidate and how you can assess if a candidate has what you’re looking for. Learn from your past experiences with hiring, and focus on the important parts, such as the candidate’s skill set, work ethic, and values, when deciding whether to hire them or not.

What are your personal tips when hiring talented and trustworthy people who fit into your business? Share them with us in the comments section below.