In this increasingly complicated era, there are more aspects to be considered by HR leaders when companies intend to bring in new talents. Not just the hard skills, candidates are also required to master the soft skills to survive in the fiercer business competition.

Companies are on lookout for someone who is not just proficient in meeting the business goals, but also someone who demonstrates dedication and commitment in what they are doing for a living. And the answer lies in one keyword: passionate.

While it might sound rather cliché, the word ‘passionate’ is often used by companies in describing their ideal candidates in the job ads. Companies want talents who not only work to pay their bills, but are also willing to go an extra miles to meet business objectives.

When someone is passionate about their job role, they would more likely be happy at work and engaged with the organization. Eventually, this passion and dedication at work will boost their productivity and thus increase the business bottom line.

The next question is, how do you gauge someone’s passion towards their job? Fortunately, you can tell someone’s passion toward something during one meet: personal interview. Herein we share insightful tips on how you can assess passionate candidates during a job interview:

See: Do’s and Don’ts for Effective Employer Branding

See their enthusiasm

Physically, you can tell whether someone is keen to attend an interview or not. If they attend the interview with a cheerful personality and answer questions with zest, then they might be really interested in the job role. Ask questions related to the job and observe their reaction.

Passionate people usually showcase a different sense of excitement, when they talk about something they like. This is where an interviewer has to pay minute attention to notice the change in gestures and even slightest voice notes towards a certain topic. If the topic is related to the job offered, they could be the ones you are looking for.

On the contrary, if you find candidates who drop into the interview unprepared, then they probably aren’t interested in the job role in the first place, all they seek perhaps is brand value or a better paycheck to meet their bills.

Evaluate their future goals

One of the must-ask questions by an interviewer to test candidates during a job interview is, ‘If we were to hire you, where do you see yourself in the next five years?’ Observe the answers and listen to them clearly to understand if they have a plan for the future with the organisation.

Passionate people always have better foresight and want to achieve more from their current position. Therefore, if the candidate seems hesitant towards answering the questions posed, it could mean they are not passionate enough to be your next hire.

Assess their efforts for self-development

Passionate people are never satisfied with what they have or where they are. They never stop improving upon their professional and personal development goals. They are willing to invest more time into honing their skillsets and build more knowledge related to the jobs.

Ask the candidate about new knowledge acquired or new skills learned recently. If you find that they do not show efforts to enrich their inner soul, then this could be a warning that they are possibly not the next hire your business is looking for.

Ask about their hobbies and interests

Do not just talk about the job. Talking about outside work-related topics can also reveal someone’s passion and enthusiasm. Ask what makes candidates interested in their jobs, and also the hobbies they practise in their free time. In general, passionate people are not only eager at work, but also keen to engage in meaningful hobbies.

Ask candidates on how they manage to keep work-life balance in their previous jobs. Being passionate does not mean they have to dedicate 100 percent of their lives at work and ignore their social life. Besides, someone who is passionate usually has a way to be able to ‘work hard and play harder’. You do not want to have employees that work like a robot, right?

While it might require more attention to details, when hiring a passionate worker. However, this should be your next recruitment strategy for long-term productive hires to meet business goals. Not only does this help you build a productive working environment, but passionate candidates bring positivity in the company culture by inspiring and motivating co-workers to perform as well.

Read more: Are You Honeymooning at Work? Do Happiness Levels of Employees Vary Based on their Tenures?