The truth is that few employees work on an island. That is, most companies today require an atmosphere of teamwork. Employees who are inherently loners or have poor people skills will suffer in the collaborative process. More importantly to you, they will cause the performance and morale of those working around them to suffer as well. A poor attitude towards working with others tends to have a domino effect, bringing the entire team to a grinding halt.

But, how do you identify candidates who have poor people skills when they’re bound to be on their best behavior during the interview process? That’s the question that people conducting interviews with have been asking for years. Here are a few things you should keep in mind during the interview process to help you pick the perfect person for your position.

Check References Thoroughly

It’s not enough to just ask if the person was employed there and when the employment took place. Take the time to ask very specific questions about whether or not the candidate was a good team player or if he had a tendency to keep to himself. Ask if there were problems with other coworkers. Ask if the room brightened or got stormy when he walked into it.

Be very careful and very specific with the questions you ask. They will help you determine whether or not this is a good person for the corporate climate you’re trying to create.

Confidence Outstrips Experience

There are rare occasions when this warranted but for the most part over-confidence can translate into real-world problems when it comes to listening and learning. You want the people who work for you to be willing to listen, ask questions, and learn the way things are done in your company. You don’t want them to walk through the door believing they have nothing left to learn.

The Candidate Hasn’t Researched Your Company

In this job market you should expect a candidate that makes it to the interview process to do a little homework and learn a little about your company ahead of time. If he or she doesn’t know anything beyond what the website says then it’s a good idea to take a pass or wait for a candidate that has gone the extra mile to learn a little more.

Lack of Humor

While it’s normal for candidates to be nervous during the interview process you should make a point of finding out what kind of sense of humor the candidate has and if you believe it’s a good match for your company. You don’t have to go for “comedy central” material but some sense of humor is often required just to get along and converse with coworkers.

Excess Negativity about Previous Employer

It says much more about the candidate than the previous employer when a candidate has nothing at all positive to say about his or her last place of employment. Take this to heart because you could be picking up another company’s former headache if you aren’t careful. While there are some companies that mistreat employees, it’s better for them to leave without airing the dirty laundry.

The Interview Process is like Pulling Teeth

Everyone has had one of those conversations in life. You know, the conversations where trying to get feedback from the other party was about as painful as pulling teeth