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.

But in today’s economy, that argument simply doesn’t hold water. With the recession, massive company layoffs, and the highest unemployment rate seen in recent years, unemployment — and quite often lengthy unemployment — is common in the current society.

Unfortunately, some companies are still holding this black mark against the unemployed. The Chicago Tribune[1]