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The typical hectic day for a manager consists of unexpected time-consuming tasks. Employees calling in sick, infrastructure problems, and purveyor cold calls are just three of the impromtu tasks placed on a manager's plate. In addition, good managers always look for ways to improve the composition of their employee team. This means scheduling interviews into an already jammed packed day planner.

Assume each job candidate is allotted thirty minutes to make their case for employment consideration. During each thirty-minute segment, you rush through multiple pages of interview questions in order to garner a comprehensive profile of each candidate. Are you really getting a good read on job candidates by asking the most common interview questions? Are you efficiently using the interview time to gauge if the candidate will be a good fit for your organization?

The same questions repeatedly asked leads to one trend: job candidates rehearse their answers as if they are auditioning for a part in a theatrical production. There is not a hint of spontaneity from either the interviewer or job candidate. Human resource departments might as well fax or email questions to a candidate in advance of an interview, because the responses will barely differ from what a candidate says during a personal exchange.

Whenever you interview a job candidate, you assume the dual roles of psychologist and prognosticator. The prognosticator role commences the moment a complete stranger marches into your office and provides a synopsis of their qualifications. Because of what the candidate says, your job as the interviewer is to predict whether the candidate will be a productive member of your team. It is a job made unnecessarily difficult by a time consuming barrage of questions.

The implementation of psychology makes prognosticating a much easier task. You only need one indicator in order to evaluate a job candidate. Look towards the end of the resume or within the cover letter. In most cases, you will find a reference to some type of hobby or interest that candidates enjoy outside of their professional life. The hobby or interest allows you to ascertain the most important element in judging a candidate: PASSION!

The determining factor that separates high achievers from run of the mill employees is passion. Job candidates must exude a sincere passion in all aspects of their work. For example, a high achieving restaurant manager will be passionate about building repeat business, motivating

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