“The better you understand both the job itself and the person you’re considering for it, the more likely you are to get someone who can direct his or her passion where you need it to go,” Adler says.

This seems simple, but the better all parties in the hiring process understand the job, the need and the “ideal” candidate, the better each person involved can assess candidates. If you have a position that requires a strong, collaborative team player and another that requires intense, focused individual contribution, what you look for would vary. Even if the basic skill set is the same.

Another tip-off: “I ask people what they are passionate about outside of work. Someone whose eyes light up when they talk about a sport or a charity or whatever it is they do in their spare time – that is someone who will probably be passionate on the job too. People don’t switch their passion off when they walk into work in the morning. It carries over. By contrast, someone who’s just going through the motions with no special passion outside of work will probably be the same way in the office.”

So, so true. I have various questions that look for the passion in a response. It is not just about what they say, it is about how they react. It is just a one sentence answer, or does the candidate smile, light up and want to tell you more? It is OK if their passion is related to the job too- doesn’t have to be something totally separate. The idea is just to see if anything generates a spark.

“I’ve seen it time and time again,” Sanford continues. “Hiring managers will opt for the ’safe’ candidate rather than a more provocative one – and then they’re disappointed a year later when the person hasn’t stepped up and produced fantastic results.”

Sound familiar? If so, change the way you interview! Find people with the drive and passion to move your company forward.