Does HR focus too much on IQ?

16 Aug

It almost doesn’t matter what the role is: recruiters and hiring managers put great emphasis on intelligence. I think the focus on IQ is important to an extent; a new hire needs a minimum level of intelligence for a job to be able to learn quickly and be skilled in their role. 

But knowledge can be less relevant, if not in the right context and if other characteristics aren’t present.  
 
A combination of skills and proficiencies makes an employee good at their job, and intellect is one of these. If an intelligent individual is lacking in another area, they may end up being a very poor hire. For instance, an exceedingly smart individual with a strong resistance to change may hinder innovation and improvements and someone very bright but lacking ambition could inhibit things from getting done. You want a new hire to drive outcomes, and if he or she cannot do that, their cleverness does not matter. 
 
Characteristics that drive outcomes 
 
I believe passion and curiosity is a combination that truly trumps intelligence when it comes to good outcomes. These have been known as success factors for over a century, as those who display passion and curiosity are those who will get things done and drive progress. This is especially true today, as careers are quickly evolving - it’s impossible to have deep knowledge and ample experience in something that was just invented in the very recent past. 
 
Even if these curious and passionate candidates have less knowledge those they are competing against, they will generally make up for it. Passion and curiosity make them eager to learn and grow continuously. Engaged and interested, they will strive to excel while their brighter counterparts may stagnate in their roles.  
 
Having a way to select those with this perfect mix of characteristics would be of benefit to your company. Thankfully, there are indeed ways to evaluate for them. 
 
Evaluating passion 
 
While passion isn’t quantifiable, you can evaluate candidates for this.   
 
On Fistful of Talent, blogger Kris Dunn sees if a potential new hire is passionate about their role by asking candidates questions on how they stay up to date in the field and how they connect with others in the industry. Dunn also inquires about what big question or problem in the field the candidate would want to solve. Motivational fit questions on what made the candidate more or less satisfied in previous positions come into play as well. 
 
An article in Fortune presents HR expert Lou Adler’s recommendation. To gauge passion, Adler suggests rooting through a candidate’s work history. A detailed look at each past job, he finds out where the candidate excelled in the past, what their accomplishments were, and where they shine. The goal is to see whether the potential employee’s passion matches the role they are interviewing for.  
 
Evaluating curiosity 
 
Curious people are driven to learn and do things better, and they are always improving themselves. As suggested in Forbes, asking a candidate about what they’ve taught themselves recently, and how they’ve done it, is very telling. If they haven’t legitimately tried to learn something new, they just aren’t curious—it’s as simple as that.  
 
An additional screening suggestion from that same piece is to ask a candidate to do a task before the interview. It should require some research to see how studied they are in the field. It’s also suggested you definitely ask a candidate what questions they may have, and you should be weary if their queries are too pedestrian. 
 
Should HR focus on curiosity and passion? 
 
Even though passion and curiosity in a candidate set you up for a better chance of good outcomes, you don’t want to hire only for these traits. Having a well-rounded hire with other proficiencies on top of these is ideal, as benefit brought about by any single characteristic or skill doesn’t exist in a vacuum—some of the success these bring about are due to other factors.  
 
For those candidates without a long history of experience or deep pool of knowledge on contemporary career options, their general knowledge and overall aptitude will be beneficial.  Beyond a baseline of intelligence, he or she should demonstrate a track record of success in whatever their previous endeavors were. Not only would these past achievements demonstrate their intellect, but it would also show that they surely have the passion and curiosity to drive the positive outcomes you hope for.