Other than qualifications and skills, are there other things that you should look for when interviewing candidates for positions? Things that may give you a hint to personality, comfort zones and ability to interact well with other people? Absolutely.

My local computer repair store always takes good care of me. They understand I often have deadlines and that without my laptop, my work is absolutely stilled. My repair work doesn’t provide them with a ton of money—but I feel valued there. They all greet me when I come in, stop to talk awhile, and take good care of whatever issues my computer decides to have.

A few weeks ago Dell told me they would be out to replace my hard drive the next day and to back-up my computer before then, but my system would not back up. For help, I ran up to the nearby store and a technician I had not worked with before was being difficult. First he said there was no way he could get to it that day. I said it had to be today because Dell would be out tomorrow to completely replace the hard drive. I also said I understood that there would be extra cost involved for a rush job. But he continued on and on about how he couldn’t bump other customers, etc., and how my system is “old” (by one year) so it may not be an easy process, etc., (my fault for having a year old laptop, I guess). Finally, another technician who I know personally stepped over and physically removed my laptop from this guy’s hand, and in spite of a packed schedule, said he would do it for me. He was kind and the tone of his voice was soothing and soon I found myself walking out of the store — happy and confident that it would get done.

Now perhaps that first technician is super skilled in all that he does and a whiz with everything technical. I don’t know. What I do know is that they almost lost my business that day because of his attitude with me. We all know that even super-skilled employees must also be good with people or they will lose business upfront and create discontent.

So how can you make sure that the people you are hiring are the best at all aspects of the job, including customer service? I suggest that you look for the following when interviewing:

1. A smile. Better yet, see if your interviewee has a sense of humor. A sense of humor may get them through when a customer or patient is upset about something or otherwise difficult. Toss a few jokes out there. Laugh yourself, and note their responses.
2. An ability to continue to smile, or have a right reaction, in difficult situations. To test this, run your interviewee through role play situations. If you are hiring a nurse, for example, allow them to play the nurse and become a very difficult patient with a high fever and an extreme lack of sleep.
3. A willingness to understand that MOST people, at all times, are doing their best. It really is true that the majority of people are fighting a battle in their life in some way. This has an effect on their attitudes and responses to all of us. An understanding that people are doing the best they can with what they have to work with helps soothe waters and may prevent an employee from becoming defensive or angry. This can be accomplished through role play and then by discussing the role play after the fact. Ask questions like “why did you respond that way?” and make sure that you compliment them when they have great responses to the difficult patient.
4. A solid handshake and eye contact. Although insuring that someone has a firm handshake almost a cliché that has been around a long time and we often laugh at, you can get a sense of how comfortable your interviewee is with people based on their handshake. Is it firm and confident? Do they look you in the eye when they shake your hand and during the interview? In addition, watch their body language during the interview. Looking at the floor or room instead of you indicates that they are either uncomfortable or lying. And eye shifting after you ask them a question may also indicate this. Foot bouncing or other nervous habits many indicate also that they are not comfortable talking to other people.

All in all, our best employees are ones with both the competency to do the job well and also the ability to work with people in all walks of life and situations. Don’t be afraid to interview for both aspects.