Warren Buffett: Integrity Is the Most Vital Attribute to Rent For. Ask 7 Easy Inquiries to Discover It

Warren Buffett is an investing genius, but Berkshire Hathaway CEO claims his success is largely due to hiring the right people.

Buffett advises executives to weigh integrity across all characteristics when evaluating applicants during the interview process. And for good reason: when it comes to recruitment, it is certain that some applicants show a lack of integrity in the interview process.

In other words, you will be faced with candidates who are beautifying their qualifications, making up stories, and lying outright. This is especially risky when companies are desperate to fill positions. In turn, they may overlook unethical behavior.

Buffett knows that. That’s probably why he’s always valued integrity. Here is his timeless advice:

“We look for three things when we hire people. We look for intelligence, we look for initiative or energy, and we look for integrity. And if they don’t, the first two will kill you because if you ‘If you are someone without integrity, you want him to be lazy and stupid. “

Today’s hiring managers have to dig hard in an interview process to get the answers they need to feel confident that someone possesses the non-negotiable trait of integrity. Otherwise, “stupid and lazy” may show up at some point and cost you.

7 questions hiring managers need to ask

When you hire someone with integrity, it is difficult to question a person’s decisions. And colleagues and co-workers of such employees will quickly find them reliable and accountable for their actions, which is a laser path for developing team trust.

In practice, assessing integrity is really about asking the right behavioral questions that get to the heart of a person’s character. Here are seven that will work for you:

1. Tell me about a specific time you had to solve a difficult problem that challenged fairness or ethical issues. What happened and how did you react?

2. When was the last time you “broke the rules”? How was the situation and what did you do?

3. Describe a situation in which you saw an employee or co-worker do something that you thought was inappropriate. What have you done?

4. When working with people, how would you describe your preferred relationship with them? (Use this question to assess honesty and ability to communicate openly, a clear indicator of integrity.)

5. What values ​​do you value most in a team environment? (Use this question to search for other trustworthy traits such as honesty, fairness, openness, transparency, and inclusivity – all hallmarks of integrity.)

6. If we ever had a conflict with a customer, would you be willing to tell a little lie to help us out? (This is a “trick question” to drill down into a person’s core values. Anyone who works with integrity will raise a red flag and disagree. You can explain your motive for a question later once you have determined that the person passed the lie test).

7. What would your current / previous manager say that makes you most valuable to them? (In addition to information, skills, and qualifications for the job, look out for clues that indicate integrity.)

The opinions expressed by Inc.com columnists here are their own, not those of Inc.com.