5 Questions to Screen for "The Motor"

In one of the Leadership Workshops I conducted last week, I reminded the leaders that there's nothing wrong with hiring for technical skills, expertise, experience, and education. But not to forget to also 'hire for hustle' - to find out a candidate's work ethic, because I said that you cannot coach effort. So since you can't coach effort, you have to hire it.

Immediately one of the senior executives asked the question, “how do we hire for hustle?”

Here are 5 questions you can use to find the “motor” during the interview process...

1. The “Personal Project” Probe

“Tell me about a time you taught yourself a complex skill outside of work. Why did you start, and how did you push through when it got frustrating?”

What to look for:

Evidence of self-directed persistence without an external “boss” or “grade” attached.

2. The “Ownership” Test

“Walk me through a project where you weren't satisfied with the result, even though your manager/client was. What did you do next?”

What to look for:

High internal standards. People with “the motor” are often their own harshest critics; they don't wait for a manager to tell them something could be better.

3. The “Ambiguity” Check

“In your last role, when you ran out of assigned tasks, how did you decide what to do with your next four hours?”

What to look for:

Bias toward action. Low-effort individuals wait for instructions; high-effort individuals look for problems to solve.

4. The “Extra Mile” Reality

“Describe a time you went significantly beyond the scope of your job description. What was the internal ‘spark’ that made you decide the extra effort was worth it?”

What to look for:

Do they value the work itself, or were they just chasing a specific bonus? You want to hear about the satisfaction of the solve.

5. The “Obstacle” Audit

“Tell me about a time you were told ‘no’ or ‘that’s impossible’ on a project you believed in. How did you handle the following 48 hours?”

What to look for:

Resilience. High-intrinsic-drive people are fueled by friction; low-drive people use it as an excuse to stop.

Have you tried any of these? Your thoughts and comments are most welcome...

#hireforhustle #futurefitleadership #agilecoaching