How to Determine a Legal Candidate’s Core Values

Questions and tactics to learn more about a job candidate during the interview process

What creates highly productive and engaged employees? It used to be assumed that a higher salary would always do the trick. Employees would stay longer and have more motivation if they simply earned more. But the workplace is evolving, and this is not necessarily the biggest incentive or guarantee of success.

Salary and benefits are still important to newer generations of employees, but what an organization has to offer goes far beyond a paycheck. 46% of job seekers view culture and values as very important factors in their search.

This is partially due to a generational shift in the workforce. Millennials are the largest percentage of workers right now, and they will be followed by Gen Z. These generations tend to prioritize finding a company that values the same things they do.

Finding the right match isn't just in the interest of the candidate. Organizations also now realize the importance of choosing individuals who align with their core values and culture. Doing so creates a cohesive team, which increases productivity and morale. It also reduces the risk of turnover, which is increasingly expensive.

So, how do you determine whether a legal candidate not only identifies with your company’s core values but will embody them once they become part of the team? And how do you do this early in the interview process? It’s all about digging beneath the surface; using the right techniques to bring out the truth in each candidate.

The process of finding the right candidate

The first step in this process is making sure your organization has core values, to begin with—that they are clearly established and communicated. There is no point in trying to figure out a candidate’s personal values if you have nothing to compare them to.

Second, openly discuss core values with candidates. Skirting around the topic can lead to a poor hire, which will only cause more trouble down the road. Carefully craft interview questions to obtain the information you need. Ask the candidate to read about your core values online or send them information prior to the interview to ensure they see themselves fitting into the organization.

The next step is to actually conduct the interview. You can find out more about a candidate’s values by using various questions and styles, which we’ll get to in a moment. This is where you need to be creative and identify what matters to your organization, so you can be strategic about getting answers.

The last step is to make a selection. Remember that just because a candidate checks every box in the hard skills category, it doesn't mean they are the right choice. Softer skills, such as communication, integrity, and determination, are often just as important. Some skills and proficiencies can be learned, but you cannot force someone to fit in with the rest of your team, or believe in the same values.

Interview questions to evaluate a candidate’s core values

Although every company has a different set of core values, many of the foundations are similar. Interview questions can and should vary from organization to organization, depending on the goal. But here are some common questions that can quickly help you learn a lot about a candidate:

Tell me about a time where you failed professionally. How did you deal with it, and what did you learn from it?

Questions along these lines are designed to learn more about the candidate’s integrity. Every lawyer has failed at some point in their career, and it’s important to get an idea of how they deal with these challenges.

You’re looking for an honest answer about a situation in which the candidate owned up to their mistake, communicated it, and learned something valuable. You can easily weed out anyone who gets defensive or has a hard time coming up with an answer.

How do you deal with a legal issue that you don’t fully understand?

Many in-house positions require a broad range of legal knowledge, and you want to hire an attorney who is open-minded and willing to learn. This means that when they are faced with a new challenge or something they don’t understand, they will ask for help and do further research. You don’t need someone who knows everything. You need someone who isn’t arrogant enough to believe that they do.

What motivates you, and why?

Motivated employees are engaged employees, and engaged employees are much more effective in their jobs. What motivates a candidate tells you a lot about what they value. The correct answer to this question completely depends on the organization.

If a company values client relationships above everything else, and all the candidate can talk about is how motivated they are by bonuses and raises, then it might not be a good fit.

Tell me about your biggest accomplishment to date.

This is still an interview, after all, so discussing the candidate’s accomplishments needs to happen. Whichever accomplishment they choose will tell you a lot about what they value. Maybe it wasn't the most high-profile case, but it obviously meant a lot to them. You want to uncover why. Was it about personal recognition or something bigger? Ask some follow-up questions to ensure the candidate is truthful about their role in a project. Many people have a tendency to inflate their involvement in something that was successful.

Have you ever had a coworker you didn’t get along with? How did you deal with it?

Questions like these will tell you a bit more about the candidate’s collaboration style. If teamwork is an important core value in your organization, you want to make sure your choice is capable of thriving in that environment. This question will also reveal how the candidate deals with conflict. Are they more concerned about being right, or about resolving the issue in the best way possible?

Finding candidates using a legal executive search firm

It’s hard to learn about things as deep as someone’s core values in a 60-minute interview across a conference table. It doesn’t hurt to mix it up to try and bring candidates out of their shells. Consider having a casual pre-interview meeting with the candidate over lunch or coffee. Changing up the setting helps relax things and reveals certain behaviors you wouldn’t otherwise see in an office.

In addition to in-person interviews, you could ask candidates to send a short video introducing themselves and why they’re interested in working for you. You can do the same thing with written answers. This gives them some space to be creative so you can get a better idea of their personality.

Hiring for legal positions is extremely time-consuming, given the experience and expertise required. If you simply don’t have the bandwidth to tackle hiring internally or want someone with a better understanding of the talent landscape—and access to a wide network of qualified candidates—consider an executive legal search firm.

Carrington Legal is dedicated to finding the right hire for your position through a highly personalized process that puts your needs first. And we know how important it is to find a candidate that fits your core values—because our core values are at the heart of everything we do.

Carrington Legal Search is devoted to finding the ideal candidates for our clients’ recruitment needs. We have particular expertise in the Financial Services (banking, insurance, investment management, etc.) and Technology verticals. To make our nationwide network work for you, get in touch at 512-627-7467 or email carrie@carringtonlegal.com.