What Does It Really Mean to Be A "People" Person?

Part II   [Read Part I]

Hiring Wisely.

It's relatively easy to assess most technical abilities when you’re considering hiring someone. Skills in financial analysis, marketing, operations management, information technology, sales, and other functions can readily be vetted. Evaluating a person's relational abilities is a bit more difficult. Try the following techniques to ferret out a candidate's skills in the four dimensions of interpersonal work.

Influence Skills. If you find yourself wanting to hire the candidate regardless of her talents, she's probably a master in the influence dimension. Some other signs to look for include a history of being elected to leadership positions and a broad and deep professional network – especially outside the person's current place of employment. People who score high on influence frequently serve on the boards of relevant professional and social organizations. During the interview, pose questions with no right answer – ones that call for an opinion – and then assess how confidently and persuasively the candidate expresses herself. Another way to gauge her interest and ability in this dimension is to ask about a peak moment she's had at work. Did it have anything to do with influencing a decision?

Interpersonal Facilitation Skills. When you want to assess a candidate’s adeptness at interpersonal facilitation, try asking him to describe a work situation in which two people were in conflict. Someone who's talented in this dimension will offer an insightful explanation of what might have been going on under the surface of the dis