A happy individual generally becomes a happy employee — and a productive employee. Why? Because happy, optimistic people tend to be problem solvers while pessimists tend to dwell on the fact that the problem exists and do little to try to fix it. Companies hire people to solve problems — happier people are problem solvers.

Here are some tips to help you find and hire the happy among your applicants.

1) Use pre-employment assessment tests. Yes, assessment tests exist that can help you determine how optimistic/happy an individual tends to be.

Tests exist that can measure an individual’s propensity to optimism or pessimism, how well someone reacts/copes when the pressure’s on, an individual’s stick-to-it-ness, etc.. These are all characteristics you will want to consider when searching for happy, productive employees.

2) As you interview job candidates, ask open-ended questions about how an applicant faced and handled problems in his or her work past. Take note of how the candidate focused on finding solutions (optimists tend to do this), or how he or she stayed mired in the problem at hand (signs of a pessimist).

You could ask candidates to tell you about the very worst things that ever happened to them on the job and then listen to how they answer — by looking at the situations as problems to be solved or as challenges beyond their control (blaming others for their circumstances).

3) Walk your own optimistic, happy talk. If managers are dour whiners, can a company really expect its employees to buck the trend? Your firm’s managers, executives and other leaders should aim to be a role model for subordinates. Focus on achieving goals and coming up with solutions when faced with challenges.

When looking for IT problem solvers, contact The Wellspring Group. We will find and place proven skilled and reliable information technology professionals with your firm on a temporary, temp-to-hire or direct-hire basis. We look forward to hearing from you!