Hiring Playbook: 5 Questions to Determine Drive & Motivation

Skills can be developed.

Experience can be gained.

But genuine drive is much harder to teach.

If you're hiring someone to grow a territory, build relationships, or consistently outperform expectations, these five questions can help you uncover what's really motivating them.

1. "Tell me about a goal you set for yourself that no one asked you to accomplish."

The best performers don't wait for someone else to raise the bar.

Listen for candidates who pursued:

• A bigger territory

• A professional certification

• New product knowledge

• Personal sales records

• Process improvements

  
  

Self-motivated people create their own challenges.

2. "What accomplishment are you most proud of, and why?"

Pay attention to why they chose it.

Was it because:

• They overcame adversity?

• They exceeded expectations?

• They solved a difficult problem?

• They built something from scratch?

• They helped others succeed?

  
  

Their answer reveals what success truly means to them.

3. "Describe a time when things weren't going your way. What kept you moving forward?"

Sales is full of setbacks.

You're looking for resilience.

Top candidates don't pretend they've never struggled. They explain how they stayed focused, adjusted their approach, and kept moving despite obstacles.

Drive shows up most clearly when things get difficult.

4. "If no one was measuring your activity for the next six months, how would you approach your job?"

This question gets to the heart of intrinsic motivation.

Highly driven people usually talk about:

• Serving customers well

• Building relationships

• Growing the business

• Improving their skills

• Hitting personal goals

  
  

The best performers don't need constant supervision to stay productive.

5. "What excites you most about coming to work each day?"

This question sounds simple, but it's incredibly revealing.

Listen for passion around:

• Solving customer problems

• Winning new business

• Learning new industries

• Building relationships

• Competing

• Personal growth

People who light up when they talk about their work often bring that same energy to the job.

Final Thought

Drive isn't about working the longest hours.

It's about consistently finding reasons to improve, push forward, and create results—even when no one is watching.

That's the kind of motivation that sustains long-term success.

What's your favorite interview question for uncovering a candidate's drive?

GRS Insight

The most successful people we've placed aren't always the ones with the strongest résumé. They're the ones who are internally motivated to keep learning, solving problems, and getting better.

Experience may open the door. Drive determines how far someone goes.

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GRS Recruiting was founded in 1979 - serving clients in the manufacturing and distribution world by finding the best talent to meet their needs. Over the years we have focused on creating relationships within specific industry niches, gaining a deep understanding of the specific skills and traits required to help our clients grow their business and candidates fulfill their career aspirations.

For more information, please contact Betsy Lee at blee@grsrecruiting.com.