How one CEO finds out if a candidate REALLY wants the job

Before employers can make a hiring decision, they need to know whether you really want the job they're considering you for - or, if you just want any job.

This is no easy feat for hiring managers.

David Politis, CEO of cloud-based software maker BetterCloud, told Adam Bryant of the New York Times in a recent interview that in order to figure out whether someone actually wants the position, and if their desired career path aligns with the role and the company, he asks the following question: "What would be your dream job if you could do anything in the world?"

"My next question is, 'Why aren't you doing that?'" he told Bryant. "Those two questions will tell you a lot about people's passions and their fears."

He then asks about the candidate's priorities at work and their job experiences.

"[I ask], 'What do you love every day when you go to work, and what do you hate?'"

Politis is as honest as possible about the conditions of the position, in order to effectively find a candidate who is completely devoted to the company's vision and what the open role entails.

"My job in the interview process is to really understand the person, what they're looking to do in their career, and understand if we're going to be a good fit for them," Politis explained. "In many cases, I try to dissuade them from taking the job. I try to be as honest as I can about the bad parts of the job and the high expectations."

The ultimate goal, he said, is to fill the position with someone who not only envisions him- or herself working at the company for many years to come (and who would succeed in the role), but someone who will also be happy doing so.

Read the full New York Times interview here.