There are a lot of aspects to consider when interviewing candidates for an open position skill set, years of experience, ability to fit into the company culture, etc. The list goes on and on. However, theres one factor that many companies completely overlook, and it can often come back to haunt them.

That factor is passion.

A candidates passion for what they do could be considered the X Factor of any search. Thats because when a person has passion for their job, theyre compelled and theyre driven to not only carry out the duties of the position, but also to do so extraordinarily well. For people with passion, going through the motions is not an option. In fact, its not even a consideration.

Here are three reasons why employers should hire people with passion over people who lack it:

1. Theyre more productive People with passion dont leave at 5 p.m. on the dot, and they often work through lunch. They love what they do, so they do as much of it as they can. That translates into more productivity... a lot more.
2. Theyre more engaged You dont have to make sure theyre engaged in their job and with the company. If they have passion for what theyre doing, theyre practically self-engaging. This makes it far easier to retain the person over the long haul.
3. Theyre intrinsically motivated You dont need to throw huge amounts of money or a slew of perks at these candidates in order to make them happy. Verbal compliments and other forms of recognition for a job well done go a long way. Once again, this increases the chances of retaining their services.

As you can see, passion has a distinctly important role in the hiring process. Failure to identify which candidates possess it and which ones do not can have a negative impact on that process. In fact, it could even result in hiring the wrong person for the position.