Recruitment and Retention Coach Katherine Wiid of Recrion comments:
The multitude of recruitment approaches appearing are devised by recruiting managers desperate to find the people they need – but leave everyone else in the process confused and unsure in which direction to go…
When candidates get rejected (or often just left out in the cold and never responded to) their job search takes a step back. Without feedback on how they performed, why they weren’t a good fit for the role, or what the recruiting manager was really looking for – how can they go away and learn, in order to succeed in their next job application? Understandably they take a dim view of the company which affects their employer brand. All because the recruiting manager either doesn’t know what they are looking for or how to identify it when they see it.
IT Systems Infrastructure Analyst Neil Champion-Wells found the recruitment process frustrating:
"It used to really wind me up when I was applying for jobs to be told that I didn't get a job or even an interview because other candidates had skills and experience more closely matched to the role. I was applying for jobs where I matched most if not all of the required skill set so I decided that the recruitment process in these companies was broken. Thankfully I found a company that saw value in what I could bring to the table which I'm sure covered skills, experience and attitude. They're now reaping the benefits while the others lost out!”
To avoid gaining a bad reputation among candidates and to avoid hiring the wrong candidates it is important to be clear about what you’re looking for and use robust questioning to discover if candidates have what you need.
Recent research we did of recruiting managers hiring in specialist skills, revealed a few pioneers who recognise that potential and specific motivational traits are much more important than a long list of skills and experience.
“Building up skills a candidate lacks is generally quite quick, and with a good candidate, they'll be working with you the whole way. Whereas if the attitude or potential isn't there, that's much harder to change: and you're much less likely to have the candidate on your side in the process.” Alden Spiess, Product Owner at Equivital.
Another pioneer going against the skills and experience hiring trends, is Caleb Marchant. When hiring software developers, Caleb focuses on hiring candidates who he can develop into the perfect candidate, giving them the opportunity to learn new skills and ultimately building a team who are motivated, dedicated and excited by their jobs. Caleb’s low turnover rates demonstrate the value in hiring for potential, not skills.
To help you create robust recruitment processes that accurately spot potential and don't alienate candidates, I recommend:
- Writing a job description that accurately reflects the role you’re hiring for
Before starting any interactions with candidates, make sure you know what you are looking for and why. Think about your company culture, and what it would take for a candidate to fit in. The motivations, interests, passions… craft a job description that reflects what it really takes to succeed within your company warts and all. As well as managing candidate expectations right from day one, your chances of selecting the people you need increases dramatically. - Don’t rush into interviews, introduce a screening process
Before you start interviewing candidates, consider introducing a structured screening process. Using the LAB Profile for example in a pre-interview telephone or Skype call analyses a candidate’s language patterns and discovers their unconscious motivations and decision making patterns. Will they really fit in and excel in the role, or will they be walking out of the door in a few months’ time? The LAB Profile is invaluable in increasing the success rates of recruiting, as well as increasing long-term employee retention rates. - At interview, listen to what your candidates are really saying
When it comes to interviews, preparation is key. Don’t go in blind - prepare open questions that will give you the evidence you need that the candidate is equipped to do the job in your company. Use a scoring methodology in order to be able to accurately compare candidates and their strengths and weaknesses. This is where a LAB Profile expert, or an understanding of this psycho-linguistic tool, is extremely helpful. Instead of listening to a candidate’s rehearsed answer, use open questions to provoke real answers and give an insight into a candidate’s motivations, conscious and subconscious. What really makes them tick, and will they fit in with your existing team? - Be bold and tell it like it is
Sitting in on my client's interviews is an eye opener! The real reasons for hiring are often skirted around, or not touched on at all. Recruitment managers are rarely caught uttering the phrase: "this is the reality of what we are facing and why we need you.” But why not? Candidates are not stupid or blind. They sense when they are being sold a lemon! They deserve to know what they are getting in to and how they can constructively work with you to overcome business issues. Otherwise, you may find yourself back to square one and having to rehire in just a few months time. - Communicate clearly throughout the process so the reasons for your decisions are transparent
It is important to manage the candidate's expectations throughout the process and let them know what they can expect and by when. Think of them as a client - would you leave a client dangling for weeks because you haven't been able to make up your mind about what to sell them? Being thoughtful about their needs will go a long way to not only attracting great candidates, but also building up a great company reputation. Feedback and timeliness costs nothing and will be repaid a hundred fold when they tell their friends (and potential talent) about the experience they had with your company.