Despite the fact that technology has invaded and simplified almost every single aspect of our life (think of Lyft, Amazon or Google), applying for a job seems to remain the same old boring experience. Candidates scroll down never ending pages of job adverts. They read disembodied company descriptions.
They look at lists of random tasks and missions. They wonder if they match the required prototypic profile and when they hit the “Apply” button, they don’t even know if they are close to being the right match.
It’s almost like gambling… but with your professional life.
#1 – Make it more Human.
What about the future manager? Their leadership style? Their mood? What about the team? What about the values that drive them? What about the probabilities of success and happiness of a candidate in THIS job? In the very specific context of THAT company? In which they are about to spend more than half of their life (54% of their conscious time to be precise).
Instead of just focusing on those skills and experiences, you could give them a much more compelling experience. What if you were to let them know who they were going to work with? What the values of the company are … not those fancy ones painted on the wall of the board room but the actual/real ones.
The only thing you need to do to make that “dream” come true is to assess the future manager and the actual team before publishing your job description. Insert a few details relative to them in the job offer and you will turn what was a cold boring job description into a much more human (and compelling) version of it.
#2 – The Black Hole Syndrome…
These days when you order food online, you know what is happening at every single step of the process (has your order been placed? Is the cook working on it? Is the delivery man on his way? Is he about to ring at your front door?). But for someone applying to your company… nothing close.
86% of the time, what happens is that candidates are left with the disagreeable impression that they just threw their resume into a black hole. Houston, we (really) have a problem here!
What if at every single step of the recruitment process they could stay in touch with what is actually happening to their application? Blip! Your application has been read. Blip! You’ve been selected for an interview. Blip! Your application has been declined because of (insert the reason here). Blip! But you can look at those other positions, far more closer to your talents (insert the job ads here).
Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing futuristic here. All the technology and science required to make that dream come true is already available. Psychometry (which helps you assess your candidates potential 100x more accurately than just screening their CV) has been around for almost 100 years.
Being able to redirect a candidate to the right job offer is also a no brainer if you can define what is actually important for a job (I’m talking about the talents your candidates have… not that quasi useless information than can be found in a CV). Recommendation algorithms have come a long way and can now incorporate any kind of information.
#3 – Step out of that pile of CVs…
The “perfect candidate” notion is a pretty relative one. One candidate could be a perfect match for a particular position and just a freakin’ nightmare for an other one!
Of course, everything has to start with the right definition for the job… but, besides that, there are certain attributes you absolutely have to look for if you want to recruit the best possible candidates.
And you’ll make the experience far more compelling for your candidates… let me explain why.
Look at the “Magic Factor” of your candidates
It’s no secret that our environment is changing fast, becoming more uncertain, complex and ambiguous. That’s the number one reason why you must look for candidates who can learn new competencies and update their skills as quickly as possible.
For that, you need to focus on their brain power. Does that candidate have the ability to think on his feet? Will he able to resolve the problems that will undoubtedly arise in the most effective way? One way to uncover that is to test what business psychologists call the “G Factor” or GMA (General Mental Ability).
G Factor is a condensed version of different combinations of intelligence. Candidates who have a high “G Factor” are usually those who learn fast, who tackle their tasks quicker than others and ultimately those who move up the ladder faster than everybody else around in the organisation.
Discover what drives them
The second factor that is essential is to be sure they have the right fuel to accomplish their mission, each and everyday. It’s not a question of being motivated “by itself”. It’s more a matter of being able to uncover what the basic needs of your candidates are, what drives them at the very core.
Some people’s brains are wired to win, to constantly look for a way to tackle the next challenge and go to the next level. Others prefer to avoid threats and secure what they already have. If you’re not 100% sure that the candidate you are about to bring into your company has the right mindset to succeed, believe me… it’s better to let them wait at the front door.
Focus on their (natural) attitude…
The third and final criteria that is crucial to assess when you recruit people is their personality. Personality is like our psychological backbone. It’s what holds us – and what gives consistency to our behaviours. It’s the number one reason why, when put in a certain context, our behaviours will roughly remain the same.
Consequently, when you interview or when you assess candidates using personality questionnaires, you must have a clear idea of what specific behaviours are linked to the success in the particular role you are recruiting for.
Those three criteria – G Factor, Dynamizing Motivations and Personality – are like a Magic Triad. Ultimately, it’s what makes us human, beyond the schools we attended or the experiences we accumulated in different posts.
By being able to uncover who your candidates REALLY are, and by incorporating it within the core of your selection process you put yourself on the right track to make the best possible hirings for the future of your company.
