It's not just about the skills, will the person fit your team?

“Is your current recruitment process going to help you attract the best person for your vacancy?”

It’s no secret that we are currently experiencing a time like no other, so it is important to remain positive, to use the time we have wisely, by putting the right steps in place to allow us to come back fully prepared. This is a good opportunity to look at your recruitment process and ask yourself the question; “Is my current recruitment process going to help me attract the best person for your vacancy?”

It is widely predicted that over the next few months we are going to see a high number of candidates looking for work.  A great many of them will have the correct skillset to work at your company. BUT, are they the best fit? Do they match the personality spec? What sort of impact is this person going to have on the team? These questions are vital to ask yourself, if you want to attract the right people to your company.

We all want the candidate to have the relevant skillset, but what if their personality isn’t going to fit in with the team or their working style doesn’t meet that of the environment.  These factors could mean that the new recruit is counterproductive, which is the last thing you want!

Here are 3 key things to think about when recruiting from a larger candidate pool:

Spend more time speaking with the candidates

When initially engaging with potential employees, try to make it more of a conversation then an interview. Feel free to have some core questions that you intend to ask, but don’t be afraid to let the conversation flow and go off track. You can learn a lot about somebody’s habits, personality and values by simply having an open conversation.

Spend as much time on the personality specification as you would the job description

Far too often we focus on the long list of what we would like the person to be able to do, with little thought as to what type of personality or working traits which would thrive in our environment. Discussing this with the leadership team is a great way to unearth what core traits would work well for your business and helps create the personality spec. We would recommend every job description comes with a personality specification to make sure you aren’t just looking for the best skillset, you are also looking for the best person who matches your company values. 

Psychometric profiling

Psychometric profiling can be a great addition to your recruitment process. Prior to interview ask your candidate to complete an online psychometric profile, (we use McQuaig which is approved by the British Society of Psychologists who give it a high accuracy rating) which will shine a light on the candidate’s core characteristic traits, personality, working style and learning style. The profile will show you if these match up to those characteristic traits required to succeed in the role or fit in the team. In our experience the profile can also help inform the interview questions, to ensure that you will see the real candidate, rather than the one they would like you to see.  The profiles ensures you have a complete picture of the candidate you are interviewing.

Getting these three steps right can have a massive positive impact on productivity, staff retention & morale.

If you have any questions regarding your current recruitment process and would like impartial advice, or more tips on how to explore a candidate’s personality, then please feel free to email [email protected]. I’d love to hear from you.