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Effective Recruitment
Effective recruitment starts with effective organizing. Organizing in turn cannot be implemented without planning. Let’s go back to the primary basics of managing a process. I’m sure by now, what with all the info flow out there, that you are familiar with the 4 elements of managing (planning, organizing, leading, controlling). Note how the first step in any type of management starts with planning and ends off with constant controlling – it’s a full circle approach.
There are many steps in recruitment; however I would like to focus on the interview. The interview in itself warrants thoughtful planning, organizing and controlling. The leading function does not fully apply to the interview, in the sense that this is supposed to be a safe, comfortable environment for the candidate, who is also a potential employee, to express themselves and feel comfortable in doing so. The only leading you will be doing in the interview is asking structured, specific questions. The answers are up to the candidates and they should therefore not be lead by you in answering in a specific way.
I particularly fancy the Structured Behavioral Interview. This structure allows you to select the best candidate for the position, whether you are recruiting for an entry-level employee or a seasoned executive. What is so effective about this technique is that it is based on the behavioral consistency principle. Basically this principle states, that the best method of predicting future behavior is in fact to determine past behavior under similar circumstances.
Wow!! That kind of makes a lot of sense. We don’t function in ideal circumstances 24/7 and this method forces candidates to discuss real-life situations in which they have (had) to use key skills (which they do/don’t possess) to solve problems. This allows the interviewer a unique look behind the CV in order to discover the candidate’s real potential.
Example of Behavioral Structured questions, as opposed to traditional questions:
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Behavioral Structured
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Traditional
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Tell me about a disagreement you’ve had with your boss. (here they will tell you what the argument was about, why they argued, what the outcome was, how they felt about it)
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If you could be anything in the world, what would you be? (here they will give you great insight into the person, their insecurities could be assessed by looking at what they did/ didn’t choose, but it still says nothing of their capabilities)
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There is certainly room for some traditional questions in an interview, but your main focus is on whether or not they can perform, debate and function in certain circumstances.
Traditional interviews/forms can make unsuitable candidates look excellent, because they are offered the ideal opportunity to display what you want them to display, but talking in generalizations is one thing and offering concrete examples is another.
Benefits of Structured Behavioral Interviews:
- The organizing phase of the interview is so much more measurable. When compiling your questions and simulated environment, you have to make use of the Balanced Scorecard for the position. This means that the focus is on the KPA’s, vulnerabilities, creativities and expectations from top management of the position, as opposed to the candidate being given an opportunity to selectively choose their answers in order to portray only strengths.
- Control of the Structured Interview always remains with the interviewer, as candidates are not allowed or given the opportunity to redirect the focus of questions.
- All candidates are asked the same questions, which makes the process fair and outcomes measurable.
- Gut feelings and hunches of interviewers are ignored, as candidates are evaluated using a standard evaluation tool.
- Instead of asking candidates to speculate on what they would do (idealistic) in a certain situation, they are asked what they have done (true reading) in a previous similar situation.
There are many benefits of using a Structured Interview technique, but the most highlighted fact is probably that candidates are not able to “wing it” as the expression goes, because it is structured to accommodate the BSC specifically.
Certainly all of us have preferences. I have shared but a small one on my part and truly hope that it gives some insight. Happy interviewing!
For more information and / or for assistance in recruiting, interviewing and selecting the right candidate, please do not hesitate to contact Charmaine Reid at Gauteng Talent Management Solutions on 011 394 0463. |
