Here is King Recruit’s ‘must-read’ 5 point guide to assessing the rising stars that will make your company great.
How do you ensure that your hires are measured for potential success within your company?
With the surge of LinkedIn and Indeed it’s easy to think that you have your talent attraction all sewn up. However, with the employment rate at the highest it’s been since 1975, the candidates you think you want are mainly passive, they are in secure employment and they are not necessarily looking to move.
Sourcing may have got easier, but recruitment of the best calibre candidates has got harder. The selection that’s ‘delivered’ via advertising or even some mild head-hunting approaches via LinkedIn are often the low hanging fruit when it comes to securing the most relevant skills, aptitude and expertise for the role.
Therefore if you haven’t got a candidate sat in front of you ticking all the boxes, how else can you evaluate if this candidate has the attributes you need to grow your business and adapt to the constant change?
When businesses are continually evolving how can you predict what qualifications or attributes you are going to need in this candidate, without being able to look into the future how can you future proof your hires?
King Recruit explores 5 ways to assess exceptional talent
Are they a High Achiever?
Have they moved through the company faster than their peers? Achiever type candidates are not only promoted giving them a higher salary and job title, but they could be given extra projects and work aside from their day job. They could remain in their position but be given larger or more complex projects and are entrusted with more important duties. If they have held different positions within the company ask why they were given these roles. Achievers aren’t necessarily given an obvious promotion, but a side step. These types of candidates thrive in different roles and can adapt easily without the full complement of prerequisites, did this side step pave the way for a step up?
Are they Technically minded and adaptable?
How have they adapted technically? The best employees are given stretch roles in which they are assigned to complex and challenging projects, in different areas to their day to day role. This project will tend to involve Board Level or Executives giving them the chance for their skills and capabilities to be acknowledged. This could lead to advanced training or promotion. Ask your candidate why they were given this particular project, what are their core strengths that helped them handle this project and what did they learn.
Are they naturally able to lead, influence and motivate?
Ask your candidate to describe their role and what they brought to the Team’s dynamic. Even if they weren’t at a managerial or leadership level did they make decisions or come up with solutions that were acknowledged and put into practice. Did they influence the Team, motivate them and act as a driving force? High achievers will be able to provide multiple examples in which they took the initiative and why they acted in this way. Expect candidates to give these examples with clarity and insight. Patterns here will reveal the type of work that motivates the candidate, these can be mapped to the needs for your vacancy.
Are they rewarded, re-hired or followed?
Have they received rewards and recognition in a work environment, such as bonuses or awards? On their LinkedIn have they been recommended by their peers. High Achievers will always be valued by their management. Typically these candidates are referred and rehired by former co-workers.
If your candidate is a manager look at how they have built their teams. Is their team made up of previous employees and other high achievers? These types of managers have built up a following and tend to be the types of leaders that attract loyalty and trust.
Do they have soft skills?
When reviewing a candidate the focus tends to be on the hard skills, such as their technical abilities and the skills that are classed as “soft” tend to be overlooked. Soft skills are some way more important; they can be defined as key attributes on a personable level! These skills are becoming increasing vital when trying to decide between candidates who are very similar technically and their experience levels.
Soft skills such as communication, a team player, problem solving, positivity and professional are skills which should never be undervalued when a business is looking to hire a candidate who can bring something else to the table other than experience.
At King Recruit we help shape careers. If you’re looking to utilise the services of professional head-hunters in the Southwest, get in touch today by calling us (in confidence) on: 01392 790725 E: enquiries@kingrecruit.com or visit www.kingrecruit.com