In this series of three blog posts we are looking at three key elements of successful Recruitment and Interviewing.
- Preparation – What are you looking for and how will you find it?
- Behavioural Event Interviewing – The EARL Model
- Intangibles – Stuff that’s hard to judge
This week we’ll look at Intangibles, that stuff that’s hard to judge.
What about Intangibles – things that are hard to measure? Here are some simple tips to digging beneath some common behaviours.
Intangibles – Reliability
How do you test reliability?
You could suggest a follow up of some kind and see what happens. For example suggest to the candidate that you would like to email them an article, and would be very interested in their views. They’ll probably welcome this and promise a response. Do it and see what happens.
Do they respond? Send you a one liner “thanks very interesting.” or did they really read it and send you a thoughtful response?
Intangibles – Passion
We all want people with passion but how do you test it?
Show interest in one of their hobbies and see how they talk about it. If you can’t talk with passion about your hobby, what’s it going to be like when you have to talk about work! Also people often lie about hobbies to make themselves seem more interesting.
Intangibles – Integrity
A few questions will soon tell you a lot about their integrity.
How likely are they to stay with you?
Intangibles – Commitment
How do you test commitment? Check the CV – How many jobs have they had in the last few years This may not be bad! Find out why did they left and you’ll get a sense of their attitude to commitment.
Intangibles – Employer/Employee Relationship
And what’s it going to be like to be your boss? Why not check with the person who currently is their boss but ask the candidate:
“if your previous boss was here and I asked her what you were like to work with what would she say?”
Now the candidate will probably imagine that their boss is in the room – they will most likely tell you exactly what their boss would say.
Now you have three powerful tools to help you with Recruitment and Interviewing.
- Prepare well – know what competencies and behaviours you are looking for.
- Use EARL – analyse past behaviour to predict what you’re hiring.
- Develop your tool box of tricks to test the intangibles.
I hope you find this series of blog posts useful.
David Solomon
Managing Director, Sun and Moon Training
@SunMoonDavid
Photo copyright: dacosta / 123RF Stock Photo