When navigating the hiring process, particularly for senior positions, you may have encountered this scenario before.

It’s a situation you’re likely familiar with…

 

Your recruiter painstakingly assembles a candidate shortlist after a month of diligent work. You and your fellow decision-makers spend several days meeting and interviewing these candidates. Each one is highly intelligent, experienced, and skilled.

 

However…

Consensus on the top candidate eludes you and your colleagues.

You find Candidates A and C to be favorable, while your colleagues, lacking specific reasons, perceive them as not quite the right fit. Conversely, your colleagues lean towards Candidates B and D, but you hold firm in your belief that they won’t integrate well and may depart within six months.

 

As a result, you collectively reject the entire shortlist.

In an instant, your hiring efforts revert to square one. All the time spent reviewing resumes and conducting interviews goes to waste, leaving the position unfilled.

 

Frustration and disappointment set in.

And rest assured…

Both your recruiter and the perplexed candidates (rejected without clear understanding) share in this sentiment.

Here’s where the misstep occurred…

What Question Went Unasked?

 

Imagine being a football club director tasked with a critical position to fill.

You consult your chief scout, charging them with identifying an outstanding player obtainable for no more than $30M, with wages not exceeding $100,000 per week.

After a month’s exhaustive market search, your scout presents a comprehensive shortlist of exceptional players.

Yet to your dismay, you realize they are all strikers when you actually require a defender.

Oops!

This is vital information your scout should have known. To be fair, it’s information they should have inquired about.

Moreover, they should have been aware that you were seeking a versatile defender capable of carrying the ball, willing to play various midfield and defensive roles, and possessing the social and leadership attributes necessary for mentoring younger players.

 

This is the identical oversight employers and recruiters frequently repeat. They prioritize the skills and experience pertinent to the role at hand, neglecting a pivotal question…

What behavioral traits and personality attributes are we seeking?

Before recruiters embark on candidate searches, this is a crucial question to address.

Recognizing that it’s not always an easy query to answer, a behavioral job survey becomes indispensable.

This survey not only equips recruiters with vital information for their shortlist compilation but also furnishes you and your decision-making counterparts with a precise understanding of your requirements.

In my experience, decision-makers often complete a job survey only to realize differing perspectives on what’s essential.

Recall the scenario from the beginning of this post? This is how you arrive at decision-makers who disagree yet struggle to articulate their rationale.

It’s because this pivotal question regarding behaviors and personality was bypassed initially.

 

Complete a Job Survey

Whether you currently have a vacancy or anticipate one in the near future, why not take a moment to initiate a job survey?

This straightforward questionnaire can be completed by you and your colleagues, yielding results that offer a more accurate grasp of your requisites.

 

Should discrepancies emerge among you, at least you’ll possess valuable insights that enable discussions and adjustment of expectations.

Carve out the time to undertake this NOW, and you’ll spare yourself and your business from significant time and effort wastage down the line.

 

To see how the wrong hiring choice can affect your business’s bottom line try our Free Hire calculator

 

To arrange your free job survey, please email us at [email protected], or give us a call PHONE and I’ll ensure that one is promptly sent to you.