7.30.2019
Remember that perfect is somewhere in the middle?
That recruitment is like other life situations. Especially if we are talking about an interview where the recruiter should have time to “reveal” the candidate as much as possible in an hour. It is important not to overdo it with questions, but not to be too superficial. It is good that there is one reliable way to give an opportunity to the candidate to tell about himself.
The “case studies” method is a dialogue based on finding solutions in an invented, modeled situation. The personnel manager describes the applicant a hypothetical situation at work, inviting him to come up with an optimal solution to the problem. Please note: such dialogues are held only in person without a “homework”.
The goal is to minimize the candidate’s use of expected, approved responses. A person who is not the first time goes to a recruiting agency, probably has an idea of what phrase the employer will like. Therefore, in the question-answer format it is difficult to determine where truth is and where fiction is. This is where case studies for competence assessment come to the rescue. This is such a role-playing game, where the hr-manager and the applicant are on opposite sides of the barricades, but they definitely need to agree.
Cases help to check:
Professional skills
Everything is simple: it is enough to simulate a situation in which the applicant will be in the near future. The main thing is not to give the interlocutor go on to retell the theory. For example, if we are talking about the head of the department, then ask him to persuade the subordinate to go on a day off without material incentives. Or ask the future personal assistant to speak through all the stages of organizing a trip for a manager.
Learning ability
In this case, it is worthwhile to start testing with valuable insider information, which will be useful during the discussion of the case. It can be recorded, and you can just listen – it does not affect the results. Then simulate the situation and check the candidate for attentiveness. For example: tell the future sales manager about seasonal marketing activities and the growth in demand for the product, then ask him to “protect” the correct positioning of the brand’s products on the shelves in front of the product manager. Or describe the annual bonuses for employees of the IT department, and then offer the future HR manager to dissuade the best developer of the company to quit before the New Year.
Flexibility of mind, willingness to stress
When using this tool, be sure to warn the candidate that the game will start now and your negative comments will not concern his personality. And then you improvise on the topic of an unpleasant conversation with a client, unfulfilled promise to the boss, and so on. During the conversation, it will be clear how a person is held in difficult situations. By the way, you can use the “still-more” technique to speed up the response – it also contributes to leaving the comfort zone.
Values and motivation
This is the only case in which a candidate can cheat and use socially acceptable answers instead of the truthful ones. You will have to try different wordings until you get a sincere answer. Let us give an example from the book of Svetlana Ivanova, which proposes to consider 2 options:
You have entered a new job and immediately see what can be optimized. In addition, at work normally belong to the innovations. Will you share recommendations and if yes, then how?
You have entered a new job and immediately see what can be optimized. But the team is skeptical of innovations. There is a risk to spoil relations with colleagues. What do you do?
If the first question is obvious, then the second is worth considering. And do not forget to ask provocative questions during the discussion: “Why do you need it?” And “Are you sure that this is right?”
None of these cases should include examples from interviews on Google or the cinematic “Sell me a pen.” The recruiter should gain considerable experience of the interview, before he learns to gain access to and unobtrusively “read” information. To be as correct as possible, but effective.
This is especially important for companies operating in small markets where reputation really matters. If this is your case, contact the Recruit Alliance.
