When it boils down to it recruitment is ALL about psychology, right from the moment a job vacancy arises through to the candidate starting and being retained, psychology impacts every step of the way
Before you commence the journey towards recruitment success you need to be able to answer the following 2 questions. What is the primary motivator for jobseekers and exactly WHO are you looking for?
Who are you looking for?
You can’t recruit effectively if you don’t understand the brief. What are the ideal skills and capabilities? What behaviours will best suit your ideal culture? (remember you are recruiting for the culture you want, not the culture you have). Are the skills required scarce?
Think about: Soft Skills – What soft skills does a candidate need to thrive in this role?; Culture and values – From a culture perspective, what are the necessary soft skills/values needed for this role?; Top performer – Who at our company is a high achiever in the same role?; Technical knowledge – What technical knowledge and/or qualifications are needed for the role?
A framework such as our Key Behavioural Capability Framework identifies the capabilities required to achieve organisation and team objectives. It guides the recruitment of suitably qualified staff. Through the use of the Framework your recruitment practices can be adapted to ask behavioural questions that will quickly identify candidates who possess the skills, behaviours and values to drive achievement of your operational outcomes.
Whats the motivator?
According to the Australian HR Institute 2019 Turnover and Retention Report, the top 5 reasons for leaving a job are: lack of career progression opportunities; better pay elsewhere; poor workplace culture; lack of training & development and poor work life balance.
It makes sense then when composing our advertising we touch on these motivators to appeal to those who place a high priority on them.
For the purpose of writing the remainder of this blog a quick Google search has pulled up some Core Values of a random organisation, and I’m going to pretend I’m looking for an Administration Coordinator.
Our Core Values – Accountability; Safety; Efficiency; Respect & Courtesy
Our Key Behaviours & Capabilities for the position – Welcome new challenges and persist in raising and working through novel and difficult issues; Promote a culture of integrity and professionalism within the organisation; Liaise with stakeholders on key issues and provide expert and influential advice; Build a culture of respect and understanding across the organisation; Drive a culture of achievement and acknowledge input of others; Exercise due diligence to ensure work health and safety risks are addressed; Comprehend the wider contexts in developing long term goals and determine strategies and actions required to achieve such goals; Encourage others to challenge “the way we’ve always done things” to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
The psychology behind the job ad
Your job ad needs to consist of more than a list of duties followed by a list of skills. Remember you are attempting to make a connection with the jobseeker, you want to use language that creates the ability for the jobseeker to imagine what it is like to work for you. Bullet points don’t convey the same amount of impact as taking the candidate on a journey with you.
Employ tactics that excite and engage
“The People & Culture Office is seeking an experienced Administration Coordinator to join our dynamic team.
A key role in our organisation, the Administration Coordinator drives the achievement of our strategic goals through leading a team of administration and finance professionals.
To succeed in this role you will require demonstrated experience in a similar role, including the ability to effectively lead and mentor high performance teams; you will require excellent time management and communication skills coupled with the ability to build effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
But what is really important to us is you, we recognise that our people build our organisations success and our values guide everything we do, including who we recruit. We value employees who embrace a culture of respect, integrity and achievement. Who have a safety focus and who exercise due diligence in all that they do; who strive to achieve because we know when you do well, we do well.
In return we will offer excellent compensation and benefits, personal development opportunities and a great place to work”
The psychology in the interview process
Asking behavioural questions is a good way to spot candidates who’ll excel. Behavioural based interviewing is the understanding that past behaviours determine future behaviours, by asking scenario based questions you can analyse candidate responses to measure their suitability for the role in question.
For example adaptability is essential for thriving in a rapidly changing work environment. Given that 54% of employees may require significant Employees who are adaptable are more likely to achieve better outcomes as priorities shift or setbacks occur, since they’re already comfortable making strategic adjustments. or upskilling over the next few years to keep pace with new technology and evolving business needs, adaptability is essential. You may want to ask questions such as:
- Tell me about a time when you were asked to do something you had never done before. How did you react? What did you learn? Listen for: Excitement about tackling new challenges and willingness to leave their comfort zone, knowing they’ll learn something valuable from the experience.
- Describe a situation in which you embraced a new system, process, technology, or idea at work that was a major departure from the old way of doing things. Listen for: Eagerness to explore new ways of working and improve based on what they learn; if they discovered a better way; whether they embraced the change.
Interview for culture fit. Companies with inclusive talent practices generate up to 30% higher revenue per employee. Employees should be fundamentally aligned with your company’s mission and core values. But finding the right person for the job doesn’t mean finding someone who’s exactly like everyone else. Ideally look for someone who not only “fits” your ideal culture but can also enhance it. Weed the top performers out by asking:
- What are the three things that are most important to you in a job? Listen for: Alignment between what’s most important to them and what the role and company have to offer.
- Tell me about a time in the last week when you’ve been satisfied, energised, and productive at work. What were you doing? Listen for: An indication that the work environment and day-to-day responsibilities are right for them.
65% of candidates say a bad interview experience makes them lose interest in the job
Its all about them, not you
The whole point to the interview process is to get to know the candidate so you are able to get an accurate insight into how they will fit within your team. All candidates feel nerves but an overly formal, stuffy recruitment process does little to put those nerves at ease. The goal is put the candidate at ease so they relax enough so their personality shines through.
Build rapport by centering the conversation around them. The goal is to solidify trust and uncover their wants, needs, and strengths. Stay genuinely curious. Be authentic. Don’t fool yourself into thinking tricky questions, formal / big panel style interview processes makes you appear professional.
To jobseekers, the recruitment team’s style offers a glance into life after hire. And for your organisation, it’s an opportunity to differentiate yourself from competitors chasing the same talent. Hiring is an intimate process. Make candidates feel welcome, and they’ll be far more likely to see it through to the very end – the start of their journey with your business.
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