Jason Ratcliffe MSc, BA (hons), AssocRICS / Director of Steren Surveyors.
I’ve found it difficult to implement a screening process for job candidates without narrowing down CVs first, especially when there’s a high number of applicants. That said, traditional methods of solely evaluating candidates through resumes often fall short of providing a holistic understanding of their potential contributions. I find someone’s character and ability to learn quickly hugely beneficial as this is something that cannot be taught. Additionally. proactive strategies such as asking open-ended questions and incorporating real-time challenges can gauge their expertise more accurately.
To help other leaders, I asked members of the UK Executives Group of Forbes Business Council, a community I lead, to offer insights for recruiters and hiring managers to identify candidates who not only possess the necessary skills but also align with the values and culture of the organization.
1. Have face-to-face interactions when possible.
Face-to-face interactions are always better than CVs. Early on, I conduct screener calls to assess the candidate’s attitude toward work. Technical candidates often have difficulty articulating their skills in a way that is relevant to the job, so a call or short video is often more helpful. This allows me to identify the strongest applicants and assignments to further filter the pool of candidates. – Tariq Mohammed, 360 OM
2. Ask open-ended questions.
During your application process, add a few open-ended questions about culture, travel or any other non-work-related topic. You can have applicants type their answers or record a short video. This will enable you to evaluate their character and potentially match that to what they have mentioned on their résumé. – Abdulmuhsen Fakih, Systemize It
3. Ask what impact they see themselves making in your company.
Ask what new skill, take, or technology they would want to see implemented in the company and their role in putting it in motion. Savvy applicants who are interested in innovation tend to take ownership of the position and bring your company forward with them. Just be sure to balance caring, self-aware, compassionate, and grounded traits or you will find an industry disruptor in more ways than one. – Elke Sudin, Drawing Booth
4. Gauge the applicant’s knowledge of and passion for your organization.
We love using video links along with CVs. It allows us to evaluate the candidate’s energy and how they may fit on our team. We’ve also asked them to write an article about our firm, what they believe in, what we do and how we help our clients. – B.D. Dalton, Rockfine Group
5. Challenge candidates to answer in real time.
I often made the mistake of going by CVs and resumes as an inexperienced leader. After learning the hard way, I’ve adjusted to conduct in-person or video meetings with a list of challenging questions. By having the candidate answer on the spot, it will allow us to learn more about their true expertise and experience. – Tony Hovsepian, Anthony Media Group
6. Pay attention to punctuality.
In my selection process, punctuality is key. Whether in person or online, it reflects respect for my time. I challenge candidates to describe my company, testing their interest in the work. I also exaggerate role challenges to gauge their readiness for adversity. Finally, a week-long test assesses their stress management, adaptability and motivation in the face of challenges. – Shazane Nazaraly, Ares-Corporation
7. Give a mini-project to assess their skill set.
Rather than take resumes at face value, I do a quick initial screen, and with anyone who “seems” qualified, I give them not so much a test but a real mini-project. Candidates have seldom refused and I find the results are quite telling. – Jason Foodman, Oxzeon.com
8. Prioritize a growth mindset.
I have always believed that attitude trumps aptitude every single time. Too often we look at skills as a means of certainty, but I find that anybody with a basic foundation in the area of knowledge and the right attitude can learn just about anything they need to. Look for someone with a growth mindset, who is a constant learner, and who is not afraid to try new things. – Jason Haddock, Sozo Labs
Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
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