Tuesday, November 08, 2005
It's simple, really
So, when it becomes clear that the today's hiring processes emphasize skills first and explore motivations second, we realize that asking someone why they want the job after they've applied for it we will get a political answer. Therefore, the motivations are not clear and the likelihood that they will engage in the job is unpredictable.
Our assumption that people won't apply for a role they don't want is thoroughly flawed. People regularly apply for jobs for other reasons - like a compensation package, a company's reputation, location, etc.. To believe otherwise is to put your head in the sand.
We need to build a jobseeker's aspirations into the hiring process. We need to put it at the front of our process. What would we get by doing so? Primarily, you begin to explore the likelihood a candidate will engage in the job. How hard would it be to do this? Not hard at all. All we have to do is structure in some way for a jobseeker to clarify their wants regarding a job or careerpath. Then have them apply for positions in that direction. It doesn't mean we have to abandon our existing processes. But we would need to give some structure and weight to the jobseeker's aspirations before they apply. Unfortunately, we assume this happens before the recruiting process begins. Our process begins with a focus on skills and experience, then investigates motivations. We need to put motivations first, then skills. That will improve the quality of hire in a big way.
Our assumption that people won't apply for a role they don't want is thoroughly flawed. People regularly apply for jobs for other reasons - like a compensation package, a company's reputation, location, etc.. To believe otherwise is to put your head in the sand.
We need to build a jobseeker's aspirations into the hiring process. We need to put it at the front of our process. What would we get by doing so? Primarily, you begin to explore the likelihood a candidate will engage in the job. How hard would it be to do this? Not hard at all. All we have to do is structure in some way for a jobseeker to clarify their wants regarding a job or careerpath. Then have them apply for positions in that direction. It doesn't mean we have to abandon our existing processes. But we would need to give some structure and weight to the jobseeker's aspirations before they apply. Unfortunately, we assume this happens before the recruiting process begins. Our process begins with a focus on skills and experience, then investigates motivations. We need to put motivations first, then skills. That will improve the quality of hire in a big way.
