Learn how to identify the right competence
To have a more efficient hiring process you need to be able to create measurable data, focus on the right areas for data collection and decide on the right competence for the specific role you’re recruiting for. A common misconception is that competence consists only of theoretical or practical knowledge. This usually happens if you only look at a resume for example. Instead, competence is both a persons’ ability to manage demands and fulfills a purpose of development.
We think that the ideal combination for identifying candidates’ true potential, is not only to look for specific knowledge and experience. But also understanding personality traits, aptitude, and motivation. In addition this, competence should always be related to a specific task or situation and be based on what role you’re recruiting for. This could make one candidate a very competent applicant for one role, but the opposite for another.
Start with an unbiased approach
Throughout the recruitment process you will make decisions. Depending on what decisions you make, will naturally affect the outcome. Sounds reasonable. But did you know that humans make 1 decision every 2,5 seconds? This makes the recruitment process a place where preconceived biases can seep in and effect the outcome. By looking at how you make decisions and what are they based on, you can start evaluating your own recruitment process. Creating the most efficient hiring process, will therefore require you to look beyond your own preconceived opinions and focused on measurable qualification data.
We have spent a lot of time figuring this out, tried out many models and processes. So more companies can benefit from our approach. If you want to deep-dive into what a fair hiring process entails, download our free guide to unbiased recruitment HERE.
Focus on the relevant information
Even though there are numerous studies on competence, there is still not a standard way to define the ambivalent concept. But these are our top suggestion to help you keep the focus on the relevant data and to put all applicants in the right context.
Aptitude
Focusing on aptitude allows recruiters to understand how a candidate would take on new tasks and their ability to translate previous knowledge into a new environment. Because aptitude is the ability to see logical patterns and connections, draw accurate conclusions from incomplete information, and handle new situations within the right time frame. With the right aptitude, the chance of performing early in a new role increases.
Knowledge
A candidates’ understanding of facts or concepts is a reflection of their knowledge. Something a person may have learned through both lived experience and training, as well as education. By identifying the right knowledge necessary for the position, the probability increases that the individual understands their area of work and performs better in the role.
Personality
There are many different ways to categorize individuals but personality is what makes you, you. Your feelings, behavior, and thoughts. In a recruitment context, personality traits are also known as soft skills and can be an indicator of a candidate’s success in a role. Usually, personality is measured through “Type theory” or “Trait theory” methods. If you need someone in a high-stress restaurant position, then you may need a candidate who is low-stress, even-tempered, and patient. This could also be identified as high conscientiousness and low neuroticism. The important thing is to take a look at each person as an individual case and being as objective as possible.
Motivation
Understanding a candidates’ motivation is key to a successful recruitment as it is the driving force for professional success. There are two commonly discussed types of motivational factors. First is Extrinsic, which are forces affecting the individual from the outside like a reward. Second is Intrinsic, which are internal such as solving complex problems for gratification. Whilst motivation itself has three major components: activation, persistence, and intensity. Each of us has these weighted to different degrees. When we understand what motivates a candidate, we can see whether they fit the role or can be recommended elsewhere.
Using AI to create an efficient hiring process
AI for recruiting represents an opportunity for recruiters to reduce the time spent on repetitive, time-consuming tasks. Such as automating the screening of resumes, automatically triggering assessments, or scheduling interviews with candidates. AI especially has several potential applications for automating high-volume, repetitive tasks such as pre-qualifying candidates. Early adopter companies using AI-powered recruiting software have seen their cost per screen reduced by 75%, their revenue per employee improve by 4%, and their turnover decrease by 35%.
Today, there are several softwares to assess blind resumes and chatbots that can be used to screen applicants. But until now, there haven’t been any objective tools that could take away bias from the interview. Which makes the job interview a risky step in the recruitment funnel. And at risk for being inefficient and expensive. To change that, we combined conversational AI with unbiased recruitment methodology and develop Tengai to improve the way you screen, assess and ultimately hire talent.