I often say I recruit against outcomes. What are they and how do I assess candidates against them?

Every vacancy or project has a desired outcome. You want something achieved over a period of time.

Perhaps you want someone with high capability who can grow with the business, taking on bigger responsibilities and being rewarded in kind.

Or it could be someone who'll enjoy a job that never changes, whom you can depend on to be a bedrock of stability in your team for the next x years.

Every vacancy is different and has a desirable outcome.

Establish that outcome and work back from it to find an effective hiring process:

→ confirm outcomes are realistic
→ how is this defined by activity and responsibility?
→ establish what good realistically is in a candidate, and where they will be found
→ establish all of 'what's in it for them' to define how to engage them
→ establish minimum viable 'what do we need' to define how to assess them

'What's in it for them' starts with your employment value proposition (EVP). Every company has one as your philosophy of employment. Some employers define this philosophy in a document (see yesterday's post). Fewer do this well.

If you don't have a defined EVP, my consultation sets one for the vacancy in the form of an executive summary.

The right candidates will find this proposition appealing for the right reasons because they align with what's needed.

To assess this, we need to define the mirror of an EVP for the candidate and show how their qualities meet the need of the vacancy and employer.

This can in part be done through their CV; however, that's at best a snapshot of a career. To make it 3D, we need to show their

→ aspirations (intrinsic and extrinsic motivation)
→ their needs
→ their situation
→ what fulfils them
→ their skills and capability
→ their values, behaviours and attitudes
→ how they can complement your culture and context

While these are points that come out in an interview, they are specifically documented against your holistic needs - in the form of a candidate summary.

You have to start with the points at the top - needs, aspirations and situation. Because if these don't meet what a vacancy can offer, it will rarely work.

It goes to follow you have to put the candidate's requirements first, and make it about them.

That's why strategic candidate experience is so important.

What experience do they need to have of your process to both attract them and confirm they are suitable?

Work with your candidates in this way, and you have the best chance of a successful outcome. How much is that worth for a key hire?

The consequence of this approach for me has been a 100% fill rate since 2020 (except for cancellations due to the economy), a 4-year average tenure since 2011, and feedback that placements often deliver against the outcomes that were needed.

Start with the outcome.

If you're curious what outcomes focused recruitment might look like for you, drop me a line - 07896 092024 or greg.wyatt@bwrecruitment.co.uk.

Thanks for reading,

Greg