Back in the year 2000 when Clarity was founded, the recruiting team had no tools except for printed newspaper advertisements and telephones to post job listings and access candidates (and a whole lot of grit!). Resumes were delivered by hand and were stacked nearly as high as the building they resided in – the Empire State Building! Today, that’s unfathomable – who could possibly spend all day sorting through those piles without even being able to sort by location?! We’re truly relieved those days are behind us, but some of the same challenges still remain when it comes to finding the best candidate for an open job. While we’re no longer buried in paperwork, we encourage our clients to be mindful that technology is not the be-all end-all in recruiting, and to remind you that a human-centered approach to recruitment is here to stay. Even models designed to predict candidate success in a role can help glean insights, but without coupling them with human reasoning and thoughtful consideration, are largely useless.
We’re grateful for technology and how it has streamlined recruitment processes across all industries, but there are some problems technology and algorithms can’t solve for. More than ever, the most important piece of the interview process is the in-person interview, and the intangible interpersonal skills discerned from it. While it may be easier to target degree holders and candidates open to new opportunities with tools like Linkedin, Indeed, and ZipRecruiter, someone’s resume and credentials “on-paper” are only a sliver of what it takes for a candidate to secure an offer – and for an employer to confidently make one. In our experience, the time dedicated to giving your process a human touch will give your organization the edge every time.
Here’s what we look for that tech can’t pick up on…
Top 4 Candidate Qualities Tech Can’t Solve for:
Communication Skills – A well written resume may be a hint at someone’s ability to communicate and organize thoughts, however, engaging in meaningful conversation and demonstrating clarity of thought through verbal sentence structure can not – in any way! – be shown on a resume. This also includes eye contact (here are some great tips to make it less awkward!) and active listening.
Strategic Thinking – To dive deep into a candidate’s ability to grasp complex topics and understand the reasoning and overarching strategy behind even the smallest tasks, a line on their resume isn’t going to be enough. This can only be distilled from meaningful conversations about a candidate’s responsibilities and past successes.
Passion – In the context of a job search, this refers to a combination of enthusiasm, drive and excitement for an industry or subject matter relevant to a role. It can be a visceral thing for many candidates, but trust us, when it’s there, you just know. It can often be powerful enough to inspire hiring managers to give an opportunity to someone less experienced, because that spirit can add value to the company’s bottom line by injecting your firm with motivational energy everyone will feed on (we’ve seen it happen, and we’ve seen it work!).
Culture Fit – This means something different everywhere, but a lot of our clients will ask candidates interview questions that transcend the job description in order to get to know the candidate on a personal level to discern shared interests or personality traits. There’s definitely no way for an algorithm to pick up on that, and when you spend the majority of your waking hours somewhere, this matters a lot!
Sophisticated technology can also filter out candidates that might be slightly outside of the outlined profile of an ideal candidate, but may possess high levels of the above qualities making them excellent matches for your open positions. At Clarity, we take the time to get to know “outside-the-box” candidates just as well, because their unique perspectives can be surprisingly refreshing.
Feeling exhausted by everything you need to add to your hiring and interview checklist? Well, that’s what we’re here to help you with! Ask us how we can help build your organization or find the perfect match for that tough-to-fill role.
Happy hunting!
You can email Serena here with questions or comments: Serena@claritystaffing.com