Posts

Recruitment without bias does not exist

/in /by

“I don’t recognize myself at all in what you say about my “soft skills,” the candidate replied. I just told her she came in second. I justified this with the support of my client’s feedback. Because these are serious processes, motivation is certainly a key part of the recruitment process. (See the art of rejection in Dutch.)

Alarm bells went off when she said she didn’t recognise herself at all in the feedback on soft skills. She wasn’t concerned about the evaluation of a few hard skills. She had less proven experience overall. She could understand the motivation in that regard.

Recruitment without bias does not exist

After this conversation, I started thinking about how I, as a man (and the client also consisted of men), view a woman who shows equal “soft skills” compared to a man. Are we more likely to consider a woman who is alert, to the point, and direct in her communication to be someone who is less warm and therefore lacks the necessary social security to lead an organization? While we believe these soft skills in a man make him capable of leading an organization while exhibiting the same behavior?

The next day I called her and told her that I was aware of my “bias” regarding the soft skills that were part of the motivation why she didn’t get the job. We then discussed how culture fit is crucial for hiring. She sent me an interesting article about this by Doug Hanna: “The Failproof Matrix for Evaluating Fit vs. Performance.”

My conclusion is that recruiting without bias is an illusion. The trick is to be aware of it and try to eliminate it as much as possible. Thanks to this candidate who spoke out about how she didn’t recognize things in my feedback, I’ve gained a better understanding. This candidate has a better understanding of the evaluation with the disappointing outcome.

recruit for attitude

Recruit for attitude, train for knowledge

/in /by

In a conversation with a Retail Executive who has travelled all over the world, an important theme emerged: “Recruit for Attitude, Train for Knowledge.” This theme is not only relevant for a service-oriented role in hospitality—where “customer friendliness” or “hospitality” should be a natural disposition—but also for an Executive involved in the reorientation of a business strategy (such as downsizing). In both cases, a professional, honest, and transparent attitude must come naturally.

Why do we ask for 10 years of experience?
We often deal with managers who prefer to hire a copy of themselves. This increases the risk of revisiting well-trodden paths in search of a false sense of security and stability.
From a specific business perspective (e.g., fresh cut flower cultivation), I can understand wanting to hire someone with experience in the fresh flower trade for business purposes.

Matrix as an intake support
In my practice, I use a “matrix” that includes both attitude-related and experience/knowledge-related elements. When both HR and the line manager independently complete the same matrix, I often discover differences in emphasis between the two areas. I make this a topic of discussion and ask them to jointly determine the five most important “Must-Haves.” In 99% of cases, these are attitude-driven elements, such as:

  1. Demonstrating leadership during a reorganization (where 400 people have to be let go)
  2. Being result-oriented
  3. A challenging mindset that brings improvements aligned with business goals
  4. Being change-oriented and acting as a “change agent”

Intake is essential
To find the most suitable match and to bring about real change or improvement within your organization, the principle of “Recruit for Attitude, Train for Knowledge” is certainly applicable.
To me, that means conducting a thorough intake. For the organization, it also means ensuring the newly hired individual is not left to fend for themselves.

Interested in the Matrices we made of a lot of roles in FMCG? Send us an e-mail to info@bureauboeren.nl