We are currently in a time of great rotation and mobility in the sector selecting a good professional is not easy. We will analyse the staff selection process in a firm, applicable to any job. As you can see the process, if you want to do well, it means investing a lot of time and having a lot of experience and smell to know the skills and potential of each candidate. Once you have read the article, you may ask yourself; Is it better to assume it directly or outsource it?

Here at Applied Innovation we have a team of professionals with a unique combination of leadership and experience to prepare your people to adapt to change.

First of all, when a headline wants to select someone, be it a professional or a member of the administration, for example, he must be very clear about what he wants. This statement may seem obvious to some, but it is not always taken into account. Thus, the first questions to ask ourselves are:

What level and type of remuneration does the position have?

Once the Position we want to fill is defined, we must explain the characteristics to be fulfilled by the suitable candidate to fill the position. That is to say, it is about developing a proteinogram that should allow us to answer the following questions:

• What training should the candidate have?
• What kind of experience do we want?
• What skills are necessary to perform the position?
• What personality traits?

Recruitment

Once these questions have been answered, the phase known to human resources specialists as “recruitment” will come. Its purpose is to provide a sufficient number of suitable candidates to fill the position previously described by the firm. Where to look for our candidate? Outside our firm (external recruitment) or inside?

Both options are possible, but with advantages and disadvantages. In any case, the right person is not always available internally to fill a specific job. If an internal person is used, it is necessary to assess whether the training they should receive will make the change too expensive.

The channels and routes that can be followed for external recruitment are known to all and increasingly varied, however, it never hurts to review them:

• Requests and offers, in a personal capacity, or through contacts, acquaintances, etc. They usually have occurred before our need. Normally references and resumes are saved, in case…
• Employment Offices.
• Work bags of training centres.
• Job boards of professional associations and professional associations. External companies specialized in personnel selection and temporary work companies.
• Notice boards.
• The media: Ads in newspapers and specialized magazines, Internet (online).
• Social networks (Linkedin)

Once the recruitment is done, the pre-selection phase of candidates must begin. In any of the modalities for receiving applications, in the end a not too large number of candidates must be reached, among which the finalists will leave.

To facilitate and objectify the comparison of requirements between the various applicants, it is important to prioritize the most relevant aspects of the job analysis and the requirements requested, so that we can discard the candidates that do not meet them.

Any selection process implies that some people place expectations in the demanding company and we must correspond to their confidence by transmitting an image of seriousness. Therefore, a response must be sent to all candidates who have contacted us by email or by letter.

Assessment of shortlisted applications. Interview

If you want to personally assess the different candidates, the most useful tool is the personal interview. Specifically, it is a conversation prepared with the objective of knowing the candidate and assessing their suitability for the position.

Within the interview we can distinguish between the following phases:

Interview Preparation

Prior to its completion, the interviewer must gather all available information about the position and the candidate. In addition, the interview should be planned at the level of:

• Contents to deal with, especially marking those unclear, contradictory or special interest points that should be investigated more deeply.
• Duration, it is advisable to be in approximately 35 or 40 minutes.
• Place of realization: A collected place, free of interruptions, that allows a relaxed and quiet interview should be sought.

Candidate Reception

The interviewer should welcome the candidate cordially, helping him reduce the possible anxiety he may feel. For this, it is positive not to start the interview abruptly, but to start an informal introduction that favours the issuance of information and the creation of an adequate raport. When greeting a candidate, for example, it is appropriate to address him by name, introduce himself and thank him for coming.

Interview Development

To start it, the most appropriate thing is to move on to a transition question that will help to move from the informal talk prior to the formal issues. Some examples of questions could be: Did you know our firm before? How did you hear about the job offer?

The main areas to develop during the interview are:

• Work experiences. Review of the companies through which the candidate has passed. Questions about: sector, job title, tasks and responsibilities, achievements, successes, difficulties, problems and how he solved them, the things he liked the most, the ones he liked least, reasons for the change, type and level of compensation.
• Academic data. We will investigate to assess the interest that the candidate has shown towards his training and the opportunities he has had to develop. It is advisable to investigate their reasons for carrying out certain studies and not others. The level of knowledge possessed by the candidates that are required to perform the position should also be investigated. Ask about pending courses and future training plans.
• Personal and Family Data. It is important to know the candidate in his family, relating it to work (marital status, number of children, socio-cultural level, etc.).
• Supplementary data. That information about the candidate and his environment (interests, current hobbies, leisure time activities, community commitments, etc.).
• Self-appraisal. Ask the candidate what they think are their main qualities, skills and talents, as well as their achievements at the group and individual level. Also ask about areas where you would like to increase your development, the skills you want to improve, the capacity and additional experience you would like to gain.

Here at Applied Innovation we have a team of professionals with a unique combination of leadership and experience to prepare your people to adapt to change.