How to Identify the Ideal Candidate

 

There is nothing more important for a manager’s personal success than hiring top employees. In a time of increasing unemployment it is a paradox that it will become even more difficult to attract the best. Moreover, how do you really identify the best?

In a market where demand exceeds supply, it is unlikely to find the best candidates in a database. Furthermore, they are probably already in a well paid job and will not respond to adverts. These candidates must be found through search and networking, then contacted directly – in other words they must be ‘headhunted’. This process requires time and money, so you want to make sure your resources are well spent. Hence, finding the ideal candidate with the best fit for your company is crucial.

Before identifying the success profile, you should start describing the actual job. What skills are needed to perform the work, which qualities are necessary for to match the company values? When this analysis is undertaken, you can translate the job requirements into employee characteristics and finally paint a picture of the ideal candidate. The candidate evaluation should focus on three main competency areas: Ability, Motivation and Psychographics.

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