In our recent survey, we found that 33% of respondents were finding it a struggle to find the right candidate. One of the issues might be the challenge of spotting potential during the recruitment process. This is especially true if your recruitment isn’t structured in a way to spot potential from the start. However, there are ways to enhance the recruitment process for this.
Spotting potential as an employer: where to start?
Firstly, it is worth considering what you mean by potential. Cambridge Dictionary describes it as ‘someone’s ability to develop, achieve, or succeed’. It might mean spotting someone’s potential to grow into a role, progress through your business or achieve something in a role that is unique to them. You might not always be looking for an individual with potential to become a leader in your business, however you might want a person who can add an extra something to a role at any level.
Understanding what you want will help you find someone who can:
- Work independently
- Take initiative
- Work within a team
- Be adaptable
- Increase their skills
- Share knowledge
And those attributes might not necessarily jump off the page through a traditional application or CV recruitment process.
Reviewing your recruitment process to allow for potential
We’ve written previously about highlighting your company’s culture online and reviewing this to show opportunities for individuals, this is a good place to start. You want someone applying to see that there are opportunities for career progression, skills development or recognition that go beyond the job description. Sharing how current employees are doing this can be an easy way to communicate that. It shows jobseekers what they can expect from your company and understand if the role is right for them.
What to look for on a CV or application form?
Taking the time to dig a little on a CV can pay dividends. Rather than focus on education or experience alone, see if someone has tailored their CV to your job description. Have they included results that are relevant to a role with you? Is their CV formatted in a consistent way? All those things can show potential rather than a CV that may have been sent to multiple employers.
What to ask at interview to spot potential?
Changing what you ask at interview can also make it easier to spot potential. Typically, you might have asked about previous job roles. And while this can still work, rather than ask about hard skills you might focus on scenarios and soft skills instead. Your questions could include how they handle disagreements in a team or adapt to a new situation. All of which can help you identify a prospective employee with potential.
Where else to look for help to spot potential?
A recruitment consultancy can help you spot potential in prospective employees. Good Egg Recruitment takes time to invest in recruitment. Our consultative approach means that we take the time to understand your business and its objectives. This includes understanding what potential means to you.
Good Egg Recruitment bring our experience and expertise to sourcing potential candidates with the right skills on their profiles. We also review jobseekers experience and future goals against yours to see if their potential will match yours.
We’re always happy to have a no-obligation chat to understand what roles you need to fill in your business. Email Nicola nicola@goodeggrecruitment.com or Annette annette@goodeggrecruitment.com to book a chat today.