Lou Adler, a recruiter, believes there exist four basic categories of work that appeal to job candidates’ true motivations and competencies: technical, managerial, entrepreneurial, and visionary.
Along with creating detailed job descriptions including emphasis on what employees need to do to be successful, and outlining necessary skills, he says the following: “Our best candidates seem to have about half to two-thirds of the required skills and experience, but offset this with desire, potential, and motivation.” The point is, don’t put too much emphasis on skills-matching.
More information here: http://www.inc.com/articles/2001/03/22357.html
I agree it’s important to delineate compatibility with career categories, as I do with my Career Compatibility and Assistance Guide, which includes six categories: practical, conventional, dynamic, analytical, social, and creative (https://scottpetullo.com/services.shtml).
He also suggests asking key questions such as “Please describe your favorite work experience,” and “What kind of problems do you like to solve?”
However, many candidates undoubtedly tailor their answers to what they think the interviewer wants to hear in order to get hired.
True motivations and abilities aren’t easy to pin down by looking at a resume, asking probing questions in an interview, and having a candidate take psychological multiple-choice personality tests.
First, I suggest identifying exactly what you need in an employee, as can be done with the S.A. Petullo Job Demands Checklist (fourth link on this page: https://scottpetullo.com/essential-steps.shtml).
Then, it’s recommended you objectively assess the candidate’s motivations, as I do through the Motivation Assessment Analysis (#5, toward the end of this page: https://scottpetullo.com/index.shtml).
Did you know that what a person thinks motivates them, and what they tell you that motivates them, often greatly contrasts with their true motivations?
Handwriting analysis helps to surmount that problem: it is one of the most objective, non-discriminatory, and accurate ways to assess motivation and personality.
Hiring a commission-based salesperson, for example, who needs to be motivated by money, but who is instead much more motivated by social involvement, altruism, and pleasure, could be a disaster for your company.
Reduce your risk of a bad hire by making sure your candidate’s skills and motivations are a good match for the job.
Copyright © 2010 Scott Petullo