Feb 5th, Lou Adler had an article titled, Using the One-question Interview to Measure Motivation on ere.net. His knowledge of recruiting is exceptional.
I’ve always been interested in identifying how to write better recruiting advertising based on the criteria necessary to succeed in the job. (We try to avoid using the word “ads.” Using “advertising” instead of ads reminds us we are writing advertising copy. Advertising copy is designed to attract attention. Each of us who write employment advertising are trying to attract candidates in the Top 40%.)
Key points Lou Adler made:
Over time, the best predictors of on-the-job success have included:
-Technical competency
-Motivation to do the work
-Team skills
-Job-related problem-solving, and
-Trend of past performance over time.
After evaluating 1000 placements, “ it was evident that motivation or drive to do the work was the most important predictor of success.” Daniel Pink’s current hot-seller Drive reconfirms this and provides much of the science behind it.
“While a minimum threshold of technical competency and team skills were necessary, without personal motivation to deliver timely and consistent results, the person would never be a top performer.”
“Personal motivation was not universally transferrable across all jobs. Motivation depended on
- the manager,
- the type of work involved,
- the resources available,
- the degree of independence,
- the compensation,
- the growth opportunity, and
- the company culture
“This is why I’ve (Lou Adler) always had a problem with traditional behavioral interviewing. While behavioral interviewing helps prevent emotional decisions due to its structural nature, it doesn’t pinpoint whether the candidate would be a top, average, or below-average performer since it doesn’t directly address these critical fit issues.”
How does the above impact how employment ads are written?
Good employment ads reduce the time recruiters spend.
Effective recruiting ads identify:
-Critical performance objectives. (That’s totally different than a position description.)
-The style of the management team the successful candidate will be working with. (Is it tough, no-nonsense , highly motivational, or somewhere in between? Describe it specifically. Don’t have enough information? Go back to the team to find out.
-The company environment. One of the Securemploy mottos: “There is a ‘right’ candidate for every employer. But not every candidate is ‘right’ for every employer.”
Then ask the candidate to include:
-Their management style when applying. (Cover letter is perfect for this. How they respond tells a lot about the candidates written communication skills.)
The above information in your employment advertising will help candidates identify whether they are qualified or not.
Now you are ready to use the One-question Interview. Base it on the critical performance objectives in your employment advertisement.
Ask the candidate to describe an accomplishment comparable to each of the required performance objectives. Their answers will lead to follow-up questions.
Candidate answers will identify whether they are highly motivated to succeed or not. Answers will also identify if they are motivated by the immediate job or the company. There are wonderful candidates who just want to be the best they can be. Some are very willing to stay in one a job for extended periods of time. Many people equate ‘motivation’ to upward mobility. That’s not necessarily true.
To read Lou Adler’s complete article: http://www.ere.net/2010/02/05/using-the-one-question-interview-to-measure-motivation/#more-11553
Willing to share? What have been your most successful interviewing techniques?
