If your organisation is about to embark on a new candidate search, there's probably already a long list of things you have to think about.
Budget, jobs boards and job descriptions are just some of the things on your mind – that's without even thinking about how you manage the person leaving their post.
But there are 3 critical things you need to consider above anything else. Before you take your first step, make sure you think about the following...
1. Unconscious bias
The human brain is programmed to anticipate and accept certain patterns. Rather than spend time analysing, the brain often shortcuts to conclusions based on previous experiences.
For example, if a person claims they went to a certain university, dresses a certain way, and implies they've got the right experience, our brain is likely to fill in the gaps and conclude we have the right person for the job.
Essentially, when it comes to making a hiring decision, the human brain just isn't always the best tool to use to make that decision alone.
Read the full explanation of unconscious bias here.
2. Pitfalls of the CV
While seemingly tried and tested, the CV-and-cover-letter approach throws up some significant issues when it comes to assessing candidates.
Firstly, as we all know, sifting through a pile of paper CVs is time-consuming and often inefficient. And that's even before you consider how many of them were made using similar online templates.
CVs all tend to be written in the same way. They all list skills and experiences (drawing on the same typical vocabulary), usually in a roughly chronological order.
That's pretty much it. After trawling through 50 or so of them, how much different will one look from the other?
3. Mindset
That leads us into our next point. Where does mindset figure on the average CV? It's initially helpful to know where someone went to university, the organisations they worked for, and which qualifications they have for a role.
But say we're talking about a senior-level hire. You need extra assurance. You need something that can delve deeper and highlight the real differences between 20 candidates who all went to great universities, all worked for great organisations, and all have great qualifications for the role.
The answer here is mindset. Mindset is an attitude, disposition or a tendency. It’s an approach that an individual adopts in response to or in the face of tasks, challenges and opportunities. A person’s mindset can influence almost every aspect of their working life.
Mindset can mean the difference between a good hire and a bad one. It can also mean the difference between a good hire and a great one.