The renaissance of job owners

Increasingly, traditional interviews are proving to be inadequate. They are susceptible to manipulation, with candidates often rehearsing answers to predictable questions. The fact that a candidate excels in an interview does not guarantee their success as an employee.

Interviews can also be fraught with an unconscious bias. Interviewers tend to assume candidates with looks and charisma are more capable and pick people they like and share common interests rather than those who show the most promise.

The upshot is that traditional face-to-face and video conferencing job interviews are among the worst predictors of on-the-job performance. As forward-thinking companies seek to address these shortcomings, new and innovative hiring techniques are beginning to emerge. Here, we look at how some tools improve the selection process and engage potential hires. 

 

The value of pre-employment assessments

Leading companies have begun incorporating online soft skills tests into their selection process to gather more information on a candidate's suitability. These measure traits like teamwork and rigour.

For example, as part of its graduate selection scheme, KPMG Australia uses a game-based assessment to gain better insights into applicants’ decision-making skills. In addition, they conduct a values inventory to understand better candidates' work styles and what matters most to them.

Finance company Citi also successfully piloted a soft skills survey, comparing candidates’ responses to a profile based on top-performing Citi employees, allowing recruiters to conduct more informed interviews.

These innovative techniques aim to create a more equitable process, providing a comprehensive view of candidates early on and reducing the potential for bias. They also ensure that all applicants are evaluated against the same standards. 

Online tests also mean candidates receive more immediate and personalised feedback, which interviewees tend to appreciate. 

 

Screening at scale

Video is another medium used to reinvent hiring practices. At KPMG, graduates who have successfully passed their online assessments are sent a link to a video tool and asked to record their answers to a few pre-set questions.

With more than 10,000 graduates applying for each intake, this allows KPMG to assess critical communication skills at scale. The videos are easily shareable, enabling greater collaboration between hiring managers. This pre-screening also means fewer candidates are called in for interviews, making hiring more time-efficient for recruiters.

From the candidate’s perspective, these new techniques offer a more convenient and less stressful experience. They can complete the process from the comfort of their home, at a time that suits them, using a tool they are already familiar with.

This can make the experience less intimidating and save applicants from the ordeal of multiple interview rounds.

 

Try before you buy

A significant failing of traditional interviews is that they don’t test on-the-job skills. That’s where job tryouts come in. These give candidates a challenge to tackle and are prevalent in industries like finance and tech, where problem-solving is key.

Investment firm Citadel is one of a growing number using day-long auditions to screen multiple applicants simultaneously. In teams, candidates compete for cash by solving real problems with data. Meanwhile, recruiters assess their technical prowess and soft skills like collaboration and critical thinking.

The excitement generated by these events also provides an opportunity to engage with talent on a more practical and personal level and forge fruitful connections for the future. 

Other employers have introduced longer work auditions into the final stages of their recruitment process. After the usual round of face-to-face interviews, web hosting company Weebly offers choice applicants a paid trial week. This has helped unearth candidates who aren’t necessarily good at interviewing but do great work. At the same time, candidates get a real sense of the day-to-day job.

 

Innovation in action

Taking the concept of job tryouts to a whole new level, some companies are now using virtual reality (VR) to evaluate potential hires in simulated work scenarios.

Lloyds Banking Group hosts a day-long assessment visit to select the top-performing applicants for its Emerging Leadership Program. Candidates complete tasks in a 360-degree virtual world, giving recruiters a first-hand look at behaviour and the opportunity to measure specific strengths.

CBA developed a VR careers experience app that pairs with Google Cardboard to shake off its stereotypical bank image. The application allows users to run a virtual project from a CBA innovation lab, giving thousands of potential recruits insight into working at CBA and repositioning the CBA brand as more future-focused.

 

Over to you

By incorporating pre-employment assessments, video interviews, job tryouts, and virtual reality simulations into the hiring process, businesses can gain a more comprehensive understanding of a candidate's skills, experience, and potential. As the war for talent continues to heat up, those who embrace these hiring practices are well-positioned to attract and retain the best and brightest employees. 

 

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