The foundation of a great hire is much more than a traditional job description. While it’s fundamental to grasp the logistical aspects of a position—such as location, salary, the urgency of hire, reporting lines, responsibilities, and specific required skills—the crux of defining a position delves much deeper. The true essence of starting a great hire lies in understanding the hiring manager’s vision of a successful hire and identifying the Key Competencies necessary for success within the role to envision hiring success.
Envisioning Success
Understanding the hiring manager’s vision of a successful hire goes beyond the mere fulfillment of job duties. It’s about picturing what the new employee should achieve within a set time, like their first year. This forward-thinking approach does more than outline the job; it sets the stage for the future impact the hire will have on the team and the organization at large. What projects will they drive forward? What initiatives will they spearhead? How will their contributions align with the broader goals of the department and the company?
This visioning is a strategic blueprint that guides the entire recruitment process. It allows the creation of interview questions and scorecards that reflect a deeper understanding of the candidate’s potential for success.
For example, a job description for a Project Manager implementing a global CRM system might be pretty standard. But if this role requires the new employee to take over an existing project team that is behind schedule, then the “success criteria” might include being able to evaluate, motivate and restructure project teams. The hiring team can then include specific questions to ensure that the candidate has successful done just that in past experience, and would therefore be likely to repeat that success.
Key Competencies: The Behavioral Blueprint
Equally pivotal to the Job Intake Meeting is the identification of Key Competencies—the behavioral skills that a successful candidate must demonstrate. These competencies go beyond technical know-how or experience; they are the soft skills that enable a candidate to navigate the complexities of their role and the organizational culture. They might include leadership, communication, problem-solving, adaptability, or innovation, depending on the specific demands of the position and the team’s dynamics.
Understanding these competencies is crucial for structuring both the interview and the evaluation process. Interviews can be tailored to probe these areas, providing insight into how candidates have demonstrated these competencies in past roles and how they might apply them in the context of the new position. Similarly, the evaluation process can be designed to assess not just the presence of these competencies but also their strength and relevance to the role at hand.
The Impact of a Well-Conducted Job Intake Meeting
A well-conducted Job Intake Meeting between the Hiring Manager and Recruiter/Talent Professional, therefore, lays the groundwork for a targeted and efficient search. It ensures that the recruitment process is not just about filling a vacancy but about finding a candidate whose vision aligns with that of the organization and who possesses the behavioral toolkit to turn that vision into reality. Such a candidate is more likely to succeed in their role, contribute to the team’s objectives, and stay engaged with the company over the long term. It also allows the Talent team to create interview questions and scorecards that reflect the entire nature of the position, giving the hiring team a consistent way to evaluate and rank each candidate. Finally, a good Job Intake Meeting is designed to anticipate questions and give the Talent team the knowledge to best talk to candidates to increase their interest in the role as well as answer questions.