Recruitment based on values
The selection of staff based on personal values involves a New way of carrying out talent acquisition where, in addition to paying attention to candidates' experience, training and technical knowledge, HR managers analyse applicants' attitude, personality, social skills and personal values and beliefs, looking for professionals who fit in with the company's organisational culture.
This new methodology is one of the trends in Human Resources and it is gradually spreading in companies as a means to create high-performance work teams fully aligned with the company's purpose, mission and values and, therefore, more motivated and involved, translating in the medium term into better professional performance.
In fact, according to the latest report HR Trends. de Randstat, 35% of organisations consider personal competencies – in addition to technical skills – when selecting personnel and the 44% ensures that it is decisive information in the final resolution.
In this regard, according to another study carried out by the HR consultancy. Human Factor, these are the The ten most sought-after soft skills by companies:
- Commitment
- Responsibility
- Implication
- Positive attitude
- Proactivity
- Adaptability
- Interest
- Innovation
- Sincerity
- Empathy
Advantages of including personal values in selection
What is behind the rise of this recruitment model? The key is that by looking for professionals who adapt both technically and emotionally to the role and the company, the firm obtains a series of benefits:
- Talent drain is reduced. Given the greater alignment between personal and business values, hired workers adapt better to their positions and are more loyal to the organisation, considerably reducing staff turnover. Specifically, Daniel Goleman, in his book Emotional intelligence at work: How to select, measure and improve emotional intelligence in individuals, groups and organisations, refers to a study carried out by McClelland in an organisation that introduced a selection system based on the EQ and personal values of managers with the objective of reducing the high turnover rate in these positions. Two years after applying the new methodology in the recruitment of senior positions, the turnover rate was reduced from 49%to 6% .
- Hiring and training costs are minimised. With less staff turnover, the company has to allocate less budget to fund the recruitment and training processes for new employees. McClelland's own research, for example, revealed that before implementing value-based hiring, executive resignations and the inclusion of their replacements were costing the company 4 million euros a year, whereas after optimising recruitment, the company saved over 3.5 million euros annually.
- Involvement and satisfaction increase. When employees share the company's values, they feel that they have a sense of belonging to the company. more motivated and satisfied in their jobs. This is reported by Engagement Barometer 2015, developed by Meta4 and Tatum, which reveals that identification with the company's values and goals is one of the main drivers of employee engagement.
- Improving the work climate. When the members of an organisation share beliefs and objectives, teamwork and the cohesion of the whole group are facilitated, leading to a positive work environment.
- Productivity is increased. As a result of all of the above, professionals optimise their performance, translating into an improvement in the company's productivity and results.
The application of the model
However, in order to include personal values as part of the recruitment process, it is important to take the following into consideration guidelines:
- Define corporate values. To ascertain if a candidate's personal values align with those of the company, it is first necessary to be clear about what those company values are.
- Determine the applicant's values. In some cases, the CV may contain information about the professional's beliefs, although those responsible for selection should delve deeper into their personal values through individual interviews.
- Corroborate the candidate's principles. In addition to what the professional can offer about themselves, the selection manager will need to verify that this information is true. To do this, they can conduct a survey of their social profiles, check references, carry out psychometric tests, or engage in team-building activities.
Interview techniques
The personal interview will be one of the key moments for understanding the candidate's true personal values and, for this reason, it is advisable to apply different techniques for bringing those principles to light
- Telling a story. The consultancy McKinsey uses an exercise where they ask the professional to tell a story about leadership, career success, adaptability, and so on. In this way, the recruiter can see both the creativity and ingenuity of the applicant and the principles upon which they build their narrative – whether real or fictitious.
- Surprising questions. Increasingly, selection processes are including questions that, at first glance, may seem inappropriate or out of place. However, the aim of these questions is to check a person's reaction, their ability to respond, and their beliefs based on their answers. Which character would you go to dinner with, what's your favourite film, or what would you take to a desert island.
- Simulations. It is also common to carry out role-playing exercises during the selection process, both individually and collectively, inviting the candidate(s) to take on, for a few minutes, the position they wish to access and to face different difficult situations, such as an unsatisfied customer, an apathetic colleague or an authoritarian boss.
- Relaxed atmosphere. In order to gain a deeper understanding of a person's personal values and get to know the professional more thoroughly, many companies opt to conduct interviews off-site, such as in a coffee shop, in order to establish a closer connection with the candidate.
