Every company wants to employ the best people. But who are the best? An interesting article on this topic was published on Entrepreneur.com by consultant Andrew Miller. He defines three interrelated criteria, attitude, competency,and mindset, that he considers the most important in the selection of employees. Miller deliberately does not recommend work experience because, according to him, the length of experience is not as important as talent, enthusiasm and the ability to learn. Even twenty years of experience at a certain position may not guarantee the best hire.
Attitude means the level of a candidate's enthusiasm for the company and what its trying to accomplish. The competency criterion includes the necessary knowledge and skills for doing a job, along with a candidate's interest and ability to learn new things. Mindset reflects the extent to which a candidate is able to value cooperation with colleagues and come to work with new ideas on how to become more productive. The aim of recruitment should be to balance these three criteria. What can happen when this balance is off?
1. Wrong mindset
A candidate with the right attitude and competencies may only focus on his own goals. He may lack an interest in collaborating to improve the productivity of the whole company.
2. Wrong attitude
Candidates who have the right competencies and mindset may lack loyalty to the company. They may not understand the long term goals you are trying to accomplish.
3. Wrong competency
A candidate who has the right approach to the company and teamwork but lacks the basic knowledge and skills may not be productive. Despite his enthusiasm, he may fail to deliver value if he is unable to learn how to do the job.
Do your employees meet these three criteria? How do your recruiters verify whether your job applicants meet them?
-Kk-