| JANUARY 2021 |

From the perspective of the HR Manager or Talent Acquisition Advisor they are focused on filling the role as soon as possible, with the goal for you to perform well and remain in the company for a long time. They are often measured on these factors, although not often on how well the person performs in the role. Their focus is on assessing, not just if you are able to do the job, but if you are the best person available to them. They further consider your ability to perform in the role at that company, in that particular team, with those clients / at that site / in that environment.

The Line Manager (the person who will manage that person in the job) usually gives some parameters of experience and skillset. This can vary dramatically from the Line Manager who says, ‘I just want the best person for the job’ to ‘I have a long list of requirements’. On top of the ‘technical’ skillset there are also expectations around soft skills, the mix to the team skill set and personality types, the budget available and so on. The recruitment and selection process is a matter of all of these factors in the melting pot.

Selection methods can vary ranging from a brief casual interview to an in-depth 4 / 5 stage process involving psychometric assessments and group interviews. When the assessing is taking place often the different people in the process are focused on different aspects. For example it’s always a good idea to look up the background of the people who will be interviewing you if possible. An HR Manager will often use on behavioural interviewing techniques and will be looking closely at fit to culture and values. A technical Line Manager is generally more focused on assessing the technical or hard skills required to do the job. Getting an understanding of the recruitment and selection process and the parties involved can ensure you are aware of what is being assessed, how and by whom.