About recruiting and cockroaches in my head

About recruiting, cockroaches and assessment of motivation

Recruiting is an inexhaustible source of interesting topics. I am going to write an article for a long time “How the brain of a recruiter works.”

But then there is no time to think about it, then the experimental recruiters do not come across it. But there was a reason to write about cockroaches.

I admit that I am critical of my skills and experience in recruiting, admit that I can be wrong and learn all the time. After graduating from the Faculty of Psychology and spending a lot of effort on mastering the methods of psychodiagnostics in the selection of personnel, subsequently, I deliberately refused to unnecessarily “psychologize” the selection process.

This is probably why the peremptory statements about how to properly “look at candidates” invented qualities do not leave me indifferent. Everyone is powerless against such cockroaches in the head of an employer – neither an experienced recruiter nor a highly professional job seeker will be able to oppose anything to an expert in assessing “self-motivation” and “willingness to give”.

Job seekers are at a loss as to the reasons for refusal, recruiters do not understand why the applicant “did not like”. If a successful manager is sure that those who “need money to support a family” are guided by low and unworthy motives, he can be liked only if the applicant successfully lies, that he is driven solely by the desire for self-realization.

This is an example – in fact, the correct answer expected by the employer can be anything. The trouble is that many far from stupid people are fond of creating and applying in practice their own theories and methods for assessing motivation.

This is an enduring trend in HR management, but it often turns to recruit into a lottery. Nobody argues that it is important to assess the motives of the applicant. But first, you need to sensibly assess your ability to assess motivation and not get carried away with the choice of a candidate according to this criterion.

It is easy to make a mistake when hiring. You should not increase the likelihood of error by making specific informal requirements and ascribing to yourself the ability to objectively evaluate them. By the way, self-motivation and readiness for dedication, which are assessed by the author of the post, I myself find it difficult to assess.

Apparently, there is no desire for self-knowledge. So “Reject to hire!”

About exotic cockroaches

Once, as an applicant, I solved logic puzzles and put together a Japanese volumetric puzzle for a while. It seemed to my employer that only the success of solving these problems proves my competence as a manager and a specialist.

One of the customers of the recruiting project was amazed by the fact that he categorically rejected to consider Aquarius and Capricorns as candidates for the vacant position. The choice was made in absentia in favor of Libra.

Another manager asked all applicants without exception two questions – “What is marketing?” and “Why do people eat with chopsticks in China?” The results of the responses to them significantly influenced the hiring decision. Anything can happen.