Traditionally, recruiters focus on the C.V. during a job interview. Where does someone come from, what have they done there exactly and the most important question of all: can they pull off the same trick in our organisation? Performance is being looked at instead of potential and the question is whether that is sensible. What are the consequences of this tunnel vision and how can you look beyond someone’s curriculum vitae?
The art of who
Leadership trainer Claudio Fernandez-Araoz calls it ‘the art of who’. He further explains this in his book ‘It’s Not the How or the What but the Who’. In this book he writes about the importance of recruitment and how it can make the difference between success and failure. Performance and potential are not always visible in a resume. If there is no claim to potential you can end up doing the same job day in day out, without developing yourself. On the resume it may seem as if someone ‘already’ has 5 years’ experience. But in practice they only really learned something during one year.
A vacancy’s appeal
Job vacancy texts are also guilty of focussing on performance. A check is done to establish whether the work experience matches the job description. Whether the ambitions of the organisation match the applicant’s ambitions is often not asked. An employee with potential is motivated, curious, involved, determined and insightful. According to Fernandez-Araoz, to be successful in recruitment you should attract candidates with potential and performance will then follow. A potential employee should therefore not solely be selected based on the hard requirements of the vacancy. Instead, look deeper at the motivation, curiosity, involvement, determination and insight.
Performance versus potential
The technology driven world of work changes rapidly and this requires a new focus. What worked in the past is no guarantee for the future. Products, processes, experiences and even education quickly become obsolete. Especially in fields such as technology. So, look beyond the length of someone’s resume, because the job you have today could be completely different tomorrow!
Know who you work with
At True Legends we look at the person behind the resume or, in other words, the person behind the performance. That is why we use tests to discover the potential and to summarize it in a personal profile. With this profile, the employer will know what they are getting into. You do not only see where someone came from, but also which talents they have. Would you like to know more about our way of working? Check our website for more information!
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