Do you have the 7 qualities recruiters look for?
5 September 2008
Read by 1709 persons
You thought job interviews were grueling for candidates? Well, take a quick look at recruiters' schedules!… Welcoming candidates, conducting structured interviews, administering and debriefing personality or aptitude tests, simulations, or group exercises: recruiters have a lot to do at the end of the day! Not to mention the internal pressure exerted by operational staff who systematically consider that the position has been vacant "for far too long"…
In such conditions, it is difficult to remember every detail about each participant and their specificities, especially when consultants have a maximum of 30 to 40 minutes to cover the crucial points to be discussed during the interview!
Of course, some candidates know how to capture the attention of recruiters. They have something in common, something that recruiters like and that makes them want to hire.
Of all the qualities valued by recruiters, I propose that you discover 7 that are universally agreed upon. These 7 key qualities allow those who possess them to see their application valued almost systematically.
Want to know more about recruiters' expectations? Follow the guide!
1 - Recruiters' favorite candidates pursue specific objectives
Nothing is more annoying than asking a candidate to project themselves 3 or 5 years ahead and getting only a "I don't know" or "I take things as they come!" as an answer.
Candidates who have no objectives, whether personal or professional, are often perceived by recruiters as less determined, less "focused", and ultimately less committed than others.
So, if you don't have an answer to this famous question, stop dreaming and rack your brains! It may be time to sit down and think about what you really want for your future.
2 - They have a plan to achieve them
While having objectives is widely valued, you will also have to prove that you have a good idea of how you plan to achieve them.
Indeed, after the one who doesn't know where they're going, there's the one who wants to reach Everest but has no idea how they're going to plant their flag at the summit... Let's be serious!
If you say you want to reach for the moon and you don't have a realistic plan to go from desire to concrete realization, you will at best be seen as a dreamer, at worst as someone who totally lacks common sense.
3 - They take action
Without action, your beautiful plans are worthless!
If you really want to impress recruiters, you must show them that you have desire (specific objectives), a good head on your shoulders (a precise plan to achieve them) but also guts (the ability to take action)!
Before going to an interview, take stock of the achievements you are most proud of. What concrete things have you accomplished? What projects have you been involved in? What impulses have you given to your life?
Again, rack your brains, everyone has achievements to their credit. The only problem is that they are sometimes so much a part of us that we no longer see their exceptional nature... If necessary, ask your friends or family!
4 - They take responsibility for their actions
Recruiters' favorite candidates have what is called in psychology an "internal locus of control". The locus of control is the perspective in which each person places themselves when they have to find explanations for everything that happens to them in life.
If you have an internal locus of control, you think that what happens to you is your doing and that you have the ability to influence events, that you have control over your existence. If your locus of control is external, you think that it is "others", chance, bad luck or the force of events that dictate what happens to you.
Once in a position, "external" candidates often tend to excel when it comes to finding explanations to justify their failures... which allows them not to question themselves! Not very engaging for a recruiter, is it?
5 - They are enthusiastic
The best candidates - at least those who are judged as such - are largely positive. Let's be clear, no one wants to hire someone who is apathetic and lacks "pep".
Enthusiastic people radiate, they energize teams and relationships.
Enthusiasm is even one of the qualities to which recruiters are most sensitive. So much so that it acts like a halo that tends to positively contaminate the overall assessment that the recruiter makes of their candidates.
In conclusion, the more enthusiastic you are, the more positively you will be perceived by recruiters. A tip: relax, smile and express your enthusiasm!
6 - They work on their own development
When a recruiter chooses you, it is your current skills, abilities, motivations and personality that interest them. This is an established fact, but if you are also able to demonstrate that tomorrow you will be even "more" or even "better" than what you are able to deliver today, then you hit the jackpot!
And the recruiter too, because they will not only have placed a good candidate but also an excellent potential. What better way to ensure that a candidate will progress than to select someone who is committed to working on their own development?
If you are able to learn on your own, by yourself, and you don't wait for your manager to enroll you in training to progress, get ready to score points!
7 - They have a balanced ego
You can have all the qualities mentioned above and yet miss out on the job of your dreams. Why? Simply because the recruiter will have detected that diva temperament that scares away even the most patient and understanding managers.
No one wants to manage a marketing Madonna or tame a computer Pete Doherty.
Oversized egos, megalomaniac fits and extreme behaviors are found in some leaders (and often allow them to make sparks!) "Only paranoids survive" Intel's boss liked to hammer home…
But remember that what is valid for the boss is not necessarily valid for those who work for him!
Posted on July 18, 2008
talents.fr
In such conditions, it is difficult to remember every detail about each participant and their specificities, especially when consultants have a maximum of 30 to 40 minutes to cover the crucial points to be discussed during the interview!
Of course, some candidates know how to capture the attention of recruiters. They have something in common, something that recruiters like and that makes them want to hire.
Of all the qualities valued by recruiters, I propose that you discover 7 that are universally agreed upon. These 7 key qualities allow those who possess them to see their application valued almost systematically.
Want to know more about recruiters' expectations? Follow the guide!
1 - Recruiters' favorite candidates pursue specific objectives
Nothing is more annoying than asking a candidate to project themselves 3 or 5 years ahead and getting only a "I don't know" or "I take things as they come!" as an answer.
Candidates who have no objectives, whether personal or professional, are often perceived by recruiters as less determined, less "focused", and ultimately less committed than others.
So, if you don't have an answer to this famous question, stop dreaming and rack your brains! It may be time to sit down and think about what you really want for your future.
2 - They have a plan to achieve them
While having objectives is widely valued, you will also have to prove that you have a good idea of how you plan to achieve them.
Indeed, after the one who doesn't know where they're going, there's the one who wants to reach Everest but has no idea how they're going to plant their flag at the summit... Let's be serious!
If you say you want to reach for the moon and you don't have a realistic plan to go from desire to concrete realization, you will at best be seen as a dreamer, at worst as someone who totally lacks common sense.
3 - They take action
Without action, your beautiful plans are worthless!
If you really want to impress recruiters, you must show them that you have desire (specific objectives), a good head on your shoulders (a precise plan to achieve them) but also guts (the ability to take action)!
Before going to an interview, take stock of the achievements you are most proud of. What concrete things have you accomplished? What projects have you been involved in? What impulses have you given to your life?
Again, rack your brains, everyone has achievements to their credit. The only problem is that they are sometimes so much a part of us that we no longer see their exceptional nature... If necessary, ask your friends or family!
4 - They take responsibility for their actions
Recruiters' favorite candidates have what is called in psychology an "internal locus of control". The locus of control is the perspective in which each person places themselves when they have to find explanations for everything that happens to them in life.
If you have an internal locus of control, you think that what happens to you is your doing and that you have the ability to influence events, that you have control over your existence. If your locus of control is external, you think that it is "others", chance, bad luck or the force of events that dictate what happens to you.
Once in a position, "external" candidates often tend to excel when it comes to finding explanations to justify their failures... which allows them not to question themselves! Not very engaging for a recruiter, is it?
5 - They are enthusiastic
The best candidates - at least those who are judged as such - are largely positive. Let's be clear, no one wants to hire someone who is apathetic and lacks "pep".
Enthusiastic people radiate, they energize teams and relationships.
Enthusiasm is even one of the qualities to which recruiters are most sensitive. So much so that it acts like a halo that tends to positively contaminate the overall assessment that the recruiter makes of their candidates.
In conclusion, the more enthusiastic you are, the more positively you will be perceived by recruiters. A tip: relax, smile and express your enthusiasm!
6 - They work on their own development
When a recruiter chooses you, it is your current skills, abilities, motivations and personality that interest them. This is an established fact, but if you are also able to demonstrate that tomorrow you will be even "more" or even "better" than what you are able to deliver today, then you hit the jackpot!
And the recruiter too, because they will not only have placed a good candidate but also an excellent potential. What better way to ensure that a candidate will progress than to select someone who is committed to working on their own development?
If you are able to learn on your own, by yourself, and you don't wait for your manager to enroll you in training to progress, get ready to score points!
7 - They have a balanced ego
You can have all the qualities mentioned above and yet miss out on the job of your dreams. Why? Simply because the recruiter will have detected that diva temperament that scares away even the most patient and understanding managers.
No one wants to manage a marketing Madonna or tame a computer Pete Doherty.
Oversized egos, megalomaniac fits and extreme behaviors are found in some leaders (and often allow them to make sparks!) "Only paranoids survive" Intel's boss liked to hammer home…
But remember that what is valid for the boss is not necessarily valid for those who work for him!
Posted on July 18, 2008
talents.fr
