How to develop the ideal candidate profile
In our current dynamic economy, hiring new employees has become a constantly evolving process. Hiring managers encounter heightened challenges due to rising unemployment and increased turnover rates in certain occupations. Firstly, with a surge in candidate numbers, human resources must efficiently navigate the pool to identify the most suitable candidates. Secondly, given the high cost of turnover, well-informed hiring decisions must be made to ensure the selected candidates can flourish within the company. Avoiding hiring mistakes is crucial, as the costs associated with such errors can be prohibitively expensive.
In the midst of hiring, envisioning your ideal candidate is the first crucial step towards finding the right person for the job. At Wyman Bain, our cutting-edge research capabilities enable us to offer a diverse range of corporate and candidate intelligence services that enhance your internal strategic decision-making. As a leading executive search company, we are here to guide you through the process and showcase the benefits of utilising candidate profiles, as well as psychometric testing, for valuable insights into leadership styles, skills, and capabilities that may not be readily apparent through interviews alone.
What is a candidate profile?
To better grasp this concept, consider a tool called a ‘customer profile’ commonly employed by marketing teams. A customer profile is a detailed description of the ideal customer for a particular product, encompassing aspects like age range, interests, gender, occupation, purchasing behaviour, pain points and professional skills, among other relevant qualities. This description helps create a character profile that the team can target. They may even give this fictional individual a name, like ‘Lucy.’
Similarly, in the hiring context, candidate profiles play a similar role. They allow you, as the hiring manager, to determine the kind of person you are seeking for the job. While you may already know the position you want to fill, the next step is understanding the personality and attributes of your ideal candidate for that role. Collaboratively, along with the hiring team you can craft a vision of this recruitment profile, incorporating aspects such as:
- Personality traits
- Preferred hard and soft skills
- Work experience and education
- Desirable attributes and key skills
- Necessary qualifications
- Success traits
- Long-term career goals
Using the candidate profile, you can effectively filter out the most suitable candidates from the rest as well as identify those who align well with your company's culture, and who will blend effectively with your existing employees. In order to do this you need to understand your candidate on a deeper level, and you can do this by building a comprehensive psychometric profile.
Disc psychometric profile
At
Wyman Bain, as part of our
executive assessment, we provide the highest standard of candidate profiling, including workplace behavioural profile such as DISC.
Dominance (D)
Direct, results-driven, orientated, firm, strong-willed, forceful.
Influence (I)
Outgoing, enthusiastic, optimistic, high spirited, lively.
Steadiness (S)
Analytical, reserved, precise, private, systematical.
Conscientiousness (C)
Even-tempered, accommodating, patient, humble, tactful.
The DISC test is recognised globally as one of the most prominent personality tests. Our expert team can assist you in interpreting the comprehensive report, providing beneficial insights into the candidate's DISC type, characterising their personality profile, and assessing their potential fit within your company. Embracing DISC within organisations can lead to a range of significant benefits. These advantages include enhanced communication, reduced misunderstandings, shorter and more productive meetings, minimised conflicts, the development of effective teams, increased cooperation among team members, higher levels of productivity, and ultimately, improved financial performance.
Personality profiling tests
What is a psychometric test?
Psychometric tests are commonly used in our recruitment process to assess the suitability of candidates for specific job roles. These tests help make informed decisions by objectively measuring various aspects of candidates' abilities, personality traits, and cognitive skills.
There are different types of psychometric tests, each serving a specific purpose:
Intelligence tests
These tests measure an individual's cognitive abilities, such as problem-solving, logical reasoning, memory, and verbal comprehension. One of our most effective is the IQ (intelligence quotient) test.
Personality tests
These tests aim to assess a person's characteristic patterns of behaviour, emotions, and thoughts. They can provide insights into various personality traits, such as extraversion, introversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism.
Aptitude tests
Aptitude tests evaluate a person's specific skills or talents in areas like numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, spatial awareness, or mechanical reasoning.
Interest inventories
Interest inventories assess an individual's preferences and interests in various fields, helping to identify potential career paths or areas of study that align with their likes and dislikes.
Emotional intelligence tests
These tests measure an individual's emotional intelligence, including their ability to recognise and understand emotions (both their own and others'), manage emotions effectively, and build healthy relationships.
Behavioural assessments
These assessments focus on observing and evaluating an individual's behaviour in specific situations, these are particularly advantageous when recruiting for clinical or organisational settings.
Insights profiling
Insights discovery is based on the work of Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung and his theory of psychological types. It categorises individuals into four colour energies, each representing different personality preferences and communication styles:
Fiery red (dominant):
Assertive, results-oriented, and decisive individuals who like to take charge and focus on achieving their goals.
Sunshine yellow (extraverted):
Enthusiastic, social, and creative individuals who thrive in dynamic and collaborative environments.
Earth green (relationship-oriented):
Empathetic, caring, and cooperative individuals who prioritise harmony and teamwork.
Cool blue (analytical):
Precise, logical, and detail-oriented individuals who value accuracy and thoughtful decision-making.
Insights profiling helps employers gain a deeper understanding of a candidate's personality, communication style, work preferences, and behaviour. This information allows you to assess how well a candidate aligns within your company culture and the requirements of the role.
As well as aiding in building a well-balanced and harmonious team, identifying individuals who complement each other and work effectively together, profiling can reveal a candidate's strengths and areas for improvement. This information helps you then determine whether a candidate possesses the necessary skills and attributes to succeed in the role and if any potential weaknesses can be managed or improved upon through training and development.
Personal profile analysis
Integrating psychometric profiling can significantly enhance any selection process, in any industry, and prove beneficial for career advancement and personal growth once in position. We offer a comprehensive range of psychometric reporting services and candidate profiling which can be integrated into the complete executive search process or utilised as a stand-alone product.
It's important to note that psychometric tests are just one component of the recruitment process and should be used in conjunction with other evaluation methods, such as interviews, work samples, and reference checks. Additionally, it's crucial to use validated and reliable tests, administered and interpreted by qualified professionals, like ourselves here at Wyman Bain, to ensure fair and accurate assessments. Ethical considerations and data privacy are also essential when using psychometric tests in recruitment to protect candidates' rights and maintain confidentiality.
About Us
Wyman Bain are a client focused Executive Search and Executive Professional Services firm based in Bristol and London, serving the UK. Our team of trained and experienced headhunters are committed to bringing the highest calibre of individual to each search.
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(London Office) 0203 907 7730
(Bristol Office) 0117 287 2500
enquiries@wymanbain.com
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