{"id":2606,"date":"2017-12-12T14:07:19","date_gmt":"2017-12-12T14:07:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.discassessment.co.uk\/?p=2606"},"modified":"2026-03-14T07:48:29","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T07:48:29","slug":"reducing-risks-recruitment-lottery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/discflow.co\/uk\/reducing-risks-recruitment-lottery\/","title":{"rendered":"Reducing the risks of the recruitment lottery"},"content":{"rendered":"

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One of the greatest challenges facing many businesses is attracting and keeping the best people. I would suggest that almost a bigger challenge is selecting the \u201cwrong\u201d candidate\u2026 so how often do we choose in haste, only to regret later?<\/p>\n

When we get it wrong the consequences aren\u2019t just in terms of time \u2013 recruitment costs, the lost costs of training and introducing a new team member \u2013 they are also about the damage the wrong decision can do to your business. So how can we narrow the odds?<\/p>\n

Reduce the risk<\/h3>\n

In my years leading teams large and small I\u2019ve spent many, many hours sitting in front of prospects and trying to figure out if they are \u201cthe one\u201d or are they just good actors and talk a god story? Over those years, I\u2019ve come up with a few things to concentrate on and want to share them with you:<\/p>\n

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  1. Do be inquisitive about their motives \u2013 don\u2019t take them at face value \u2013 dig into why they are here.<\/li>\n
  2. How much have they found out about your business before the interview? It\u2019s not too difficult in this internet age! It\u2019s always good to get feedback, so ask them what their first impressions were. If they are keen they will have done the research \u2013 wouldn\u2019t you?!<\/li>\n
  3. Look beyond their CV \u2013 in fact why not start by asking about what are their real drivers and passions before delving into their experience. A well written CV is important, but only tells you what they decide to include.<\/li>\n
  4. What do they like doing \u2013 what do they avoid? Find out where their comfort zone is \u2013 and what does it take to put them outside it!<\/li>\n
  5. Find out about the views of others – how would their current boss and colleagues describe them? Ask them what others would say were their strengths\u2026 and weaknesses.<\/li>\n
  6. Ask them what they are most proud of in their career and why. Explore what was the biggest mistake they\u2019ve ever made and what have they learned from it?<\/li>\n
  7. Ask how they deal with conflict, how has it cropped up and what were the outcomes. It\u2019s always good to hear real examples.<\/li>\n
  8. If this is an important position that you are recruiting for, don\u2019t just rely on one meeting. Get a colleague to meet them \u2013 if possible in a different environment to see how they respond.<\/li>\n
  9. Respect their needs in the interview. It\u2019s a civilised two-way process \u2013 you don\u2019t need to model your style on Alan Sugar or any of his Rottweilers! You have as much interest in giving them a good impression of you and your business as they have in doing to you. Do give them time to have all their questions aired and answered honestly.<\/li>\n
  10. Finally, go with your intuition \u2013 I\u2019ve heard it called the \u201cflight test\u201d. How would you feel about a long haul flight sitting next to them? If it doesn\u2019t feel right, it probably isn\u2019t!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Understanding the candidate<\/h3>\n

    Even with an approach like this, they may be good actors, may hide the truth or may simply excel in interview situations \u2013 so wouldn\u2019t it be great if you could get inside their heads and understand a bit more about their preferences, their priorities and how they react under pressure?<\/p>\n

    Well you can \u2013 check out DISC Flow\u00ae<\/sup> behavioural assessments and see how they can be used effectively to significantly reduce the recruitment lottery.<\/p>\n

    DISC assessment profiles help effective recruitment and reduce the odds of poor selection. Many FTSE and Fortune 500 companies use them extensively. Offering insights into the candidate in such areas as:<\/p>\n