Normally, recruitment is the responsibility of the HRD. Except that in small companies, there is no HRD. Except that sometimes, human resources are in support (or not) and it is up to the manager that the task of the third meeting comes back, with the key to a choice from the short list. Except that we must not miss the recruitment because there are direct and indirect costs, from 5,000 euros (French school of recruitment) up to several tens of thousands of euros. Also, when we hold the candidate, there are questions not to ask. Never. Age, situation and personal projects. Forbids the inquisitive “tell me about yourself” which is too often knitted with “what are your faults?”. Also avoid the hypocrite: “what do you know about us?”. To avoid the no less deceitful: He only thinks of you. We are here to talk about work in a context of talent volatility. It is up to the manager to describe the context, the work and, prospectively, to position the candidate within it. Hélène Gemähling, HRD of Nespresso France gives her advice.
“No one is safe from a recruitment error”
“We can say that we were wrong when we realize that the person has not blossomed in the position, that she is looking to leave or that there are tensions with the team. No one is immune to making mistakes, even when you put the odds on your side to recruit the right person in the right position”, immediately specifies Hélène Gemähling, head of a team who is responsible for recruiting all store, B2B, after-sales service and customer relations management staff at Nespresso. His major advice: ask yourself the question of the environment in which the candidate must evolve. “According to this context, we will not recruit the same person. Whether it is due to a reorganization, a job creation, a replacement, an increase in activity, a taking up of a position in a team where relations are strained, the qualities required will be different”. So define upstream what is important, the heart of the job, the experience or the necessary qualities, the “soft skills”. For the same job description, the art of recruitment is to find the candidate who will adapt to it. “This obviously goes beyond the skills of the candidate. It requires knowing the company and the needs of the service perfectly”. It is up to the manager to ask questions about the professional career or sift through the experiences if you are faced with a junior, in order to assess his ability to adapt. “You have to be open, receptive, not hesitate to ask questions to illustrate a point, a past situation. You can address the issue of the difficulties encountered which are always instructive, even if they are not necessarily transposable. They illustrate a way of being, of approaching things and give indications on the candidate”.
Beware of your biases
Another tip: get to know each other. Remain impartial, without being too seduced by the rare pearl that we finally hold. “A recruiting manager must be aware of his biases which can cloud his judgment between several candidates. It is absolutely necessary to combat this first impression and focus on what the candidate can bring that is complementary or different, remain open and explore all avenues. “You shouldn’t hesitate to discuss with your peers or your human resources manager to get their feelings”. The question of the Alumni or the atypical profile often arises at this stage. Everything depends. “You never replace someone with a clone, with an identical person”, underlines the expert. Decode the differences and see if they match the team’s criteria. “Complementarity makes it possible to have a form of diversity in skills and ways of being and of approaching subjects”. A manager has the right to hesitate. “Sometimes you have to allow yourself to see a candidate again and have the humility to tell him that you need to have other elements to make your choice”. What else ? Tell him the truth, be transparent about the salary policy and respect the promises made to him, about the interest of the position which must above all not be oversold. “Explaining the challenges and professional development. This is a guarantee of success for the future”. Mission accomplished for George and Jean.