Recruitment – Proof, Inclusivity and Ernest Shackleton

Proven, derived from the Latin Provare meaning to test and find good, has been a word synonymous with job adverts for as long as job adverts have been created.

For better or worse, recruiters have been seeking candidates with ‘proven’ experience for decades.

But how does one become ‘proven’ in their field of work? Do letters after your name ‘prove’ competence? The ability to describe situations in detail? A degree or qualification? Is that how we quantify proof?

Not sure? Neither are we.

Why asking for proven experience is problematic

At best, looking only for proven experience is archaic and could mean you are missing out on amazing talent. At worst, it’s an indirect discrimination claim waiting to happen. But ultimately this is all about risk and how much risk your organisation is willing to take.

Heating bills seem to be the hot topic at the moment, so we’ll use that as our analogy today.

First up, let’s discuss our radiators.

This ready to go, traditionally perfect candidate has 15 years of ‘proven’ experience in the industry, they know your client base, they know your systems, and fit your organisations culture seamlessly. The radiator is easy, their onboarding will be a doddle as they likely know half of your workforce already, and they will be up, running, and productive extremely quickly. Perfect, right?

Perhaps, but all is not always as it seems. As anyone who has a house full of radiators knows they have the tendency to become cumbersome and uninspiring.

Hiring the ‘radiator’ candidate can be where affinity bias comes into play (hiring people who look, act, think, and have the same background as us), and after a long time in one industry they may not have new ideas and fresh perspectives to bring to the table. This can expose a company to Group Think and a whole host of diversity issues down the line.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with hiring some radiator candidates, but if you ONLY hire Radiator candidates you may find yourself and your business exposed, or worse stagnating.

Let’s look at the alternative… our infrared panels.

In contrast to a radiator candidate, you might stumble across someone’s CV who makes you stop and think. A wildcard who may have some relevant experience in a different sector, but whose CV shows a glimmer of something different, promising new ideas, new ways of working and a shed load of potential. A chance to shake things up and do things differently.

On the surface your infrared panel candidate needs more work, their onboarding will be more difficult, they will be slower to become productive, and could possibly ruffle some feathers in your current team.

But on the flip side, they bring clarity and new ideas in a way that only someone with fresh eyes can do. They will level up your business in unexpected ways and play havoc with any conformity bias (a tendency for people to behave like those around them) that might be happening within your organisation.

A risk worth taking? We think so.

So how do we go about finding this diamond in the rough?

In the story of Aladdin, Jafar threw countless men into the cave of wonders to their deaths before ACCIDENTLY stumbling upon Aladdin. To be clear we don’t recommend throwing employees to their deaths if they aren’t up to scratch, but the principle is the same. Hiring randomly without knowing what exactly you are looking for and how to find it can be disastrous, costing the organisation time, money, and reputation.

Let’s instead look at someone who got it right… Ernest Shackleton.

By today’s standard Ernest Shackleton’s advert to go exploring with him might have read:

Antarctic explorers wanted. Self-starter with proven experience of demanding expeditions required. Competitive salary package. Fast-paced challenging environment.

AWFUL! But in contrast it actually said:

Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success.

Would Ernest have hired the same calibre of candidates if his advert had said the former instead of the latter? Probably not.

With diversity and overall company culture becoming increasingly the differentiator between companies in this candidate driven market, it’s important to reassess how we attract new talent.

What did Ernest get so right? Simple. He hired based on potential instead of experience.

He looked beyond what the candidates had achieved in their life to date and looked further to what could potentially lie ahead. Ernest knew mindset, capability, and drive was all he needed, and the rest could be taught.

Here’s some practical tips to make your recruitment process a little bit more Shackleton to increase inclusivity and help you hire those diamonds in the rough.

1. Watch your language

Industry jargon, indirect discriminatory terms (e.g. 10 years experience), and certain phraseology such ‘strong leader’ are all sure fire ways to limit the number of applicants to your job advert. Keep your language neutral and inclusive to promote the widest range of applicants possible.

2. Re-evaluate your essential vs desirable criteria

Though it may feel like you desperately need a candidate with 10 years industry experience, is this really the case? If Shackleton didn’t, then maybe you don’t either. Challenge your thinking when identifying what are the dealbreakers in your hiring process. You might surprise yourself!

3. Monitor your bias

Everybody has biases, it’s nothing to be ashamed of, but it’s important we strive to be conscious of them. Did you like the candidate because they were exceptional? Or did you lose yourself in the well-tailored suit, smart haircut, and strong handshake? If you can’t be absolutely certain, then take your decision back to the drawing board.

4. Honesty is the best policy

We expect candidates to be honest about themselves during an interview process, but have you been honest about the company’s culture in return? It’s very easy to paint a rose-tinted view of an organisations culture that can leave a new starter disillusioned. Honesty is always the best place to start and may attract different candidates in the long run.

5. Structure, structure, and more structure

Now we are not saying you can’t go off on an interview tangent, but structure and standardisation can help you compare candidates with less risk of those pesky biases rearing their heads. Having a pre-decided set of interview questions that are the same for each candidate can help both from a legal perspective and for comparison of candidates, particularly candidates whose experiences differ greatly.

6. Don’t hire alone

At Jaluch this is our golden rule, never hire alone. Having more than one person on your interview panel can help you cover your own blind spots and can push you to challenge your biases in real-time but beware this only works if your panel are diverse.

7. Rephrase, reshape, reimagine

Along with not hiring alone this is another biggie. Altering your interview questions can sound scary but with some small tweaks you can support candidates with differing experience to thrive. Taking away industry specifics and opening up questions could drastically change how you interpret and perceive others experience in relation to a role.

For example… Tell me about a time when you have created a complex marketing campaign?

Could be changed to… Tell me about a time when you have successfully influenced decision making?

8. Take the risk

Finally, take the risk. As the saying goes if you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always got. The same applies when hiring exceptional candidates. Take the risk to change the way you do things and hire that infrared panel candidate! It may be the best thing you ever do.

Not sure where to start? Get in touch with the experts. Here are some of the things we can support with…

Recruitment Support

  • Recruitment documentation
  • Onboarding help
  • Full-suite recruitment support

Visit our recruitment page to find out more.

Training Support

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