Finding the right candidate for a role can often be a tricky process and requires a great deal of persistence and understanding. Employers are always on the look-out for talented graduates who possess the expertise, but also the right soft skills to be able to thrive and perform to their maximum.
Even when hiring for a junior role, it pays for companies to assess a candidate’s ability in areas such as leadership – you never know how far your graduate employee could rise within the company. Whilst making a long-term hire may not be a key priority for a company, it can be a much more cost effective and efficient way to ensure there is a pipe-line of management talent already within the organisation.
The difficulty for employers, is that it can be problematic to spot leadership skills in graduate employees who do not necessarily have their eyes set on securing a management position. However, with the right screening process it can be a lot easier to spot potential that can be developed.
Group screening process
One of the fundamental parts of the success of any manager is their ability to handle people and maintain strong relationships, no matter the level of pressure they are under. In order to see this, employers need to set up a process that allows candidates to showcase their abilities and personality.
Placing a group interview or activity into the recruitment process can be a great way to see how different candidates work with each other. Companies can create an assignment or project related to the firm and watch to see who performs best or shows the qualities that are best aligned with the role and business.
Understand a candidate’s ambitions
Businesses may be focused on the short-term and looking to hire someone who can hit the ground running, but this should not stop them from understanding where a candidate would like to take their career in the future. If they are harbouring thoughts of having a managerial role, then it should be easier to train and prepare them for such a position with the right support.
If you’re an employer looking to attract the best graduate talent, find out how Discovery Graduates can help
