One of the biggest challenges we face in recruitment is trying to work out if the candidate you’re pursuing is serious about the role or not.
Commitment to work or work commitment is defined as the level of enthusiasm an employee has towards his/her tasks assigned at a workplace. It is the feeling of responsibility that a person has towards the goals, mission, and vision of the organization he/she is associated with. You know who I mean; the one that seems really interested in the role, says all the right things and then, out of the blue, turns down the potential offer.
Perhaps they have legitimate reasons for turning down the offer, but most likely they don’t.
When you study behavioral interviewing, it indicates that you can predict the future performance of a candidate by looking at their past performance. But discovering the technical skills of an employee is much easier than unearthing whether they are motivated enough to take on a new role or not.
Here we look two ways you can understand whether a candidate is committed.
- Ask if they have any hesitation about the role. This is a great question to ask after you’ve explained the roles and responsibilities of the position. If the candidate has concerns or seems less enthusiastic about an aspect of the role, it can be a red flag.
- Early on in the process, double check their reasons for leaving, as well as how keen they are to pass on necessary documents (such as a payslip, references or personal documents)
As long as all aspects are tested with the candidate, a recruiter should never be left surprised when the offer is either accepted or rejected.
It’s important as a recruiter to never make the offer a formal decision until everything about it has been discussed and agreed upon. For the most part, you want to listen out for those motivational cues that tell you the job candidate is about helping others, creating something, finishing something, doing whatever it takes to succeed and making the team better.
The candidate, consultant and prospective employer have all worked hard, spending a lot of time, money and resources getting to this point in the search. You only want an offer to be made if you know your candidate is 100% committed to accepting the role. Otherwise, it can reflect badly on you as a recruitment professional and may affect your reputation in the market if it happens more than once. Unless you spend time asking your candidate the tough questions, you may find yourself losing out on placing a candidate in the role. By doing some fundamental groundwork you will be able to improve your chances of success.
