Your attitude may be your greatest asset. Employers often think so.
In a study evaluating the success of new hires, Leadership IQ, a leadership training company that serves Fortune 500 companies, found poor attitude is the culprit behind numerous layoffs. Leadership IQ’s CEO, Mark Murphy reports, “When our research tracked 20,000 new hires, 46 per cent of them failed within 18 months…89 per cent of the time it was for attitudinal reasons….”
Disruptive attitudes can disappoint employers and employees alike; no one knows this better than recruiters.
When vetting prospective employees, recruiters have the challenge of finding high calibre candidates with credible skillsets and personalities that complement the company culture. However, while skillsets can be confirmed and measured, there is no quantifiable approach to testing attitude.
As employers report decreasing satisfaction with new hire attitudes, recruiters may consider requesting attitude checks. But how might a recruiter see and assess a job candidate’s attitude?
Social Profiles Display a Candidate’s Attitude
Nearly 10 years after the unveiling of Facebook, most job candidates understand the importance of conducting themselves appropriately on social media networks. In essence, these accounts compile a person’s public reputation. A recruitment consultant, Geoff Smith with Experis, says, “If people can’t manage their own reputations, how are they going to protect the reputations of their future employers?”
Games Show a Candidate’s Attitude
CVs and interviews are great for getting to know a job applicant’s skillset, but to get a glimpse of his or her attitude, some recruiters are opting for online games. Evaluating the online gaming performance of job candidates can reveal their “emotional maturity and problem-solving skills.” It can also offer insight into if someone is a “risk taker or innovator,” and identify other soft skills that are valuable to a particular company culture.
Employee Referrals Reveal a Candidate’s Attitude
It is common for groups of friends to share personality traits and professional interests. Recruiters recognize that successful employees can be a big help in guiding them to job candidates with similar attitudes. Mark Murphy believes this to be true. He says, “…companies are finding their best people through employee referrals and networking. They have started to realize that the high performers they already have fit the attitude they want and that these are the people they should be asking to help find more people just like them.”
Attitude cannot be measured. This poses a challenge to recruiters, who need to find job candidates with appropriate skills and stellar personalities. However, by searching social media networks, evaluating online games and asking successful employees for referrals, recruiters may receive deeper insight into the attitudes of job candidates.
Companies value employees who contribute to company culture and they value recruiters who have eyes out for good job candidates with great attitudes.
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