Why is it important for hiring teams to determine an Ideal Candidate Profile? There are many assumptions that can be made when we hire, based on our experiences and biases, which may or may not be true facts about those individuals being considered for interviews. How do we hire without adding in extra points for the laughs we get, or the connections we feel when we find common ground? It is important to have an impartial comparison model of what type of candidate profile is the most ideal for the role.

Just as you create a specific customer or client profile to work with, so should you create an Ideal Candidate Profile. An Ideal Candidate Profile creates the blueprint or template of what the best person for the role acts like. What will they commit to, achieve, have knowledge of, or resolve in the role? Notice that how their experience, or education were not included in the list. These profiles go beyond the ambiguous measurement of experience and education. They focus on future potential. Which something that many employers do not focus on in recruitment campaigns. Here are three reasons why you need to create Ideal Candidate Profiles for each of your roles.

1. Consistency:

When you create a template for screening every candidate the chances of implicit bias, such as halo effect or conformation bias, affecting the decision-making process are reduced. More data means hiring decisions will be made based on the information presented and not on assumptions allowing for an apples-to-apples comparison.
When there is a consistent template for any process there is a standard operating procedure that any employee completing the hiring can use. Consistency means that the same hiring process is followed every time. Especially important in hiring teams, a consistent measurement of the ideal candidate is what will make the hiring decisions easier. 

2. Compliance:

When organizations make decisions based on the consistent data approach, then they are more likely to follow federal or state/provincial legislation and minimize potential discrimination and/or bias in the process. Employers could face charges of human rights violations or financial penalties if they do not have a sufficient record on how the selection process was completed. Being legally compliant is something that few organizations think of when it comes to hiring, until it is too late. Be ahead of the curve and set yourself up for success by collecting data to compare candidates to your Ideal Candidate Profile. Then you can measure, and verify, that the best candidate has been selected for the role.

3. Candidate experience:

Like it or not, when we are competing against other employers for the same talent, the candidate experience is the one thing that will stand out as much as the offer you provide. Candidates can experience multiple offers at the same time, which means they are experiencing multiple recruitment processes. Timeliness, transparency, and data driven processes are the ones that will stand out as memorable. This will enable your organization to stand out more than the others. Despite a “hot” candidate market, candidates may choose the employers that differentiate themselves as caring for the candidates more than the ones that have an impersonal hiring process.

 
          a) Timeliness. Respond when you say you will respond. Also, give the candidates’ timelines for expectations. Or do what Aaron Backman did and update a version of his employer’s  onboarding presentation. Which gives candidates a rundown of what to expect if you are hired at the company. This leads me to the next point.

          b) Transparency. The job is x, the salary is y, the outcomes are z. Period. This needs to be a standard across the board so that all candidates can understand the background needed, the salary expectations, and the outcomes they must achieve.

 
          c) Data driven. What gets measured, gets improved. Data means that you make decisions consistently, without gut-feelings, and can prove that you continually hire the best and the brightest of your candidates. These data-driven decisions are easily reviewed and compared for results.

When you have a process that verifies candidates’ information against an Ideal Candidate Profile, you can quickly gather information, set values to it, and make decisions based on that data. These three areas are fundamental to the screening-as-a-service tool that is ResumeFree™.

Through consistency, compliance, and a great candidate experience, an Ideal Candidate Profile can make your recruitment process faster, more efficient, and more successful for your business. We have seen hiring processes take days instead of weeks. We have seen “unlikely candidates” be the best hires ever. Also, we have seen candidate retention at 97% over two years from creating Ideal Candidate Profiles. 

Ask how you can create an Ideal Candidate Profile for the roles in your company with our team at ResumeFree™.