Understanding behavioral styles can make recruiting a cakewalk
Understanding behavioral styles can make recruiting a cakewalk
Recruiting isn’t an easy job. Even if the applicant looks perfect – good presentation, excellent CV and pleasant manners – he or she may not be suited to the task.
However, having a good understanding of the way people behave can make it a lot easier for you to choose the right person for the job.
While everyone is different, it is recognized that people can generally be categorized into four basic behavioral styles, and two personality types. The key to successful recruiting is establishing which style the job calls for, which type the applicant is, and whether they would be suitable for the job at hand (or even possibly offered a job in a different sector).
Judy LaDeur, the President of Forum Recruiting & Management Solutions, Inc, believes the two basic personality types are emotional decision makers, and logical decision makers. The emotional will make their decisions based on emotional factors (if they like what they’re doing, feel good about the situation, you or who they’re dealing with), while the logical will look at the money and the facts (with no need for small talk or pleasantries, they simply wish to get the job done as best as possible).
In the logical and emotional groups, we also have two additional categories - those who look for security when making a decision, and those who do not mind the risk if the return is there. The face of an emotional decision maker is smiling open and genuinely friendly. If you smile at them, they instantly smile back. The face of a logical decision maker is more serious and business like in nature. Very matter of fact - when you smile at them, you may get a courtesy return smile, but then it is back to business.
If the potential recruit moves at a slower pace, and talks slower, they probably seek security. If they move and talk fast, they are a risk taker.
Howard Adamsky, recruiting consultant, writer, public speaker and educator, has categorized the four behavioral style groups as such –
The analytical: These types do a lot of questioning in order to gather endless facts and are not highly emotive. They tend to be reserved, love data in any form, and move cautiously. They react poorly to pressure and take lots of time to make decisions.
The amiable: These types also do a lot of asking. They are a bit more emotive and are very concerned with relationships, harmony, and consensus. They are rarely confrontational.
The driver: These individuals are in-your-face types who will tell you exactly what's on their mind. They are direct. They focus on results, look at outcomes, have little patience for more than one or two questions, and are not afraid to step on toes.
The expressive: This person is also a teller. They do not ask a lot of questions, but they are highly emotive. They tell stories, try to build on your ideas, and are very concerned about relationships and people-related issues.
Begin by understanding that behavioral styles are an observation of how people act, react, get things done, and like to be treated in the workplace, not a sign of intelligence. Each style has its own good and bad points, and while no style is better or worse than the other, certain styles will be better suited to certain jobs.
For example, “the Analytic” could be well suited to an accounts job, while “the Expressive” would be much better suited to field work – showing open houses to clients, helping them establish a relationship with the property, thus making them more inclined to purchase it. But for a sales dynamo, you could hardly go past “the Driver”! And “the Amiable” would no doubt make a perfect property manager.
Apart from looking at the applicant’s behavioral style, it can help to also understand your own type and that of your co-workers, to gauge how well they will work in the existing environment.
Knowing exactly what you’re looking for in an applicant is the first step, then by categorizing the job and the applicant into behavioral groups recruiting can become a much simpler and effective process.
