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Are Candidates Engaged? How To Find Out Before Making An Offer

14th March 2016

Employee engagement has become a major focus in recruitment strategies. So how can you determine a candidate’s engagement level?

© Dilbert

© Dilbert

Recent research undertaken by HR Zone has shown that despite growing recognition as to the importance of engagement, much work is yet to be done. Global commitment and engagement levels stand at just 25.3% with Europe lagging even further behind at 23.9%.

The research identified four key statements which signify high levels of employee engagement and commitment:

·I feel I fit in with my organisation

·My manager motivates me in my work

·The work of my team contributes to the success of the organisation

·I feel I am appreciated by my organisation

Formalising and modelling engagement is complex. Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs is used extensively in psychoanalysis, and much has been made as to how this relates to employee engagement. In order to determine whether employees feel that they are appreciated and are thus motivated, the hierarchy has been used to identify 5 levels of employee engagement:

Highly motivated – characterised by thoughts such as “I love working here”. Those in this category tend to be high flyers and high achievers at work.

Engaged – characterised by thoughts such as “I’m an achiever” and “I’ll leave if something better comes along”.

Almost engaged – characterised by thoughts such as “I know I am part of something bigger” or “I might leave if I’m tempted”.

Not engaged – characterised by thoughts such as “I have more sick days than I should” and “I don’t like my job very much, but I get on with it”.

Disengaged – characterised by thoughts such as “I’m here for the money” or “I’m a clock watcher”.

Leading employee assessment specialist Big 5 Assessments has taken the guesswork out of determining whether employees are engaged – or not – with its Employee Engagement Survey.

This can be used during the recruitment process to help HR professionals, hiring managers and recruiters to understand a candidate’s commitment level and engagement with their most recent role and employer. It measures two key aspects: commitment to their job and commitment to their employer.

If a candidate shows that they have a low level of commitment with their current or most recent role, there is a higher risk of them not remaining motivated for terribly long, once hired. If you know that a candidate has a low level of commitment to their current or most recent employer, you can at least make an informed decision as to whether you believe you can motivate them within your organisation.

The employee engagement survey is therefore an indispensable mechanism by which you can establish candidates’ motivation in applying for a role before hiring them. Determining their real position in this regard early on in the recruitment process can save substantial resource and financial costs down the line.

About the Author:

Nikky van Bommel is the Marketing Director for Big 5 Assessments and has worked in the Psychometric Testing industry for over 10 years. Nikky is responsible for all marketing and social media for the organisation.

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