Are You a High Calibre Candidate?
Having worked in recruitment for over 10 years and having interviewed thousands of candidates from all corners of the globe, I have seen many personality types and heard many interesting points of view. I’ve listened to a huge number of candidate’s strengths, weaknesses, achievements, motivations, ambitions, and equally, their gripes, difficulties and regrets.
The beauty of this – and partly why I love my job – is that every interview is still as interesting today as it was when I nervously walked into my first one back in Sydney in 2006.
No candidate is the same, all experience is different, each skill set is unique, and everyone’s stories fascinate in their own way.
However, one thing that I now always look for in candidates during my meetings with them is whether they are high-calibre. It’s not something I looked for when I began my career, but after countless calls with clients, running through profile requirements and asking ” What are you looking for in the ideal individual”, I would often get the response, “I want someone high-calibre”.
Now my initial thoughts were, “What does that mean? What is it to be high-calibre?” Can it be defined, or is it one of those fluffy phrases that gets bandied around from Hiring Manager to Hiring Manager and Job Spec to Job Spec; a bit like its siblings “excellent communicator” and “self-starter”.
The definition of high-calibre per our good friends over in Oxford is, “The quality of someone’s character or the level of their ability”.
The quality of someone’s character or the level of their ability? It’s difficult to put a handle on that one, isn’t it?
In terms of character, is it someone who finds €50 on the ground and brings it to the police station rather than placing it securely in their back burner, or is it someone who pushes themselves to excel when their peers have left the office and gone home to put the feet up?
In terms of ability, is it someone like Good Will Hunting who can extrapolate the most ridiculous quadratic equation at the drop of a hat? Or is it someone who can use emotional intelligence to deeply understand a client’s requirements and hence provide a genuinely first-class service.
The answer, I realised, is none of the above and not an exact science. Instead it’s a collection of positive traits and abilities that visibly work in tandem to create a high-calibre candidate. It’s a little bit like the X-Factor. There’s no exact formula but you know when you see it….
So, in my quest to define a high-calibre candidate and put a finger on exactly what it is that employers are talking about when they utter the magic phrase, I have focused on some core attributes, traits and abilities that I associate with high-calibre candidates and which, I am constantly looking out for during an interview.
- Confident- Belief in your skills, experience and ability to be successful
- Articulate – Can speak in a clear, descriptive manner that is easily understandable yet informative.
- Likeable – You have a willingness and ability to develop rapport and engage with people. As my Mother always says, “it costs nothing to be nice”.
- Intelligent – you possess academic and emotional intelligence. You have a history of high achievement.
- Brave – This can be your ability to back yourself or defend your opinion. Challenging how things are done if you feel they can be improved. Or generally getting out of your comfort zone whether it’s public speaking or leading a new project.
- Realistic – Yes you are ambitious, but also measured in your thought process and expectations. You understand your strengths, but more importantly are aware of areas for development and how you will look to build upon or improve this skill set.
- Enthusiastic – you are a glass half full type of person. You show interest in who you are talking to and are passionate in what you are taking about.
Some of the above traits come naturally to people whether it’s a genuine confidence in one’s self or a natural academic ability. The key however is that all areas can be developed and honed by practice, dedication, and getting outside your comfort zone.
For example, if you take confidence during an interview: Once you prepare thoroughly, understand your value-add, areas for development and motivations, and once you practice your delivery of these areas, your confidence will shine through.
A combination of the above traits and skills are what make a candidate very appealing to a prospective employer and someone that they would hire in the morning!
Interviewing, like anything requires a lot of practice, tips and tweaks. This involves both improving your traits and experience but also the ability to demonstrate this in an effective, confident and enthusiastic manner so that you can become a high-calibre candidate and ensure that the perfect opportunity doesn’t pass you by.
