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A guide for drawing up a psychological portrait of the ideal candidate cover

A guide for drawing up a psychological portrait of the ideal candidate

PSYCHOLOGICAL PORTRAIT OF A PERSONALITY is a complex psychological characteristic of a person, containing a description of his inner mentality and possible actions in certain significant circumstances.

Its elements:

  • temperament, character, abilities, orientation (business, personal, communicative);

  • intelligence - the degree of development and structure of intelligence;

  • emotionality - the level of reactivity, anxiety, stability;

  • volitional qualities - the ability to cope with difficulties;

  • persistence in achieving the goal;

  • sociability, self-esteem (underestimated, adequate, overestimated);

  • level of self-control: the ability to group influence.

It’s the proven way to find the right candidate. If certain criteria are met, the HR manager does not need to spend a lot of time looking for a candidate, since he understands in advance what he should be. By composing a portrait of a potential candidate in advance, you can visualize a person who is most suitable for a particular position.

Now let’s consider a brief psychological portrait of a job seeker for a sales manager position, which we recently closed. 

According to this position, the job seeker must be sociable, have the ability to persuade, create a feeling of a confident person, active and interested in selling, the company and the development within the company; must be communicative enough to make a client interested in what he sells. One of the priority qualities is public speaking and, accordingly, clear oral and written speech: the candidate should be able to communicate freely, provide information in an accessible manner, but also be able to listen to the customer without interrupting, while conducting the conversation constructively and reasonably. Be relaxed enough. And, of course, have experience in sales management.

Based on this, let's look at what should be paid special attention to at both stages of the interview in order to understand where these qualities we need and markers of our criteria are “hiding”.

First of all, an HR gets a CV of the job seeker. While studying it, note for yourself: 

  • How complete the information is (sections: education, work experience, key skills, additional skills, certificates - “experience” criterion).

  • What the candidate writes in the “About me” section (specific personal qualities - the “confidence” criterion).

  • Work experience (long time gaps between places of work, which positions held earlier and which moved to, is there a career growth - the criterion of "interest" in working productively and for a long time).

  • How much the CV corresponds to the vacancy to which the candidate is applying (whether it indicates his key skills and personality traits - the criterion "confidence").

  • Errors in the text of the CV (punctuation / misspelling) - the criterion of "clear speech".

All of the above helps to give an initial assessment of the candidate and understand if he meets your requirements.

If you are interested in the applicant, then an invitation to an oral conversation follows, where you can ask all the questions that arose while studying the CV and continue searching for the necessary criteria.

During the interview stage pay attention to:

  • The time of arrival of the candidate to the interview (in advance, on time, later) - “punctuality and responsibility” criteria.

  • Eyes (shifty, no eye-to-eye contact) - perhaps he does not tell all the information and is not entirely honest.

  • Intonation (raising or lowering of the voice during a conversation) - the level of emotionality and confidence in self and the information presented.

  • Long pauses between words (unless these are features of speech) - perhaps he wants to hide something or is not entirely competent in the topic of the question, which directly intersects with experience.

  • Pose at an interview (open, closed) - the degree of disposition to conversation and openness, restraint/relaxedness, self-confidence/self-doubt.

  • Ability to listen and hear (asks again or not, asks questions about information that was previously announced, asks for details) - the degree of attention and interest in the position and company.

  • The ability to present oneself (talks about his strengths, correctly presents his weaknesses).

  • Ability to argue thoughts and position.

  • Ability to ask questions (correct question formulation).

  • Initiative in conversation and activity.

  • Reaction to constructive criticism and the ability to admit one's mistakes (agreement / disagreement with criticism or reasoned confirmation of one's correctness).

Based on the results of the second stage, you will be able to form a comprehensive impression of the applicant and mark in the checklist what criteria he meets.

What should always be taken into account - the human factor and the conditions in which the interview is conducted - any person gets nervous at the first meeting, especially when you want to show your best side. Therefore, you should not be very critical of this, but rather create the most relaxed atmosphere and help the person to open up.