Communication
How do they come across?
In front of house and business support roles especially, how somebody speaks to people is a large part of the job. A CV cannot show it.
Beyond the CV
A CV gets someone into the conversation.
Experience matters. So does everything a CV cannot show you, which is usually the part that decides whether somebody works out.
Applications are not the same as the right person.
What a CV leaves out
Four things we look to understand before anybody is introduced to you.
Motivation
Why are they moving?
The reason somebody is looking tells you a great deal about whether your role is a step forward for them or a sideways move they will repeat.
Environment
Where do they do their best work?
Some people are at their best with structure and quiet. Others need pace and variety. Neither is better, but one of them fits your team.
Direction
What do they actually want next?
Not the answer they think you want. What they are hoping the next few years look like, and whether this role can honestly offer it.
A shortlist should give you people worth meeting, not homework to do.
We speak to people, understand what they are looking for, and consider whether the opportunity genuinely makes sense for both sides before introducing them. A short list of considered introductions is more useful than a long list of applications.
Reading a shortlist
When somebody is slightly off-spec but interesting, ask what we saw. Some of the strongest appointments come from people who would not have survived a keyword filter but answered the important questions well.
Assessment should stay relevant to the job and applied consistently to everybody in the process.
Speak to us
If a shortlist is not giving you people worth meeting, the brief is usually the place to look first.