As a recruiting agency, we have had difficult cases to solve. The example below represented a challenge - one that we were able to surmount - and for this reason we wanted to share our success story.* It’s based on the STAR approach (Situation, Task, Action, Result), which consists of an interviewee presenting to an interviewer a recent challenge and situation (Situation) in which they’ve found themselves, what they had to achieve (Target), what they did (Action) and what the outcome was (Results).
The Situation
A growing small to medium sized (SME) company was searching for an Administrative Assistant who could also manage some of the accounting. Because it was growing fast, the company had an urgent need to fill this position. The job description was very specific and the company was willing to go all the way to find the right person.
Our challenge? To find the ideal candidate who matched perfectly the job description. Although the company needed to hire somebody urgently, they were not going to go for just anyone but THE ONE. The company’s manager knew exactly the qualities the new employee had to have; having the right skills was paramount.
When a client contacts us with a specific need, we always go through our database in order to have an idea of the matching candidates and what we are missing.
After a first meeting we helped the client define the needs, the job description and the soft skills of the ideal candidate. We then drafted the job posting and the search began.
The Target
Key tasks included reception work, mail management, invoicing, drafting letters and emails in French and English, administrative and HR support, classification and filing.
The company was looking for somebody adaptable, ambitious, self-reliant, trusts their instincts, curious, resourceful, discreet, available, with professional conscience, credible, hard-working, active, persevering, retailer, tolerant, optimistic, organized, proactive, and determined. It is not only about somebody that can do the job, but about someone who can do it seamlessly.
The Action
We received hundreds of applications. We carefully reviewed all of them, screening for qualities that would stand out and would fit the job description.
After a couple of days of hard work we found the right person. She was not perfect – she was ideal. Precise and concise, we wished all applications were like hers.
After a detailed study of her profile, we of course ‘googled’ her to have more background information, and called her to schedule the first interview
The first interview went smoothly. Lucia, the interviewee who sent the perfect application as we mentioned above, explained how she had helped set up the administrative side of an SME, and how she takes personal responsibility to forge ahead and find the answers to whatever challenges she faces.
We were sure she was the one; the high-achiever who was able to take responsibility for various tasks simultaneously. The last word, however, is always the clients.
Before scheduling a second interview, we called our client and shared her profile and more information. The second interview came about, and we were certain - without a doubt - that her skills were the ideal match for the position. Our client thought she was perfect too.
Bingo!
The Result
Lucia Cermakova was the ideal candidate for this new position. She was, by far, the best qualified and immediately stood out from the rest. We knew it and so did the client.
Her capacity to get involved, learn and incorporate knowledge, procedures and processes, were only some of the attributes that attracted us and the client’s attention. We were convinced that although being ‘the new one,’ she would instantly become the standard others are judged against.
* This case study is fictional, but will shortly become reality.
