This document discusses a human-centered approach to assessing and selecting candidates for opportunities. It involves understanding each candidate's passions, interests, strengths, and ambitions to match them to opportunities. The selection process should explore a candidate's self-awareness, strengths, values, and ability to articulate a clear ambition and steps to achieve it. The goal is to have a discussion to match this ambition to the opportunity in the organization by understanding the challenges, desired outcomes, and purpose and values of the organization to build motivation and energy for success.

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July 2016

2. Assessing and selecting for success: where ambition meets opportunity
We see the purpose of any interview or selection process to match the passions, interests, strengths and ambitions of individuals to
opportunities in organisations. It is also a significant career moment for any individual.
We see the purpose of any interview or selection process to match the passions, interests, strengths and ambitions of individuals to
opportunities in organisations.
It is also a significant career moment for any individual.
Whilst people today have increasingly
flexible, fluid and varied jobs or
assignments throughout their career, a
job move is a key decision point,
committing to significant future time and
effort needed to deliver the outcomes
successfully. Ambitious people are now
better equipped to self-manage their
career, but their motivations may change
throughout: what a fresh graduate thinks
about their work and career can be
significantly different to someone mid-
career or in their 'final sprint'.
So, to be successful, this matching
process needs a human-centred
approach, and if done well will
significantly accelerate the time to
optimal productivity and delivery of the
desired outcomes.

3. What does a human-centred approach look like?
Our approach involves getting under the skin of candidates who express an interest in the role, understanding what's driving them and
why they are interested in the role. Something has inspired them to progress this far into the process, what is it?
Start with writing down your opening sentence and think about what might get people’s attention.
Don’t write the story verbatim; just have headings that illustrate your key points,
your memory will fill in the blanks and you will be more natural.
For maximum impact, think about your tone of voice and how you stand or sit so that you can convey emotion.
Explore their strengths and their
personal purpose and values.
This requires a high level of self-
awareness from individual, forces
a deep level of reflection and
highlights strong emotional
intelligence.

4. What does a human-centred approach look like?
With this sense of who they are and why they want to do the work the job entails we look for their ability to articulate what success
looks like: a clear ambition and the steps involved in achieving it.
This is challenging for many so to prepare for any interview or selection process we suggest people complete our ME+ Checkpoint to
prepare themselves. [download].
Start with writing down your opening sentence and think about what might get people’s attention.
Don’t write the story verbatim; just have headings that illustrate your key points,
your memory will fill in the blanks and you will be more natural.
For maximum impact, think about your tone of voice and how you stand or sit so that you can convey emotion.
Scan QR code for link to download page

5. What does a human-centred approach look like?
In the interview or selection itself, the goal is to match this ambition to the opportunity in the organisation.
To many recruiting managers, the requirements of the job are key, but we again encourage them to put the candidate in the centre of
their thinking.
Sharing the nature of the challenge, the desired outcomes, and the purpose and values of the organisation all set the context for
success. The discussion can then explore the motivation of the candidate and how these challenges might align with their ambition.
Start with writing down your opening sentence and think about what might get people’s attention.
Don’t write the story verbatim; just have headings that illustrate your key points,
your memory will fill in the blanks and you will be more natural.
For maximum impact, think about your tone of voice and how you stand or sit so that you can convey emotion.
 How would they approach the challenge?
 What would success look like in their eyes?
 Having the technical competence to do the job is important, so
how would they use their strengths to achieve success?
 What gives them the confidence that they will successfully
achieve the outcomes needed?
 What is the evidence that they've overcome significant
challenges before and have the grit and willpower to succeed?
 What support do they need and from who?
Source: Telos Partners

6. What does a human-centred approach look like?
To many recruiting managers our approach to selection may feel like ceding control when they just want someone who's technically
competent to do the job. What is often overlooked (and sometimes misunderstood) is that how people behave and approach the job is
the major differentiator between excellent and average performance.
So, we encourage a human-centred approach that puts the candidate in control will build a refreshingly different psychological
contract and builds motivation, focus and energy to tackle the challenge in hand.
Start with writing down your opening sentence and think about what might get people’s attention.
Don’t write the story verbatim; just have headings that illustrate your key points,
your memory will fill in the blanks and you will be more natural.
For maximum impact, think about your tone of voice and how you stand or sit so that you can convey emotion.
Source: Flow, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi