Why Work Experience is not Everything

By: Erica Edgar

This past month, I read an article that was shared by our Applicant Processing Software Company, Prevue HR Systems. In the article titled “Hire someone with no experience! Wait, what?” the author challenges hiring managers to think beyond experience. Rather, search for candidates who are hungry, show initiative and have the personality to thrive in a position that requires them to rise to the challenge. The benefits describe can include a fresh perspective from someone who isn’t jaded by inefficient processes, someone who is willing to spend time to learn about the position and someone who isn’t complacent when work needs to get done.

During talent acquisition, qualifying candidates from their work experience is the easy part. It is finding the right personality fit that differentiates a qualified candidate from a potential great employee. Personality means more than just they work well with others. It means whether they have the personality to succeed in a team setting or work individually; whether they enjoy creating new ideas or working from established processes. Personality assessments can provide a great insight on whether a candidate has that potential of becoming a superstar in your organization. Prevue HR Systems has a supporting assessment to help gauge candidates personality against a benchmark for a potentially successful employee. CorTalent has found successful candidates using this assessment as part of the qualifying process.

The Prevue personality scales measure characteristics most likely to affect job performance. These measurements are essential for successfully matching people to jobs. There are four major scales based on eight minor scales:

1. Diplomatic to Independent
   1. Cooperative to Competitive
   2. Submissive to Assertive
2. Spontaneous to Conscientious

2. 1. Innovative to Conventional
   2. Reactive to Organized
3. Introvert to Extrovert

3. 1. Self-sufficient to Group-oriented
   2. Reserved to Outgoing
4. Emotional to Stable

4. 1. Restless to Poised
   2. Excitable to Relaxed

Personality scales describe “core behavior” patterns. Core behavior is the actions, activities or reactions that are most intrinsic or natural. For example, naturally submissive people may learn to act assertively in given situations where they must be forceful to achieve success, but their core behavior is still to be submissive. In most situations, they will prefer to be submissive, not assertive. Core behaviors are reliable but they are not how all people act all of the time, under all conditions, in all situations. –Prevue HR Systems

This assessment is a wonderful addition to the hiring process for managers to gather information on candidates with comparable work histories. This can also be a great way to identify less experienced candidates and employees that might thrive with new responsibilities. As a candidate, it would be beneficial to review these four core behaviors and be self-aware of where you fit in this personality spectrum. Knowing your own work personality can help address questions by the hiring managers in the interview process.