Define Your Role With The McQuaig Job Survey

As you recognize the need for additional manpower in your organization, you will naturally begin to think about what characteristics each person will require. This thought process usually starts with the skills and experience that are necessary and then flows into aspects such as interests and personality. Does this person need to be outgoing? Do they need to be comfortable taking charge? How about their inclination to follow the rules? It is important to remember that for each position there is a whole person who will fill it and personality is an important piece of that individual. The McQuaig Job Survey helps you to pinpoint that piece.

The Job Survey consists of 21 sets of 4 words or phrases that asks the respondent to rank them in order of most descriptive to least descriptive in relation to what is required for a role. The result of the Job Survey is an ideal temperamental profile for a position that can be used as a benchmark for comparisons against candidates.

Although the survey may seem simple, the amount of information that those 21 responses can tell you about a person will surprise you. From potential assets and developmental considerations to how they will behave in a leadership or sales role, the results will help you narrow down what you are looking for. In addition to defining your ideal candidate, the outcome of the Job Survey will also help you gain consensus about requirements, develop your posting, and screen candidates accordingly.

Get everybody on board

When the Job Survey is completed by a number of stakeholders, the results can come out similar or different, depending on each respondent’s perception of the role.  Imagine trying to hire someone when everyone has a different idea of what they are looking for. It is better to figure this out prior to posting the job and to get everyone on the same page so that you can all look at candidates through the same lens. It is easy to compare results online to facilitate a discussion and finalize the benchmark.

Craft a great posting

You want your ideal candidate to read your post and have it resonate with them. It should reach out to them and get them thinking that this is the career for them! The results of the Job Survey includes language that describes the necessary characteristics and can be used in the job description. This will help you to attract the right applicants and improve the quality of your talent pool.

Screen for the best candidates

After you determine your ideal profile and attract qualified candidates, you need to screen out some of them to move onto the next phase. The results of the Job Survey include resume screening tips as well as behaviour based interview questions that you can use to narrow it down to the best. By applying these best practices, you will save time and resources from bringing in those that should not have made it past the first gates.

Completing the Job Survey takes 15 minutes or less yet the results will save you hours of wasted time later on in the recruitment process. When everyone is on the same page and you are able to attract and narrow down the best candidates, the value that is derived from the Job Survey goes beyond just the definition of a role.