Today’s hiring managers of today are facing a seemingly impossible task: finding the right candidate among a pool of resumes enhanced by AI.
Between AI-optimized resumes, ChatGPT-polished cover letters, and interviews that only scratch the surface of real ability, it’s no wonder only 12% of companies feel confident in how they assess candidate skills. That’s what a recent survey by hiring platform Toggl Hire found. According to their survey, ineffective candidate assessments can lead to hiring mistakes that rack up $30,000 to $150,000 in indirect costs for hiring managers.
Indeed also shared the Society for Human Resource Management’s SHRM’s estimate, which showed that the average hard cost per hire is $4,700, At the same time, 60% of recruitment costs are soft costs, like lost productivity and time spent onboarding.
“When nearly half of recruiters made three or more hiring decisions resulting in turnover in just the past year, it’s clear that traditional assessment methods are failing,” says Alari Aho, CEO of Toggl Hire. “The stakes have never been higher when it comes to getting hiring right,” he continues.
So, what’s the key to finding the right candidates? Aho proposes five practical strategies that shift the hiring process from guesswork to skill validation.
FIVE STRATEGIES FOR FINDING THE RIGHT CANDIDATE
1. Move Beyond Resume Screening
Aho says that resumes are no longer reliable indicators of actual ability. Candidates can easily craft persuasive resumes – so instead, design short, role-specific tasks that mirror real-life scenarios.
2. Implement Multi-Modal Assessment
Effective hiring requires more than one snapshot of a candidate’s ability, says Aho. He suggests layering different validation tools like practical tests, behavioral interviews, and peer reviews. This approach surfaces both skill and adaptability under pressure, which are qualities that aren’t visible in a typical interview.
3. Test AI Collaboration Skills
With AI now a standard part of daily workflows, Aho advises evaluating how candidates interact with these tools. Can they prompt effectively, synthesize insights, and know when to trust machine output versus human intuition? Set up role-relevant AI tasks to assess their ability to integrate tech with critical thinking.
4. Request Portfolio and Work Sample Reviews
Aho says hiring managers should ask candidates to present samples that are tailored to their industry and expectations. Designers should walk through case studies that reveal their process, writers should submit pieces in the appropriate tone and format, and data pros should explain their visualizations.
5. Use Reference-Based Skills Validation
Aho recommends asking former colleagues for skill-specific questions tied directly to the job. Skip, “Was she a good teammate?” and instead try “How did she perform under deadline pressure?” or “What technical tools did he master on your team?”
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