Candidate Profiling
By
Ria Jain

The search for the right candidate starts with defining your ideal candidate. A candidate profile can help you do just that. It is an essential step in a structured hiring approach. It acts as a reference for the recruiter and is also a catalyst in forming role specifications/job descriptions.

Let’s look at some of the aspects to consider whilst creating a candidate profile:

  1. Role or brand-specific qualities. List the qualities you associate with the role or brand you’re hiring for. Every vacancy has a unique element; take the time to consider essential skills for the position you’re profiling. For instance, when hiring for a customer-facing role – communication and charisma might supersede, whereas hiring a technical support candidate may emphasise the relevant IT skills. You might want to establish critical tasks for the vacancy to simplify the assessment of “must-have” qualities for
  2. The role Company’s Culture and Brand Identity. It has become vital for the candidate to assess if they’ll fit within an organisation’s culture before accepting any job offer. It will benefit a company if it considers the workplace’s culture while developing an ideal candidate profile.
  3. List out different sets of soft skills and hard skills relevant to the vacancy you’re trying to fill. Pro tip – being detailed and in-depth about your requirements ensures clarity. Most managers can feel stuck, especially if they are hiring for a vacancy outside their expertise. Using a talent acquisition partner here can be helpful as they assist you with analysing and mapping out the requirements.
  4. Be informed about the Candidate Demographic. The pool of candidates transcends geographical, cultural, and educational boundaries. Knowing and establishing what these boundaries looks like for your company is imperative. For instance, while a big firm may be able to employ someone from a different part of the world, SMEs may prefer a geographically close-knit pool of candidates to choose from.