Throw candidates into the deep end with the simulation recruitment method
After several interviews, you think you've found the ideal candidate... And yet, during their trial period, they turn out to be a poor match for your needs in terms of skills and knowledge.
Today we can help you avoid this kind of situation with a method that is not very widespread in the HR world, but which is nevertheless very effective for any good employer: the simulation recruitment method! 😎
This recruitment method can be summed up by the adage: "It's not what you say that counts, but what you do".
What if you judged your candidates' skills for yourself in a real-life situation when comparing candidates? Here are our top tips for organising top-notch recruitment by simulation!
What is the simulation recruitment method?
Definition of the simulation recruitment method
The simulation recruitment method, or SRM, is a recruitment technique used by Pôle Emploi since 1995.
For some professions, qualifications or training are not important; only skills or soft skills are required.
MRS consists of identifying the skills required for a vacant post and setting up practical exercises to test candidates in real-life situations during the job interview.
Alternative recruitment techniques
SRM is just one of many recruitment techniques, including :
- recruitment via social networks
- job fairs
- deferred video interviews
- in-house recruitment, etc.
Obviously, each recruitment method offers its own benefits and is tailored to your needs. That said, SRM has the advantage of minimising bias, because you're concentrating on skills!
But that's not the only advantage, zoom in on the benefits of this type of recruitment. 👇
What are the advantages of SRM?
Simulation-based recruitment allows you to broaden your search for candidates, to identify the most suitable person for your job and to assess their experience.
It's an objective recruitment method based solely on your candidate's abilities. It saves you time in making your final choice, as you don't have to choose from thirty or so CVs that are all similar. 👍
This is particularly useful for high-volume recruitment, especially if you have at least 3 vacancies to fill. In this situation, the time you have to invest in the task is considerable, and you'll have around a hundred CVs to view and study... 😮💨
If you're looking for several candidates, then simulation-based recruitment is an easy way of finding excellent talent.
How does an SRM session work?
Step 1: analyse the job
The first step is to detail the position on the site you have selected to post your advert. List the skills required to successfully carry out the tasks.
Here, the soft skills should be highlighted by the candidate.
To attract as many applicants as possible, your recruitment advert should be as comprehensive as possible. Remember to include :
- the exact job title
- the sector,
- the town where your company is located
- the skills required or preferred (in order of importance),
- any other additional information.
Step 2: create the exercises
Once you've drawn up the job description, it's time to get creative! Your aim is to invent an exercise that comes as close as possible to one or more of the tasks that your candidate will have to perform in the future.
The exercise should reflect as closely as possible the working conditions that await them, so that they can use their skills to the full and you won't have any unpleasant surprises when they are recruited.
Write down in detail the instructions you will give to your candidates. They should be clear and precise.
Forget complex exercises designed to humiliate even the most resourceful of them. The aim is to recruit candidates with a good grounding who are capable of working with you. And even if they make one or two mistakes during the exercise, there's no need to worry.
They'll have plenty of time to fine-tune these kinds of details once they're in your company, thanks to your advice. 😌
💡Don't hesitate to run a team simulation if you feel that team spirit is an important value for the job.
Stage 3: assessing candidates
It's time to evaluate! Simulation recruitment requires a lot of organisational time.
To get the most out of your recruitment, make sure you have a scoring grid that you can fill in as the candidates pass through.
Apart from their technical and professional skills, this is an opportunity to judge their adaptability, autonomy, responsiveness - in short, all those qualities that can't be seen on a CV.
💡 We recommend that several of you assess the candidates, given the number of questions the exercise can generate. Not to mention that it takes more attention to judge a practical situation!
Step 4: Conduct the job interview
The hardest part is over for your candidates!
Now that the simulation is over and you've chosen those with the skills you're looking for, you can confirm your choice by interviewing them in the normal way.
The candidates from your selection who have passed the simulation will be invited by the company to continue the recruitment process.
What's the point?
To focus on the candidate's motivations and personality in order to recruit them! ☝️
Even if the simulation has given you an idea of the candidate, it's not enough to hire them directly into your company.
The purpose of the interview is to get to know the candidate in greater depth, bearing in mind that the simulation is a much more stressful situation than a simple interview.
You can also use an evaluation grid to ensure that communication flows smoothly and that the meeting is relevant. ✏️
Example of a simulation recruitment test
Most of the tests are based on exercises that already exist at Pôle Emploi, particularly for technical professions or group recruitment. They may take the form of questionnaires or role-playing exercises.
Depending on the type of job, the exercises can be adapted.
👉 For delivery drivers, for example, candidates have to sort cubes in preparation for organising their lorries for deliveries. Indeed, in a single day, hundreds of parcels are delivered and it is imperative to know how to arrange your orders to be as efficient as possible.
It is impossible for candidates to anticipate or prepare for simulation exercises in advance. The exercises change very regularly and there are many of them!
Skills assessment software: technology at the service of people
To simplify your task, there are ready-to-use skills assessment and recruitment testing software packages available.
Digitising skills testing goes far beyond a simple strategy, as it offers several significant benefits. 👆
It reduces the time taken to recruit, enhances the company's image and enriches the experience of candidates, who can apply from the comfort of their own homes at any time.
⚒️ For example, Isograd is a technical skills testing platform that is ideal for assessing candidates. By combining AI and other cutting-edge technologies, it provides a powerful solution that can be adapted to all your needs:
- a catalogue of over 200 tests and the ability to create bespoke, personalised assessments;
- Generative AI for producing assessment reports, ideal for making recruitment decisions;
- Case studies and practical exercises;
- tests that adapt to the user and a level of difficulty that changes according to the answers.
The simulation-based recruitment method in brief
The simulation-based recruitment method was created by Pôle Emploi to use exercises to showcase candidates' skills rather than their CVs.
The method is of great interest to recruiters, enabling them to judge in advance whether candidates are capable of meeting their expectations for a given post.
However, simulation-based recruitment is most useful for large-scale recruitment and technical occupations that require specific knowledge and skills.
You can always go through Pôle Emploi if you ever don't have the time to dedicate to this kind of recruitment or simply get inspired by it! 🤩
Article translated from French