Det händer i nästan varje rekryteringsprocess.
There is a candidate who seems right. The interviews have gone well. The CV fits. The references are fine. But something is nagging. A feeling you cannot explain.
And then a decision is made — one way or the other — without ever answering the question that actually needed answering.
Gut feeling is not enough
I have said it before and I will say it again: gut feeling is not a method. It is a signal — but it is not an answer.
It might be important. Or it might be your brain confirming what you already believe — reacting to something superficial, or simply not recognizing a pattern it has not seen before.
That is precisely why structured candidate assessments exist. Not to replace judgment — but to give it better foundations.
What an assessment actually gives you
A qualified personality assessment, based on validated psychometric tools and thorough interview technique, gives you something concrete: a structured picture of how a person tends to think, behave and relate to others.
It does not tell you whether the person is good or bad. It tells you whether the person fits this specific role, in this specific context, with this specific team.
That is a different question. And it is the one you actually need answered.
Second opinion — when the stakes are too high to rely on gut feeling.
Sometimes it is not about a full assessment. Sometimes it is about having someone from outside look with fresh eyes.
En second opinion kan vara avgörande i en rekryteringsprocess där insatserna är höga. Det kan vara en ny chef, en nyckelperson i ett kritiskt skede eller en roll där fel person kan göra stor skada.
I am certified in psychometric tools and have worked with candidate assessment for 25 years. I know what I am looking for. And I know when I am not finding it.
What it costs not to do it
An assessment takes time and costs money. That is true.
But compared to what a bad hire costs — see the previous article — it is never a discussion worth having.
You do not have to guess. There are tools for this. Use them.
If you have thoughts, questions, or simply want to talk something through — feel free to get in touch. I am happy to have an initial conversation with no agenda.
Magdalena Hagström Ståhl
By M Consulting AB
Right person. Right place. Everything changes.