
Intuition in recruiting
Intuition. It’s a mysterious subject that’s never been solved today. How does it work? Is it always right, and why is it wrong?
Some believe in intuition. Some believe only in objective facts and logic… Some people trust their intuition so much that they rely on it in everything, even in choosing candidates for vacancies, even for the customer’s business….. Other people tend to make decisions following calculations and do not take intuitive signals into account at all … Where is the truth? What works? What to rely on?! On the candidate’s resume, experience, and skills, or on a gut feeling called intuition?
They evaluate “how a person feels, “whether they fit the vibe,” or “whether they are pleasant to be around.” However, this approach can lead to biased decisions that hurt the company in the long run.
What’s wrong with intuitive sourcing?
Intuition is a powerful tool, but in recruiting, it often replaces objective selection criteria. This leads to the following problems:
Bias. Intuition is still often confused with simple preference based on personal choice! A recruiter can easily base his/her selection on personal liking rather than on the candidate’s professional qualities. For example, similar interests, appearance types, age, gender, or manner of communication can make the difference, although these factors have no bearing on a person’s ability to do the job and be beneficial to the company.