Robert Walters | Thomas.co

Robert Walters

Case Study

Robert Walters: Accelerating the recruitment process and making better hiring decisions with assessments

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The Challenge

Both Robert Walters and Walters People are constantly on the lookout for good people to join the various teams. "My team and I are very active on LinkedIn and on various job boards to find talent for the different departments within Robert Walters Group. The focus of our search is on recruitment consultants, but we are also looking for people for administrative positions, for example'', Ellis explains.

In today's job market it is important that the application process is quick and smooth as this gives more security to both the candidate and the organisation. This is why Ellis wants to get to know candidates as early as possible in the application process so that it quickly becomes clear whether there is a potential match. "In this competitive job market, we cannot afford to leave a candidate in limbo for too long.”

Robert Walters challenge

The Solution

In order to gain an early understanding of whether a candidate is a right fit for Robert Walters or Walters People, Ellis and her team use Thomas International's Personal Profile Analysis (PPA). This assessment provides a detailed insight into a person's behaviour in the workplace, how they are motivated and their preferred method of working.

“If the first telephone interview with a candidate goes well, we invite him or her for a second interview. We also immediately send them an invitation to complete the Personal Profile Analysis", explains Ellis. "We choose to carry out the assessment as early as possible in the procedure, because the objective results enable us to screen candidates properly. Thanks to the results, we can look beyond the CV". The candidate always gets to see the report himself and it is also discussed with Ellis or one of her colleagues.

In addition, the speed associated with the assessment plays a major role in Robert Walters' application process. Filling in the PPA takes about eight minutes and provides a wealth of valuable information. "We aim to keep the application process for a candidate as short and qualitative as possible. The speed with which a PPA is completed certainly contributes to this. But we do stick to our current selection procedure: it remains tailor-made. If the candidate has competencies that match ours, then the candidate is invited for physical interviews and a role play. All these elements ensure that we can paint a complete picture of the candidate''.

Robert Walters results

The Results

For Ellis, the use of the PPA is a logical and important part of the application process. "A CV or interview does not say everything about a person. Some people unconsciously have an image of themselves that is not quite right, or pretend to be different in order to have a better chance of getting a job. An assessment ensures that you immediately have a good picture of someone's work behaviour, how someone prefers to communicate and what motivates them. And it is precisely these insights that we need to make the best recruitment decisions."

Ellis also regularly receives positive feedback from the candidates about the PPA. "Actually, everyone always recognises themselves in the results of the assessment. Many people see the report as a gift to themselves. They also like the fact that the procedure, especially in such a fast and tight labour market, does not take unnecessarily long."

So instead of focusing on someone's level of education or work experience, Robert Walters chooses to look at someone's personality. "Knowledge and skills can be learned and experience can be gained, but someone's actual personality cannot be trained. When an employee is happy in his or her work, this is the best basis you can have for a long and pleasant working life," concludes Ellis.


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