The underestimated value of intuition in recruitment

For many business leaders, intuition is regarded as a vital asset in hiring and promoting staff, according to a new report.

‘The Intuition Index: The Critical Role of Intuition in International Business,’ by Signium involved more than 600 business leaders in 12 different countries.

It found that intuition is important in recruitment to 96% of business leaders surveyed.

On the other hand, only 55% of HR decision makers reported that intuition was very important when they were personally looking to hire or promote someone, compared to 67% of commercial decision makers, showing that the recruitment sector is lagging behind in its lack of trust in intuitive thinking.

The research serves as a direct call to action for the recruitment industry and is intended to empower HR decision makers who feel confined to using only competency questionnaires and other ‘hard’ measures to evaluate candidates.

There has been a long-held assumption in the industry that competency models are unbiased and ensure diversity, but Signium’s Chairman, Alastair Paton, says that this is erroneous.

“White male extroverts will always put their hands up and say they can do a job, despite not always being a clear fit,” he notes.

“But other candidates which would bring diversity often say they aren’t qualified enough and will not put themselves forward because they are more introvert and lack confidence in their competency fit. This is why current recruitment methods don’t work – they play to the white/male/older personality types and as a result we fail to deliver a truly broad and diverse shortlist of candidates.

“We need to use intuitive thinking that links to cultural fit and company values, and it needs to be done up front, not at the last minute when you meet the candidate. The way recruitment is undertaken needs to radically change,” he adds.