Sweet Success
The 2nd series of 'The Apprentice', which was broadcast on the BBC this spring, has proved to be very entertaining but can we all learn something from Sir Allan's methods of staff selection. The UK version of US hit 'The Apprentice' featured a team of hopeful candidates all battling to become Sir Allan Sugars Apprentice. With such a successful multi million pound empire Sir Allan must be recruiting the right people, perhaps his recruitment methods could help us all experience this sweet success.
The Apprentice can be likened to an assessment centre on TV, where selection is based on candidates performance in a number of very challenging tasks. They are observed throughout to assess their business skills, interaction with others and ability to cope under pressure. Allan Sugar demonstrated the value of a wider and more structured selection process than just an interview when he commented ' For no reason, you take an immediate like or dislike to people but over time I have changed tremendously....gut instinct is not the one to go for'.
Many companies use assessment centres in a similar way to select and develop their staff. On the apprentice, we saw candidates being put through their paces on a variety of exercises including interviews and project management with a high emphasis on sales, which is one of the key competencies Allan Sugar is looking for in his apprentice. Assessment centres are designed based on the key skills and behaviours that employers are looking for in the staff and information about each candidate is collected objectively making the decision making process easier and less dependant on factors such as appearance, body language which are not necessarily indicative of success in a particular role.
Extended DISC Ltd is experienced in designing and delivering assessment centres and uses a wide variety of tools to assess and gain an overall picture of each candidate. Using the Extended DISC psychometric system, we gain additional evidence of the candidate's behaviour at work and their natural preferences. The Extended DISC personal analysis report can be combined with other information collected at an assessment centre to give an accurate and reliable indication of the candidate's suitability for the role and fit within the team.
Sir Allan was quite clear in his mind what he was looking for in his apprentice, some one like himself who he described himself as belligerent and.... He would probably be classified as high D (standing for Dominance) using the Extended DISC system. People exhibiting high D characteristics would typically be described as demanding, commanding, strong, direct and competitive. The Extended DISC personal analysis would be very useful to Alan Sugar as it would give a further insight into the candidates personalities and give an indication of those who are not naturally high D but exhibiting it purely for his assessments. The importance of finding a candidate whose natural and work behaviours fit is demonstrated by the tendancy for people to revert to their natural behaviours in times of stress and also the stress that is often experienced by people operating a long way outside their natural style.
To find out more about how Extended DISC can help you make the right decisions when recruiting staff and develop your staff call Kerry on 01249 700295.