How recruiters assess your leadership and management skills?

In today’s professional world, the ability to lead a team effectively has become an essential criterion, especially in positions of high responsibility. Recruiters are tasked with finding candidates capable of guiding their teams to success while embodying the values and vision of the company. But how do recruiters truly evaluate these leadership and management skills? 

Key skills being sought

To answer this question, it is essential to understand the skills most sought after by employers. We are talking about relational, interpersonal, or soft skills. These skills are crucial during a job interview because they are what allow a recruiter to differentiate between two candidates with equal technical skills. Demonstrate your ability to recognize and manage your own emotions as well as those of others. Develop your empathy, stress management, and conflict resolution skills in a constructive manner; this will demonstrate your ability to create a positive and productive work environment. Among these, we find for example:

• Vision: having a clear perspective of the future and defining strategic objectives for the company. To do this, take the time to learn about the company and its industry, and propose innovative ideas during interviews to demonstrate your ability to anticipate future challenges and define long-term objectives;
  
• Listening: the ability to understand the needs and concerns of your team;
• Proactivity: anticipating upcoming challenges and acting preventively;
• Communication: essential for successfully leading a team. Work on your ability to provide constructive feedback. Recruiters appreciate candidates who can inspire and motivate their team through authentic and engaging communication.
  

Self-Assessment of managerial skills

There are dozens of different soft skills, which will be more or less important depending on the contexts of the companies and teams in place. Nonetheless, be prepared to demonstrate yours through concrete examples from your professional life where you have been able to contribute to them.

To do this, it is important for candidates to conduct a self-assessment of their managerial skills. This can be done by asking key questions such as: 

• Do I have the necessary ease to facilitate a meeting? 
  
• Am I capable of public speaking and leading a conference? 
  
• How did I manage conflicts within my team in my previous experiences? 
  
• Am I attentive to my collaborators and do I know how to motivate them effectively?
  

Answering these questions allows the candidate to become aware of their strengths and weaknesses in terms of leadership and management, and to prepare to present them during recruitment interviews. Recruiters also appreciate who seek to improve and develop professionally. By identifying areas for improvement, you can subsequently take the initiative to undergo training, read specialized literature on leadership and management, or participate in networking events to broaden your skills and vision. 

Evaluation methods

Interview questions 

Recruiters use various methods to assess these skills. During interviews, they ask targeted questions aimed at understanding the candidate ‘s personality and managerial approach. For example, question such as “What initial actions would you take upon joining our team?” or “How do you envision celebrating successes within your team?” help to better understand the candidate’s leadership style.

It is through your prior work that you will be able to easily answer these questions. Keep in mind that the most important thing is not to say that you master a certain skill, but to prove it with concrete, concise, and relevant examples. 

The importance of personality tests

Personality tests and behavioral assessments are increasingly used to evaluate leadership and management skills. These tests offer an in-depth analysis of the candidate’s personality, beyond what can be revealed during a traditional interview. They allow recruiters to better understand the candidate’s internal functioning and their way of interacting with other team members. They also help candidates better understand themselves and identify their strengths and areas for improvement.

Recruiters use a variety of methods, ranging from traditional interviews to personality tests, to assess these skills in candidates. It is therefore essential for candidates to carefully prepare for these evaluations by self-assessing their skills and becoming familiar with the different methods used by recruiters.

If you are looking for a new opportunity in Africa or the Middle East, feel free to contact Fed Africa, check out our job postings, or send us your CV via our spontaneous application form.