How to discover talent that will exceed expectations

To deliver great customer experience you need people who will surpass your expectations.

Lynda Beattie, Senior Recruitment Professional

As senior recruitment professional my task is to hire talent who will help Webhelp UK deliver outstanding customer experiences. For all kinds of businesses the critical question is, how do you spot the talent that can do it?

Look for passion

Start by looking for candidates who are passionate about what they do, that doesn’t need to be about a particular aspect of their skill set, but also about their genuine passion for life and work.

Secondly, look specifically for people who “get” your business. For us, that’s not as easy as it sounds, because, and I mean this is in a very positive way, most people will admit that they have never worked in such a demanding, challenging workplace like this before.

“Look for people who “get” your business.”

This is an incredibly innovative, fast moving, exciting business to be in, but it’s not for everybody. The right people will instinctively know that we are definitely not the usual run of the mill business.  We attract a tremendous amount of applications from candidates who have worked in sectors and industries that dovetail perfectly into our business, for example, those with a background in consultancy, retail, contact centres, FMCG, hospitality and financial services.

We’re a young company, we’re a growing company, and we need to attract the right people, we want people who intuitively know how they can use their skills, experience and expertise to help drive the business forward.

Find people who intrigue you

“When I meet a candidate who educates me… I certainly won’t be letting go of them.”

Experience has taught me that when a candidate starts to talk to me about the business in detail, and I don’t mean whatever information they’ve sourced from the internet, that’s when I can see that person has definitely gone the extra mile to find out about our business.  I love it when I get to meet someone who starts to talk to me about specifics, when I get that shared experience of enthusiasm and interest, that’s when it gets exciting for me.

When I meet a candidate who educates me, who isn’t just aware of who our clients are and what campaigns we are running, when it’s clear that they are actually beginning to show a real understanding of the business, what it looks like for the future, what it looks like in terms of growth, that’s when I know this person is a live one, and as a recruitment manager, I certainly won’t be letting go of them.

Discover the people who stand out

“Being adaptable to change is another skill crucial to success in a customer experience business.”

The main attribute that I see differentiating the maybe’s from the must haves is an instinctive ability to be innovative. The right candidate must also be able to present as pro-active and possess the ability to be mentally agile, to be confident and not shy away from anything.

Being adaptable to change is another skill crucial to success in a customer experience business, along with being resilient. People need to be tenacious as they are challenged, often!

Candidates with passion, who intrigue you, and have the ability to innovate and change are the ones who will make you think differently and drive your business forward.