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Expertise Strategy

The science behind
hiring the top 10%

by Martin Hartley, emagine

Ever imagined what it’s like to work for an elite team?

As a business and technology consulting firm, we live of our ability to recruit the very top talent for our business. In this piece, I would like to share our thoughts behind the approach we take at emagine UK.

We call it: The science behind hiring the top 10%.

 

People power businesses

No business can run without good people and we have formed a hiring process that allows us to find some of the most talented candidates in the industry. Hiring the top 10% has always been essential for us as a consultancy firm so that we align elite talent with the needs of our elite clients.

To start the recruitment process, we generate a talented pool of highly qualified consultants with significant industry experience. Typically, we cast a wide net and quickly narrow down once the first step of the process begins; this allows us to figure out who ticks the initial boxes for the role.

The technical test is the first step and is standard to the industry. Those who score 90 per cent and above will progress to the next stage and those who score below will not continue.

Technical ability is the benchmark criteria for the role and it's just the beginning; candidates must present their ability to be equally non-technical, driven and solution focussed whilst sharing values with emagine to succeed.

There is a mix of forensic interview formula and testing protocols, screening, character analysis, production presentations, and non-technical suitability screenings.

This is where we begin to sift through talent with a fine-tooth comb and find the best fit for emagine; if someone doesn't score highly across the board, they will not progress to the next stage.

They must be able to solve problems, fast, communicate with clients exceptionally well and be highly technical to join our team of consultants. emagine consultants really do need to be the full package.

Martin Hartley in front of a dark wall

Martin Hartley, emagine Consulting

They must be able to solve problems, fast, communicate with clients exceptionally well and be highly technical to join our team of consultants

 

An effectful method

This method has proven to be the best way to attract and retain top talent, but it can be demoralising when someone scores a hundred per cent on the technical test but falls in other areas. However, we must be sure our consultants can tick every box.

The process is certainly intense, but candidates of this calibre demand a rigorous process otherwise they believe the job isn't worth having. The more challenging the interview process, the more likely elite candidates will want the job.

It may seem over the top to some, but you don't achieve greatness without aiming high.

The results are passed onto our clients in the form of high-quality consultants capable of executing a technical strategy and delivering a programme of work.

Building elite teams is not about getting bums on seats and filling a gap in the pipeline.

It's a process that should be treated with acute detail. This has been the bedrock of emagine Consulting since we began, and to this date, we uphold a reputation of having elite, high-quality specialists in our sectors who deliver high-end solutions and services to our clients.

Building elite teams is not about getting bums on seats and filling a gap in the pipeline. It's a process that should be treated with acute detail.

 

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