Lien about the unique spotit DNA

As a Talent Acquisition Specialist, Lien uses her background in psychology to acquire the right person for the right position. She does not only take experiences, competencies, and diplomas into account, but tries to really see the person behind a candidate. She is always looking for people with the unique spotit DNA.

Let’s start with the spotit DNA. What is that, exactly?

With the spotit DNA we mean a few attributes typical for our employees. It’s mainly entrepreneurship and taking initiative. It’s in our genes to go the extra mile to successfully finish a project, or to help out a colleague where necessary. Helpfulness and mutual respect are very important at spotit. We definitely look at the experiences and skills a candidate has acquired, but the will to learn is crucial. We are looking for people who dare to take matters into their own hands and who dare to take calculated risks.

How do you test such qualities during a job interview?

I present a candidate with concrete situations and ask how they would react. But often, they already talk about challenges they faced in the past, and I can easily discuss how they acted back then and how they would react now.

We regularly use a personality test as an addition to the interviews. This allows us to get better insights in how a candidate would fit into the team, which added values they bring, and which points of attention we should consider. Those tests usually come up at the end of the procedure, but the results almost never discredit a candidate. They do help us to determine how we could provide extra guidance and support to a new colleague during the start-up.

Talking about the procedure, what does it look like?

We like to keep things short and simple! [laughs]

I always start by calling them up, for a short introduction and to schedule a more in-depth interview, at the office or via call. During that interview I look for the necessary skills and the spotit DNA. The next step is a conversation with someone from the team they are applying for. That’s either the manager or a future colleague. They too ask about the candidate’s technical competencies and personality. In the end, this is the team a candidate will join, so they can best determine whether a candidate has a nice addition to offer.

Both HR and the team seem very involved during the entire process.

Correct. Before publishing a vacancy, I organize an intake interview with the team. We discuss the required diplomas, skills and experiences, but also which soft skills they expect to find. What does the team look like now? What do they need? Which skills are they currently missing?

During all the steps of the process, we regularly sit together to evaluate. Are we still looking in the same direction? Do the candidates meet the expectations? How can we adjust? At spotit, we think it’s important to maintain a family feeling, both within the teams as the organization as a whole.

Does your job as Talent Acquisition Specialist mainly consist of acquiring new candidates?

Not at all! I indeed spend a lot of time on recruiting, but my job does not stop when a candidate signs a contract with us. At spotit, onboarding is an extension to recruiting. I guide new spottees during their start-up, make sure they find their way at their job, and remain their main point of contact during the whole process. This way they always know who to turn to. From sending out their application to celebrating their first success at spotit.

I understand why you love your job! And it’s very clear why spotit does not outsource recruiting to specialized firms, but instead choses to keep it in-house.

Definitely. We value a personal and direct approach. Nobody knows the spotit DNA than the people who actually work here on a daily base. Our colleagues are real ambassadors. They have a good sense of who could be a perfect fit for the company. An external firm could never match that.

What should our readers – who are convinced they have THE spotit DNA – do to get in touch with you?

Easy! They could check out our open vacancies at www.spotitsecurity.com/careers or apply spontaneously at [email protected]!