“CV-based” recruitment feels reassuring. University, job title, employer brand, years of experience… all signals that create the impression of an objective screening process. But these are indicators of conformity, not performance.
The real lever isn’t about screening faster. It’s about building a predictive model based on the competencies that genuinely drive success in the role.
The real game-changer is screening against the right criteria — the ones that show up in real work — and starting to hire based on observable evidence.
In this article, we outline a structured approach that shifts the needle: defining success criteria upfront, building a competency-based predictive model, conducting robust assessments, and measuring performance at 3–6 months.
First step: define success criteria for the role
Before recruiting, ask the right question: what genuinely makes someone successful in this role?
Start with expected outcomes, not qualifications.
A useful success criterion must meet three requirements:
- Is it measurable? Can you observe a performance gap between someone who has this competency and someone who doesn’t?
- Is it predictive? Does this competency directly influence the expected outcomes of the role?
- Is it actionable? Can you assess it consistently and compare it fairly across candidates?
If your criterion sounds like “autonomy”, “team spirit” or “attention to detail” without an operational definition, it’s too vague. It invites subjective judgement — and therefore bias.
Identify cross-functional competencies that predict success
Some competencies are universal, regardless of sector. They appear across most roles and reliably predict performance.
Here are five you can integrate into your framework.
Competency 1 — Problem solving
The ability to analyse complex issues, identify root causes and make sound decisions in uncertain environments. Demonstrated through structured diagnosis, testable hypotheses and adjustments based on results.
Competency 2 — Learning agility
The ability to acquire new skills independently, embed them quickly and apply them effectively. Demonstrated through identifying skill gaps, structuring learning and showing visible progress over time.
Competency 3 — Collaborative effectiveness
The ability to move a group forward, manage disagreements constructively and clarify roles and decisions. Demonstrated through stakeholder alignment, productive conflict management and clear processes.
Competency 4 — Execution capability
The ability to deliver high-quality outcomes on time, prioritising effectively and making trade-offs under constraints. Demonstrated through tangible deliverables, smart prioritisation and rational decisions around quality, timing and resources.
Competency 5 — Performance under pressure
The ability to maintain high performance in changing environments, under pressure and shifting priorities. Demonstrated through regaining control amid uncertainty, clear prioritisation and consistent quality despite pressure.
These competencies apply across roles, with varying levels of importance. Your job is to identify which are critical and which are simply desirable.
Best practice: from business strategy to competencies
Start with the expected outcomes of the role (business goals, deliverables, impact), work backwards to the competencies that drive them, then translate each competency into observable and measurable behaviours.
Example: Digital Project Manager
- Expected outcome: deliver projects on time with aligned stakeholders
- Key competencies: execution capability (critical), collaborative effectiveness (critical), problem solving (important), performance under pressure (important), learning agility (desirable)
This upfront clarity is what allows you to build a coherent predictive model.
Second step: build your predictive model
A predictive model translates your success criteria into a standardised and comparable assessment system.
The principle: framework + weighting + customisation
Rather than starting from scratch for every hire, rely on a structured competency framework covering the full range of professional dimensions: cognitive, interpersonal, operational, adaptive and managerial skills.
Ideally, your framework should allow you to:
- Select the competencies relevant to the role
- Weight each competency based on its level of importance (from critical to optional)
- Customise the model according to your business context
This approach prevents you from reinventing the wheel while retaining the flexibility to tailor the model to your specific needs.
Example of a customised model
Role: Business Developer
- Persuasion and negotiation: critical
- Resilience: critical
- Interpersonal intelligence: essential
- Problem solving: essential
- Learning agility: important
- Planning and organisation: important
- Creativity: optional
This model becomes your benchmark for all candidates. It allows you to measure the fit between the assessed profile and the actual requirements of the role.
Third step: assess and analyse the fit
Once your model is defined, you can assess candidates in a structured and comparable way, combining objective assessments with context-specific validation.
The assessments
A. Psychometric tests
Psychometric assessments allow you to objectively measure the competencies defined in your model. They provide standardised evaluations of cognitive abilities, personality traits and behavioural competencies.
The advantage? Standardised scores, independent of evaluator bias, comparable across candidates and backed by scientific validation.
B. Asynchronous video interviews
Asynchronous video interviews complement psychometric tests by validating critical competencies through concrete examples. Identical questions for all candidates, standardised scoring by multiple assessors and reduced bias.
Some platforms offer question libraries aligned with role-specific challenges (leadership, project management, conflict resolution, etc.). You can also integrate job-specific multiple-choice questions to assess technical or regulatory knowledge.
In some cases, semantic analysis tools can standardise the initial review, allowing assessors to focus on qualitative judgement rather than note-taking.
Analyse candidate-role fit
Once assessments are completed and interviews scored, you obtain a competency profile for each candidate.
Fit analysis includes:
- Overall fit score: alignment between the candidate’s profile and the role model (including weightings)
- Strengths: competencies where the candidate exceeds expectations
- Development areas: critical competencies where the candidate falls short
- Watchpoints: gaps between objective assessment and interview validation
Example feedback summary
Candidate: Marie D. – Role: Digital Project Manager
Overall fit score: 82%
Strengths:
- Collaborative effectiveness: 92% (critical level expected)
- Learning agility: 85%
- Performance under pressure: 88%
Development areas:
- Execution capability: 68% (critical level expected – requires deeper exploration)
- Problem solving: 72%
Recommendation: strong profile with high collaborative potential. Explore planning methodology in the final interview for complex projects. Provide enhanced support on prioritisation during the first three months.
This analysis enables decisions based on converging data — not gut feeling.
Fourth step: measure predictive quality at 3–6 months
Without post-hire measurement, your system won’t improve. You’ll have opinions, not a learning model.
Three success indicators to track
- Operational performance: objectives achieved, quality of deliverables, productivity vs expectations
- Autonomy: level of managerial support required, speed of ramp-up
- Collaborative impact: quality of teamwork, contribution to the wider group
Two complementary tools
The 3–6 month performance review allows managers to provide structured, comparable feedback on actual performance. By standardising questions for all new hires, you build a reliable dataset to assess recruitment quality.
The 6-month 360° review provides a multi-perspective view by gathering feedback from managers, peers, team members and internal clients. It validates real collaborative impact beyond managerial perception and helps detect relational issues early, while delivering actionable development feedback.
Create a continuous improvement loop
This measurement allows you to:
- Validate predictive quality: which assessed competencies genuinely predict performance?
- Adjust weightings: if 80% of your hiring failures relate to one competency, increase its importance
- Calibrate your tools: identify which assessments best predict on-the-job performance
- Develop your managers: share profiles that have performed best and analyse failures
Predictive recruitment isn’t a buzzword
It’s a coherent system linking key steps: defining success criteria, building a customised competency model, conducting standardised assessments, analysing fit, validating in context, measuring performance and continuously refining the model.
It’s the combination of these methods that makes recruitment more reliable, more consistent and, crucially, improvable over time.
To move from theory to action, predictive recruitment requires a structured methodology and checkpoints at every stage. We recommend creating a detailed checklist to ensure each element is in place — from defining success criteria to continuously refining your model.
Recruitment then becomes what it should be: a data-informed decision-support system designed for sustainable performance.
