Applications
Using Belbin in Recruitment
Job descriptions are full of phrases like “team player” and “reliable” that are hard to define and harder to assess. Belbin gives you a common language for the behaviours a role really needs, and a practical way to assess candidates against them.
The Principle
Eligible Isn’t the Same as Suitable
One of Belbin’s core principles is that every job needs someone who is both eligible and suitable for the role.
Try This Quick Exercise
Think of someone who is excellent at their job. Quickly jot down what you think it is that makes them excellent. Then sort each point you have written into one of the two boxes below.
Most people find far more of their notes are about suitability than eligibility.
Eligibility
Qualifications, job knowledge, technical skills, experience and learning potential. Usually well covered by CVs and interviews.
Suitability
The behaviours and attributes the role requires. Often what decides success, and the part Belbin defines and measures.
How It Works
Belbin as a Selection Tool, Step by Step
Hiring manager
Complete a Belbin Job Profile
Someone who knows the role well answers a short questionnaire about what the job needs. It takes around 10 to 15 minutes.
Job ReportBelbin
Get the Job Report
The report ranks the Team Role behaviours the role needs, showing which are essential, useful or unnecessary.
Candidates
Candidates Complete Their Assessment
Each candidate completes the Belbin self-assessment and can receive their own report, a genuine benefit to them whatever the outcome.
Individual ReportBelbin
Match Candidate to Job
A Job Comparison Report compares each candidate’s behavioural profile with the role, showing how suitable they are.
Job Comparison ReportBelbin Scotland
Interpret the Results
We can help you interpret the reports. A quick discussion is normally free of charge.
Optional
Build Better Interview Questions
Use the Job Profile to write behavioural, competency-based questions that fit the role.
Example: if the role needs very high attention to detail (Completer Finisher), you might ask: Can you give me an example of when you had to work to very high quality standards?
That’s far more revealing than asking whether someone is “hard working”.
The Benefits
Why Use Belbin in Recruitment?
Accurate Job Descriptions
Define the required behaviours in a common, measurable language.
Candidate Assessment
See each candidate’s behavioural style, strengths, manageable roles and weaknesses.
Effective Selection
A clear visual comparison of each candidate against the role requirements.
Low Cost
Affordable compared with many other psychometric assessments.
Fast Reporting
Reports are produced in real time and can be emailed automatically.
Candidate Attraction
Candidates value their own report, which makes you a more attractive employer.
Objective Decisions
More objectivity than an interview alone, for better hiring decisions.
Better Team Fit
Add a candidate to a Team Report to see how they’d fit and to shape their induction.
Lower Staff Turnover
People suited to their roles are more engaged, more satisfied and more likely to stay.
No accreditation is needed to use Belbin reports in recruitment. For regular users, we offer a half or full-day Recruitment and Selection Workshop and three-day Belbin Accreditation.
Belbin Scotland Case Study
“In the third sector you are often recruiting for roles that are bespoke to a programme and don’t follow conventional job titles. With Belbin Scotland’s support, we used the Belbin tool to develop Job Profiles and agree the skills and attributes the panel was looking for, all before we’d spoken to a candidate. It made us more specific in our advertising and more confident going into the process. Would highly recommend.”
Leona McDermid, CEO
Make Your Next Hire a Better Fit
We’ll talk you through how Belbin could work in your recruitment process, with sample reports, costs and client references on request. If you would like help with the whole process, our associated website White Cube Consulting offers full recruitment and selection services.