YOU CAN’T INTERVIEW SOMEONE INTO BEING MOTIVATED
Drive by Friday
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Drive by Friday –
“I’m just not that into you” … It’s a storyline we all recognise.
And, surprisingly, it’s one that applies to recruitment too.
Sometimes a candidate is perfectly capable of doing the job. They have the experience, they tick the boxes and they interview well. But underneath it all… they’re just not that into it.
Maybe the role looks good on paper. Maybe the salary is attractive. Maybe they’re just simply ready to leave where they are. But that doesn't necessarily mean they want to go there. And that distinction matters.
After many years in recruitment, I’ve learned that I don't believe in pushing a candidate into a job they’re just not that into. I can tell them about the opportunity. I can help them understand the role, the organisation and what it could offer them. But I can't manufacture genuine enthusiasm.
You can't interview someone into being motivated.
You can interview for capability.
You can explore experience, achievements, values and potential.
But motivation is different.
I want my candidates to genuinely resonate with where they’re going.
I want them to be able to tell me what excites them about the opportunity.
Why it makes sense for their next move.
What they see themselves contributing.
Why they can picture themselves being successful there.
And sometimes, after that conversation, the answer is simply:
“You know what? I don't think this is for me.”
And that's okay.
In fact, I'd much rather have that honest conversation before an interview than have someone accept a role, they were never genuinely excited about.
Recruitment isn't about getting someone to say yes.
It's about getting the right person to say yes for the right reasons and the right role.
The same applies from the employer's side.
The best appointments happen when there is genuine alignment - when the organisation sees what the candidate can bring, and the candidate can see themselves succeeding, contributing, and enjoying being part of that organisation.
That's when the conversation changes.
It stops being:
“Can we make this work?”
And becomes:
“This feels right.”
Those are the placements I love most.
Not because I convinced someone to take a job.
But because I didn't have to.
The motivation was already there.
“Where are you going? Do you really want to be there?”
Simpli-U – Because the right move matters.
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Lorraine Singer
Director & Consultant – Simpli-U
Recruitment Solutions for the Novated Leasing, Salary Packaging & Automotive sectors
Australia-wide | Solutions all about ‘U’