Aims/Objectives

Chess Dynamics, a prominent player in defence technology, faced several challenges in their recruitment process including mixed interviewing experience among staff, newly promoted managers that needed to enhance their interviewing skills and slight deviations in the interview process. The primary objective was to address these issues to streamline the recruitment process and ensure the company had the skillset to attract and retain top talent effectively.

Background

Having partnered with Chess Dynamics as their primary recruitment agency for over 18 months, Holt Executive had a deep understanding of the company’s challenges. Situated in Horsham, Plymouth and Wokingham, Chess Dynamics faced difficulties in sourcing talent, especially given the presence of larger competitors in the area. The required skillsets were niche and often required SC clearance which added to the difficulties in filling vacancies with the right candidates in short time periods. As part of our embedded solution, a dedicated consultant was assigned to manage Chess Dynamics’ roles. However, recognising the need for additional support, Chess Dynamics sought to enhance their staff’s interviewing skills with our interview skills training add-on, designed to help them support and evolve as they grow.

What we did

To address Chess Dynamics’ needs, Holt Executive organised a comprehensive interview skills training session. Led by Jules Hyam, an experienced trainer, the session took place on-site at the Chess Dynamics office in Horsham. Twelve delegates, including hiring managers and HR personnel, signed up, with Chess Dynamics’ in-house recruitment lead, Natasha Maynard, also actively involved. The workshop, spanning three hours, aimed to provide high-level insights into various areas, including using the job description to perform the hard work, establishing benchmarks for assessing candidates, clarifying the purpose of the first and second interviews and who should be in attendance of each, and distinguishing between technical role-specific questions and broader interview questions related to company values, behaviours, and culture. Structured as an interactive workshop, the session ensured active participation and engagement from the delegates.

Outcome & feedback

Following the training session, feedback was collected from the participants to assess its effectiveness. The morning workshop received a 100% satisfaction rate, with feedback praising the presenter’s knowledge, interactive style, and the inclusion of gadgets, indicating a well-received session. Concerning learning outcomes, 90% of participants reported an increase in their understanding of the hiring process and interviewing techniques, with one respondent commenting on their previous lack of knowledge around biases, suggesting that the session provided valuable insights. Regarding confidence levels, 90% of participants stated that their confidence in the hiring process and interviewing had increased, while 10% felt their existing knowledge had not been enhanced. Interestingly, the participant who did not feel more confident had prior experience with Chess Dynamics’ interviewing process.

Additionally, all participants (100%) stated that they would recommend the session to others, emphasising its perceived usefulness and engaging presentation style, with feedback such as “I think lots of people could benefit from the session” and “The presenter was very engaging, professional and certainly added value”. The majority (90%) indicated that the session had covered all required topics, expressing that additional sessions on the topic were unnecessary, while one respondent (10%) indicated an interest in more sessions for continued learning, demonstrating an appetite for ongoing development opportunities. At the conclusion of the workshop, each delegate was invited to write a personal commitment on a postcard — a prompt, reminder, or action they planned to take. These postcards were then sealed in envelopes, which Natasha will redistribute in one month as a tangible nudge towards the implementation of their commitments.

“Holt worked with us to design an interviewer skills workshop for some of our hiring managers. It began with a discussion around our needs and where we were encountering challenges within our hiring process. From there, the Holt team were able to design the workshop around those needs and focus areas. The session was a great mix of information and knowledge sharing as well as practical activities to put skills into practice. We have been given some great feedback from our attendees on the content and delivery of the workshop and have already seen our managers utilising their new and enhanced skills in their interviews. Thanks to Jules and the Holt team for an effective and valuable session!”

–Natasha Maynard, Resourcing Business Partner, Chess Dynamics

Holt’s Talent Advisory & Transformation service represents a forward-thinking approach to talent management. We collaborate closely with our clients to address workforce challenges and foster strategic growth. Going beyond conventional hiring practices, we offer insights and solutions to enhance your talent strategies, tailored to your distinct business objectives.

Our services encompass talent audits to evaluate existing practices, bespoke operational model development, and comprehensive support for specific requirements or complete transformation initiatives for rapidly expanding clients. For further inquiries or to explore how we can assist you, please reach out to Jules Hyam at julie.hyam@holtexecutive.com.