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“Practical tips on integrating a Strengths-based Assessment approach -
a Barclays Case Study”
Charlotte Hart, Barclays
Nicky Garcea, Capp
The Challenge
• Little differentiation
• Prepared candidates!
• Assessor disengagement and time pressured
• Inconsistent approaches
• Poor realistic job preview
Why Strengths-based?
• Diversity and social mobility benefits
• Chance to differentiate and innovate
• Focus on motivation, long term fit
• Generation Y / Z want to use their strengths at work
• Appreciation of differences between service lines
1. You do it well – Performance
2. You feel good doing it – Energy
3. You do it a lot – Use
(Linley, Biswas-Diener, Willars, 2010)
Strengths Defined
Performance Energy Use
Differentiating Strengths
Listening for Strengths
Weaknesses and Learned Behaviours
Anxious
Drained
Agitated
Inauthentic
Shorter Response
No Examples
Strengths
Relaxed body language
Focused/Energised
Tone of voice
Terminology
Authentic
Passionate
Visualise
Childhood Memories
Strengths @ Barclays
2011
• Investment Bank EMEA (7 pilot businesses)
2012
• Investment Bank EMEA & APAC
• AC Tools
2013 • Investment Bank,
Corporate Banking, Wealth & Investment Management (all businesses)
• EMEA & APAC
• All interviews and AC Tools
Competencies and Strengths
Similarities Differences
Devised through rigorous job analysis Identify core and differential strengths
Relate to behavioural observation Strengths assess energy performance and use
Offer increased objectivity Candidates are not only asked about their past
performance
Assess past experience Candidates pace, energy and motivation is being
assessed
Seeks to identify excellence not just
competence
Can be used alongside technical
assessment
Past performance not the only lens being
reviewed as a predictor of future performance
e.g. passion
About Strengths-based Interviewing
• Greater variety of question styles - open, closed, hypothetical/situational, past-behavioural
• No probing
• No interpretation of the questions
• Rapid fire
• More natural responses
• Less well-rehearsed past-behavioural examples
• Not reliant on past work experience
Competency Question
• Tell me about a situation when you have had to demonstrate your credibility?
Strengths Question 1
How do you feel when someone challenges you in your area of expertise? (Wait
for response) Why do you feel like this?
0
Tentative response. Mentions that
they feel nervous or uneasy.
Mentions that they don’t like
having to defend their knowledge
to others.
3
Provides an Indifferent response.
States that they feel fine and ok
being challenged.
Explains that defending their area
of expertise is something that
they expect to do.
5
States that they feel motivated
and passionate about defending
their knowledge and area of
expertise.
States that they do this because
they enjoy demonstrating their
knowledge and expertise to
others.
Strengths Question 2
What makes people pay attention to your opinion? (Wait for response)
How has this helped a recent situation?
0
Response suggests that this
does happen but infrequently.
Provides weak or no evidence
for sharing how they develop
their credibility.
3
Demonstrates that they do
believe people respect their
opinion and acknowledges that
this is due to their credibility.
A hypothetical or general
reason is provided of why they
take this view.
5
Demonstrates that they do
believe people respect their
opinion and acknowledges that
this is due to their credibility.
A specific example is provided
of why they take this view.
Interviewer Feedback
“Quick-fire questions meant candidates have to think on their
feet, which really shows the strong candidates and how their thinking
processes work.”
“Overall very impressed with the ability to assess candidates fairly and really focus on their
strengths.”
“This technique is excellent for candidates with minimal or no work experience. It also prohibits the interviewer from guiding the interviewee into the answer. This style appears to relax candidates in a timelier manner than that of traditional techniques.”
“I liked it a lot. It was visibly tougher on the candidates and it made it
more difficult for them to serve up pat answers. The consequence was
that the interviews were more enjoyable for the interviewer. I’m
actually looking forward to the next one!”
• 85% agreed that the strengths-based interview process
allowed them to show assessors who they really were
• 76% felt valued as an individual in going through the
strengths-based interview process
• 75% enjoyed going through the strengths-based interview
more than other interviews they had attended
• 67% had a more positive view of the Barclays brand as a
result of strengths
Evaluation - Candidates
• 74% thought the strengths-based interview enabled them to distinguish better between low, average and high performers
• 72% thought the strengths-based interview elicited less ‘rehearsed’ responses from candidates compared to the previous competency approach
• 58% thought the strengths-based interview enabled them to truly understand the strengths and weaknesses of a candidate, relative to a competency-based approach
• 50% thought the strengths-based interview resulted in a higher quality of candidates proceeding to assessment centre, relative to a competency-based approach (just 14% disagreed)
Evaluation - Assessors
6 Strengths-based Assessment Tips
Engage
Differentiate Roles
Validate
Train
Cascade
Evaluate
Clients Using Strengths
1. Culture Shaping
Long Term Benefits
Improved Retention
Attrition reduced by
50% in first 12 months
Employer Brand
33% increase in positive
candidate perceptions
Happier Customers
Customer satisfaction up 12%
Diversity / Adverse
Impact
Increased diversity – no
adverse impact
Performance
Productivity increased
by 21%
Cash Savings
Cost per hire reduced from
£950 to £577
© Capp & Co Ltd 2013
