For Tom Hård af Segerstad, Talent Acquisition Business Partner at the Swedish watch and accessory brand Daniel Wellington, it embodies a hands-on approach that combines efficiency, seamless communication, and an in-depth grasp of the hiring manager's needs.
Integral to this talent delivery is an important tool: the Alva candidate assessment platform. Daniel Wellington has worked with Alva Labs since 2019 as part of its journey to build the world-leading watch and accessory brand.
Harnessing potential in high-volume recruitment
Due to its brand promise, Daniel Wellington enjoys a steady inflow of candidates for a majority of open job positions. Tom uses Alva to assess candidates for various positions, from leadership roles to interns. The latter can often attract upwards of 300 applicants per position. For those types of early-career roles, Tom turns to Alva's ability to assess a candidate's potential through the Logic and Personality Test.
Through Alva, Tom can evaluate whether young candidates have the right personality they're looking for, as well as if they possess strong problem-solving skills.
"It's really hard to decide who would be best for that type of job based on a resume, especially when we're not looking at work experience," Tom said. "We don't just want to look at people who are good at creating a fancy resume."
This efficiency is crucial for Tom, who currently holds the reins of the Talent Acquisition function at Daniel Wellington single-handedly. Dealing with such a volume of applicants without Alva would otherwise be overwhelming, as he must sift through 200 qualified resumes while simultaneously managing recruitment for other roles.
"We have a strong employer brand, meaning we get a lot of applications," Tom said. "I’m really happy and grateful for it, but it also comes with more responsibility, and sometimes it’s challenging to uphold a good candidate experience”
Nurturing internal alignment for fast and strategic hiring
Naturally, not all roles attract such an influx of candidates. Here, Tom has to work strategically with the company's hiring managers. There are ongoing conversations about what type of competencies the hiring manager seeks in a candidate. He also works to push candidates through the process together with the hiring managers, remarking that it's often from "being slow" when the company misses out on prized targets.
By assessing candidates early in the process, both Tom and his hiring managers have a foundation of data to make more informed decisions.
This is particularly important in leadership candidates, where Alva plays a critical role in identifying candidates who map to Daniel Wellington's requirements, where having a high level of Emotional Stability has been a focus the last few years with past changes in the business. The Alva Personality Test is a valuable tool in this regard, with Tom noting that the results typically speak volumes. He and the hiring managers occasionally incorporate this data to craft Situation-Behaviour-React questions for interviews.
Tom said he's received plenty of positive feedback on using Alva Personality Tests and the Team Fit function in recruitment. Much of that stems from the qualified applicants he delivers. And he makes himself available to hiring managers who are keen on learning more about the Alva assessments themselves.
"I want to assure them that they're making a good choice, and more objective data points often help convince them that they are," Tom said.
Creating a memorable journey for candidates
One sure sign of a great candidate experience at Daniel Wellington is when candidates, even those who didn't land the job, are eager to apply again. Tom attributes this to a transparent and well-communicated hiring process.
This is detailed on the company's "Recruitment at Daniel Wellington" page, where the company notes that all candidates will receive an equal chance, that skills are prioritised over hobbies, and that candidates with potential are viewed as assets. All steps of the process – including the Alva assessments – are mapped out so candidates know exactly what to expect.
When speaking with Alva Labs, Daniel Wellington was juggling 400 candidates in various pipelines. So, how does Tom make sure they all walk away feeling valued? Keeping candidates updated is key, but it's also important for them to feel at ease throughout their journey.
Alva steps in here with its candidate-focused approach. With Alva, candidates don't need to set aside hours for assessments. The Logic and Personality tests take a combined 30 minutes and work on any device. Plus, candidates get immediate feedback with a report, which adds to a positive experience.
For Tom, it's quite clear: "During the recruitment process, we truly have a chance to create ambassadors for the brand (Daniel Wellington), as well as long-lasting candidate relationships. Working with recruitment is also so much more fun when you deliver a perfect process, and all parties are happy to start their new adventure together".
