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How we Hire with John Hermiz

Science behind selecting Sweden's protectors

  • Friday, March 07, 2025 1:00 PM (CET)
  • Duration: 45 Minutes
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About the episode

Want to dive into the fascinating world of high-stakes recruitment? Join us for our next episode of How We Hire, where we're going behind the scenes of Sweden's most crucial selection process!

Every year, the Swedish Defence Conscription and Assessment Agency (Plikt- och prövningsverket) faces an extraordinary challenge: conducting over 40,000 assessments that directly impact national security. From police training to military officers, their decisions shape Sweden's protective forces.

We're so happy to welcome John Hermiz, their Chief Psychologist, to share the inside story! As the project leader behind their selection methods and the agency's Swedish Enlistment Battery (I-testet in Swedish), John leads a team of 102 psychologists in this vital mission.

Join our host Linnea Bywall for an in-depth conversation about mechanical assessment methods, the challenges of high-volume hiring, and what it takes to build teams that protect a nation.

🗓️ March 7th 🕐 13:00 CET

In this episode, we'll explore:
💡 The agency's shift to mechanical assessments and its impact
💡 Sustaining psychological expertise in a large organisation
💡 Volume hiring challenges for public safety roles
💡 Defining job requirements based on real-world needs

Bring your questions and join the conversation! Whether you're curious about assessment methods, scaling quality hiring, or the future of recruitment, this is your chance to learn from one of Sweden's leading experts.

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Guest of the day: John Hermiz

As Chief Psychologist at the Swedish Defence Conscription and Assessment Agency, John Hermiz leads the psychology function specialising in candidate selection for Sweden's total defence. His work ensures equal and secure assessments through continuous quality improvement, making him one of the most influential voices in high-stakes recruitment.

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Hosted by: Linnea Bywall

Linnea Bywall is a licensed psychologist with 12 years of experience in recruitment and people development. Over the past six years at Alva Labs, she has built the People department from scratch, initially as Head of People and now as COO. Alongside this, she has also helped numerous HR teams improve their hiring practises.

Linnea was recently listed as one of the most inspiring women in tech by TechRound and was featured as one of the 22 Innovative HR Leaders to follow in 2022 by the AIHR Academy to Innovate HR. She also serves on the advisory board of HR Föreningen in Sweden.