Recruiting 101: 3 steps to create a perfect candidate profile

What is PAC model and how do recruiters create a profile of a perfect candidate.

The article is originally published on Medium.

This article will explore 3 elements of the process that recruiters use to create a perfect candidate profile (this is the first step before writing a job description).

These three elements of the process are:

• P — Productivity date
• A — Human Capital Assets
• C — Culture

We will look at these three elements in detail and then take a look at an example of how PAC is applied in practice.

1. Productivity date.

Essentially, the productivity date is the date when the company needs and a new hire to be able to assume 100% of his responsibilities and become fully operational.

This date will very much depend on the internal circumstances of how the hiring need had appeared.

Some companies need the new hire to take full responsibility for their contribution to operation ASAP.

Other companies are more interested in the long-term game. They want to invest in the candidate so that later on he would be able to assume a broader range of responsibilities.

2. Human Capital Assets

Human Capital Assets are the economic value that the new hire embodies and represents in a professional context for the potential employer.

This includes:

• Education
• Prior work experience
• Technical skills
• Social capital (e.g. professional network that the new hire can bring in — important for sales roles)
• Foundational skills (communication, writing, collaboration)
• Qualities that employers value (integrity, hard work ethic, etc.)

The combination of those assets can affect the sourcing strategy and overall approach of how the hiring process will be conducted.

3. Culture

Company culture can be defined as a set of unique workstyles, shared values and goals, emotional environment, attitudes and practices that characterize an organization.

Culture is what the hiring managers have in mind when they decide whether a potential candidate is a culture fit. They always think about what the new hire will contribute to the company DNA and how it might affect the operations.

Now let’s look at the example.

Case Study

Let’s imagine two companies.

Abseto & Biodraw. (The names are fake, I just made them up.)

Now let’s say they both companies need a Business Development Representative (BDR).

Abseto is a small company. 23 people. Family run business. Operating in the construction industry. Their previous business developer has just made a move to another company and they are urgently looking for a substitute.

Biodraw is a tech startup. 53 people on the team. Their product is a software solution for large biopharma and life sciences companies. They have a couple of BDRs reporting to the COO.

Now let’s look at the application of PAC for hiring for this role.

1. Productivity date.

• Abseto has just lost a single BDR they had. They need someone to assume the responsibilities and become fully operational ASAP.
• BioDraw does not have such urgency. They need to scale up, but they are also interested in finding candidates who would be able to grow with the company ideally becoming someone who will be able to do as much as the COO himself.

2. Human Capital Assets.

• For Abseto, the requirements can be lower than what they would have under normal circumstances. They are more looking for the right ingredients in a person. Although previous experience with the software they use in-house is preferable, it is not vital. They know that a new hire can be educated on the job. However, he needs to have some industry-specific knowledge.
• BioDraw hires in anticipation of growth. They will be looking into candidates that have substantial career capital (rare and valuable skills). Since the new hire will have to negotiate with scientists they must be able to speak their language, hence an MS or Ph.D. degree would be a relevant education asset.

3. Culture

• Abseto is operating in the construction industry. They’re dealing with some blue-collar workers. They will need a BDR who would be comfortable working in such an environment. He must also be heads-down, focused, and results-oriented.
• BioDraw is a startup. They need someone who is fast on his feet and can wear multiple hats. A startup culture assumes that sometimes you have to engage even if the task is outside of your scope of responsibilities. Due to the company specialization, a perfect candidate must be heavily science-oriented.

Let’s wrap it up.

Key points

• PAC model is a very practical tool that recruiters use to create a perfect candidate profile.
• Although PAC can be universally applied, the specific conditions of the hiring process may vary and that will affect how the hiring decision is being made.

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