As an ex-graduate recruiter at Deloitte, I was very interested to read on LinkedIn that Deloitte are now offering careers coaching. From what I've read, they seem to be pioneering this in the field, and it points to even more recognition from the top graduate recruiting firms that they recognise the value of strength based interviewing as well as recognising the value of individuals understanding their own strengths. Self awareness and knowing what motivates you to work hard and fulfil your potential are increasingly being recognised as valuable traits in applicants, as well as a key part to hiring the right people for the long term.  And not only do Deloitte offer this service to understand strengths to their potential applicants, but parents and teachers can use the helpline. This really widens the net in terms of reaching out to the people in a student's life who ultimately do frequently have some sort of influence on their job choices. 

It's an interesting place to be mentally, when you're in the midst of applying for jobs, as well as for the close ones around you. It's probably fair to say that the majority of active job seekers are keen to secure something quickly, and sometimes they will prioritise being offered a job, over what the job actually is. So this can often lead to applicants saying what they want their interviewer to hear, as opposed to really being themselves, and checking if they are the right cultural fit for the organisational. The result of an organisational/job misfit? Both parties will suffer, the employee won't be able to maximise their potential, and the employer won't get the most out of their employee. Deloitte recently adapted their graduate interview process to use some strength based interviewing and analysis, and perhaps the combination of strength based interviewing as well as Careers Coaching shows that Deloitte have really identified here and are actioning how important it is that their new joiners are great fits for the organisation, and are ready to embrace and commit to their typically three year graduate programmes, and get the most out of it, and realise their full potential. After all, Professional Services' people really are their product. 

I'll be interested to see if PwC follow suit, or perhaps EY since their recruitment process clearly values strengths.