The secret of the match-maker between brain and job

No expensive assessments at the end of a job application, but rather test as many candidates as possible directly. Not on IQ, but on brain functionality. Eric Castien (BrainFirst) developed a test that reveals what makes someone smart and in what context. In our latest Anders Denken Podcast he talks about this form of match-making between brain and job.

For 11 years, Eric Castien has been aiming his arrows at the upper chamber of our society. According to him, when asking what people can achieve, too little consideration is given to brain functions, such as pattern recognition, speed of processing information and retention of attention. That's why he founded BrainFirst: the match-maker between brain and job.

Everyone is an 8 or a 9, the question is in what
Why are some people able to run certain brain processes at full speed and others not? And can you make that, per process, measurable? "Yes," Castien knows after years of research. "Everyone is an 8 or a 9, the question is only in what. We all have natural talents. Some can concentrate very well and block out unnecessary information. Others can process large amounts of information simultaneously. Game-based assessments measure those skills in yourself, your team and (future) job candidates. That helps you make talent decisions in an objective, data-draven and bias-free way."

How this game-based assessment works differently than, say, the familiar IQ test? Listen to the Anders Denken Podcast!

Every job requires something different from the human brain

According to Erik Castien, every job has specific challenges. Take Schiphol Air Traffic Control, for example. There they are looking for candidates who are both fast and accurate: a rare combination, Castien knows. "These specific qualities do not translate to school level, CV or personality test, but they do translate to brain functions. Our game-based assessments show whether someone has what it takes to be both quick and accurate. That's how we helped Schiphol get the best talent. We are of course talking about one very specific job, but every job demands something different from the human brain. Take the work context as the "jar" and the brain as the "lid. Do both of those screw together smoothly? Then you have a good chance of sustainable employability of your talent. In other words, our assessments increase the quality of hires by 44 percent."

Being the best version of yourself

In the late 1990s, the idea arose that everything can be manufactured and learned. A positive approach, which Castien says unfortunately does not always turn out positively. "Einstein said it all: 'If you let a fish climb a tree, it will spend its life thinking it's stupid.' In other words, there is a lot to be gained if we understand in time what someone is and is not good at. That way you give someone the chance to be the best version of themselves."

The secret of talent

You don't achieve that with traditional career paths, according to Castien. "By specifically asking someone the question 'what makes their heart beat faster', you limit their imagination. This is because that person always thinks within certain frameworks, such as sector or prior education, and therefore insufficiently out of the box. We let someone forget who they are today and really look under the hood, at deeper skills. There lies the secret of true talent.

Want to learn more about the match-making between brain and job? Listen to the Different Thinking Podcast here!