How candidates are scored

Six pillars, one scale, and a person decides.

Every candidate for a role is scored on the same six pillars, each on the same 1 to 5 scale, from evidence in the candidate's own words. There is no overall score, and Motium never makes the hiring decision.

The six pillars

Skills and knowledge. The technical or professional ability the role needs, from role-specific questions and their own work.

Problem-solving and judgment. How they understand a problem, weigh options and make decisions, from scenarios set in the employer's workplace and questions about past decisions.

Execution and ownership. Whether they deliver results, prioritise and take responsibility, from completed work, missed deadlines and measurable outcomes.

Communication and collaboration. How clearly they explain ideas, listen, handle disagreement and work with others, from the conversation itself and examples of teamwork or conflict.

Motivation and role alignment. Why they want this role and whether its work matches their interests and expectations, from questions about the role, their goals and how they like to work.

Adaptability and integrity. How they learn, respond to feedback, handle change and act honestly, from mistakes, unfamiliar problems, feedback and ethical calls.

Each role marks each pillar as high, standard or light weight, so the team sees what matters most for that job. The weight never changes how any one pillar is scored.

The scale

1. Below requirements: Cannot demonstrate the capability the role needs.
2. Partially meets: Shows some capability but would need substantial support.
3. Meets requirements: Gives relevant evidence they can do the work.
4. Exceeds requirements: Shows strong capability across challenging situations.
5. Exceptional: Shows unusually strong, repeatable results and sound judgment.
Insufficient evidence: Its own answer, never a low score. A pillar whose questions were never asked, or that time ran out on, is not marked as a weakness.

What is never scored

Only job-related behaviour and demonstrated ability count. Confidence, charm, polish, appearance, accent and whether someone was likeable are never scored. Nerves, pace, anything said during a pause, and anything about a protected characteristic never move a score. Listening is judged on substance only: whether the candidate answered what was asked and built on what was said.

Evidence, then people

Evidence as it happens. During the conversation, what the candidate says toward each pillar is captured in their own words.

Scores with reasons. When the call ends, each pillar is scored from that evidence, with one line of reason and the moments it rests on, linked to the recording.

Reviewers rate first. Each reviewer rates every pillar, and gives their own recommendation, before Motium's scores and their colleagues' ratings are shown.

A person decides, with a reason. Advancing or declining is a separate step, made by someone on the hiring team, with a written reason, who and when.