It’s safe to say that employee assessment tools are all the rage these days. Pretty much everyone expects a background check and maybe a drug screen before starting a new job. Many people have taken a leadership or aptitude assessment when being considered for a promotion or as a team building activity. But over the last few years, the variety of online pre-hire assessment tools flooding the marketplace is staggering. And companies are jumping on this new trend boat like it’s on the way to a beach party and there’s an open bar on board. What’s all the excitement about, anyway?
Any business owner can tell you what the most expensive line item on their budget is without blinking…it’s the people. Smaller businesses in particular don’t need a spreadsheet to tell them how turnover impacts their business because they can FEEL the drain on productivity, efficiency and therefore the bottom line. It only makes sense to put forth substantial effort into hiring the right person for every position. Not doing so isn’t just shortsighted and counterproductive; it’s really, really expensive.
But fear not! New companies and assessment tools are popping up left and right, primed and ready to deliver the solution of your dreams. The science has been around for years, and web-based platforms have made using them widely accessible and affordable. Any employer can more than make up for the cost of an assessment strategy just by using the results to make better decisions, right? It sounds logical. Even the most skeptical of HR pros agree that all of these statements are true. So is it really that easy? Hmmm…
I can easily recall employees who have turned out to be “bad hires” despite one or more pre-hire assessments. The employees were competent, decent people and didn’t sneak anything by the hiring managers or HR. There were in-person interviews with plenty of interaction to assess qualifications and mutual interest. The recruiters checked references thoroughly. The assessments were reputable and valid tools. And still bad hires can sometimes slip through the cracks. How could this be?
“Here’s the thing we don’t always get right:
using assessments is only valuable if you are assessing the right things.”
Determining what kind of assessment will enhance the recruiting process is not always obvious. Too often, our own narrow thinking is to blame. We want to rule out candidates with traits of the person who didn’t work out. We want to emulate the rock star employee who just retired. We want someone that is a good fit with our company values and culture. We need someone who can do the job. This doesn’t seem like rocket science. What we miss is that while we can use assessments to learn more about who an employee is or is not, the profile for a good fit vs. a bad fit is not black and white.
A candidate can have all the qualifications in the world and measure off the charts on an assessment. He or she can have spectacular references and personal values that match your culture. That doesn’t mean that the work style or personality of that candidate will mesh with the supervisor or subordinates or co-workers or customers he or she will work with. There are some variables that are just plain difficult to predict or measure because they are subjective. And there are too many variables to measure using just one or two products.
Assessments certainly should not be discounted as a valuable tool. They can enhance your recruiting process and decrease turnover and cost. The key to using an assessment successfully is to focus on the right things in the right order. First, put enough thought into the candidate profile for open positions. What do you really need? What do you really want? Asking for input here is a great way to glean some valuable insight. Ask internally and talk to your trusted HR advisor. Be bold and open to new ideas from objective resources. Then work with HR to craft the right interview questions, ensure exposure to more than one interviewer for your top candidates to get multiple viewpoints.
If you choose to use an assessment, choose one as the last step before reviewing candidates. “Pick a tool designed to provide insight into either the most important element you need (i.e. if you need a highly competitive field sales employee use a pre-hire assessment that looks for a proactive, assertive self-starter), or maybe the hardest element to identify during the interview process (ability to react calmly under pressure or deal with ambiguity). Select a tool to complement the real magic: an accurate candidate profile and job description, the right interviewers and the right interview questions.
Having the right candidate profile and interview questions are critical, and not as easy as it sounds. Also, it’s extremely important to use an assessment tool designed specifically for your purpose, if using an assessment is needed at all. (Not doing so can have big legal implications.) A knowledgeable recruiter or HR partner can provide tremendous impact just by helping you prepare for the hiring process. A professional’s insight can be the difference between a proficient hire and a stellar hire. Need a pro to partner with? Click here to learn more about hr-haven, how we can help recruit for your culture, and just one of the many assessment options we can help you navigate to invest your job search dollars wisely.