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Using Behavioral Assessments in the Hiring Process
Behavioral assessments can help you determine if the candidate is a good fit for your organization. They are not the one and only answer to making the right hiring decision but are simply a part of the equation. They can test many different things -- from honesty to personality to attitude. Ideally, all employees will have taken an assessment and the feedback will have been evaluated so that you will know what type of person will work best in your environment and on a particular team.
DISC is one type of assessment that may help you with hiring decisions and promotions as well as the performance of your team and organization. You can choose the types of behaviors that are most significant for the position and the culture of the organization. Managers can learn to communicate with their teams more effectively using the results of these assessments. You will find more information and sample reports at http://tools2succeed.com/disc .
The Hiring Decision and The Offer
- Use a key criteria checklist - listing job functions and candidate qualifications.
- If it helps you to talk through it, bring in a trusted co-worker to help.
- If several people are involved in the hiring decision, have each complete a checklist, then meet to discuss the results.
- Conduct reference checks to gain further insight and validate what you have learned.
- Make sure that your decision is objective.
- Conduct a background check on the final candidate. An offer may be extended first, contingent upon a satisfactory background check.
- Once a decision is made, extend the offer as soon as possible.
- Extend the offer verbally first, then follow up with a written offer.
Until next time...
Sheryl Tuchman, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
http://tools2succeed.com/
Even if your organization isn't in a hiring phase right now, chances are pretty good that you'll need to replace someone or open up a new position in the future. Two-thirds of all managers know that turnover is expensive, but they are unable to quantify the cost.
Remember that figures do not include the cost of losing an employee, such as loss in productivity, time spent in exit interviews, money spent on temporary hires, etc. There are many additional costs that are associated with employee turnover that are much harder to quantify, such as loss of morale among employees, customer service disruptions, burnout among existing employees, and loss of an experienced employee.
Even though the cost of employee turnover is high, this does not mean it should be eliminated. If you have an employee who is under-performing, the cost to replace him/her will be far less than what the employee will cost you in low productivity in the long run. You must be ready to undertake the hiring process and invest the time it will take for a high payoff in the end.
Follow a Plan to Reduce Hiring Costs
- Don't wait for open positions to update or create a job description.
- Determine the budget for the position.
- If you aren't in HR, find out how HR will assist in the hiring process.
- Always be aware of advertising options. Many are free (LinkedIn)!
- If recruiters are an option, know which firm you will use.
- Know scheduling conflicts that could affect interviewing time.
How long should you spend in the hiring process?
Companies that set a time limit on how long a position can remain open are setting themselves up for failure. Although you want to be efficient with your time and not allow for an extensive period of time to elapse, you do not want to rush the process. It will take time to find a qualified candidate. Studies show that the average time to fill an entry-level position is 3 1/2 months, while the average time to fill a management position is 7 months or longer.
Until next time...
Sheryl Tuchman, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
http://tools2succeed.com/
