By Rachel Andrea Ko Go
Writer, Profiles Asia Pacific
Assessments are important for new hires, old employees, and managerial level positions. This article will be discussing why assessments are especially important when hiring and acquiring new talent.
Profiles Asia Pacific has found that the use of assessments results in 10 percent greater overall goal achievement, 28 percent higher engagement, 64 percent greater improvement in quality of hire, and a 50 percent improvement in cost per hire. The Profiles Asia Pacific website also lists 10 reasons why you should use assessments. A few of the reasons listed include making better hiring decisions, targeting developmental needs, reducing workplace conflict by assessing personality types and team dynamics, aligning talent with your company’s unique needs and improving customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Holding assessments is a complicated but necessary task to find a candidate you can be confident in. In addition to focusing on the main goal of finding a qualified candidate, there are ethical, and even legal considerations that must be taken into account. Some of the main things to consider when holding a professional assessment are to measure the total person, offer testing in multiple languages, and tailor your assessment for business.
Measure the total person: Instead of just looking at education, work history and qualifications, look at thinking and reasoning, behavioral traits, and occupational interests.
Offer testing in multiple languages: If your company hires in a country where multiple languages are used, it is important to administer certain tests in a candidate’s native language to avoid unintended answers or responses that feel “rehearsed.”
Tailor your assessment for business: Using general assessments and applying them to your unique business simply will not yield the best results. Craft each assessment with your ideal candidate, your team, and your company’s needs in mind.
Finally, be sure to make sensitive questions optional to avoid legal ramifications. Your hiring process should be free of discrimination (ex. for race and gender), so when asking personal questions during assessments, let candidates know that they are optional. It will take time, money and, sometimes, sanity if an employee or potential employee decides that some of the questions on your survey made him or her too uncomfortable, and seeks legal action.
About the Author: John Pick
