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QUICK
TIPS
Making Job Match Testing Integral to Hiring Strategy
tips
on adding this component to your overall hiring strategy
published
6 February 2009 |
Chris
Young
Photo
courtesy of : C Young
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HRM : You assert that if you aren't using an effective
Job Match Testing approach as an integral part of your Employee
Hiring Strategy, you are missing a tremendous opportunity to reduce
turnover, and improve employee retention and morale. How do you
support this assertion and how does one begin to add this component
to their overall hiring strategy?
Chris : From experience both as an employee and
now as a professional, I have observed first- hand the impacts
of poor hiring decisions. Economically, the costs are absolutely
staggering. Emotionally, the costs are even more traumatic. The
reality is colleges are quite good at attracting students who
invest years in an education that is not suited to their Behaviors,
Values, and Attributes.
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Issue
05 | January 2009
Winning
with Emotion
Strengthening Relationships by Building on Your EQ
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Coupling
Values with a Behaviors profile provides a rich perspective
of not only how the person behaves but also why they
do what they do behaviorally.
Perhaps an example will illustrate… From a behavioural
perspective, a person can appear to be a good sales
professional candidate because they say all the right
things in the job interview. The candidate means well
and they act the “part”.
Upon being hired, they perform poorly because their
drive to make money and desire to control their own
destiny is secondary to a high Social/Altruistic Value.
In other words, the Behaviours fit, but the Values
do not drive the sales person to “close the
deal”. The net impact is a frustrated sales
manager and an employee who perhaps suffers from guilt
and doubt because they cannot do the job well.
Chris Young, Founder Rainmaker Group Inc
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The
result is many people who are not a good fit for the position they
hold. The result is high employee turnover, reduced employee retention,
and lower employee morale and engagement. We believe the moral responsibility
is on the employer to ensure the best possible Job Fit possible.
The Job Match Testing process is an investment.
Step 1 - Assess the current cost of employee turnover,
retention, and morale problem. Is there a real problem in the first
place and if so, what are the real costs in terms of actual hard
turnover costs, management costs, and lost productivity? Most organisations
have literally little idea of the real costs of their Job Mismatch
Problem. Upon identification of these costs, the motivation and
resource commitment is typically quite immediate. If one fails to
assess the costs of the existing problem, it will be quite difficult
to get the financial and resource support necessary to improve the
hiring strategy. Begin with the cost of the existing problem.
Step 2 - Identify a “beta project”
where the costs of turnover, retention, and morale are high and
target that particular area for improvement. Build a “base
case” to write an internal white paper documenting the “before”
and “after” impacts of an improved hiring strategy.
In other words – seek an opportunity to create a “story”
that will build support for future, larger projects.
Step 3 - Benchmark the Job(s) to identify what is needed
from a Behaviors, Values, and Personal Attributes perspective for
the beta project. This process can be incredibly insightful from
many perspectives.
Step 4 - Complete a talent inventory of current staff in
the “beta area” in order to identify existing Job Fit
challenges. This process can be very enlightening about the existing
challenges.
Step 5 - Implement the Job Benchmark, profiles, and lessons
learned into the overall hiring strategy.
Step 6 - Measure the long-term cost reduction and overall
Return on Investment.
HRM
: With the myriad number of assessment tools and tests available,
what criteria should one employ in choosing the most appropriate
tool or test?
Chris : First and foremost, are you really serious about
improving your employee turnover, retention, and morale? If you
are, go with a “deeper” profile assessment series that
goes beyond Behaviours only. It is important to remember that a
focus on Behaviours only will cost more in the long-run. It is important
to note that many profile companies advertise that they measure
“Motivators” but they really only measure Behaviours.
Behaviors can be motivating if you upset a person!
Secondly, make sure the research and validity of the profile assessment
is solid. How long has the profile organisation been in business?
What is their reputation? How long has the practitioner been using
the profile instrument? Do the practitioners or consultants primarily
work with large companies or small or a mix? Are you going to be
an important part of their business or just another number? Will
the person you are working with be employed with them in the long-run?
Does the practitioner have real-life experience? Who would you be
working with in the profile company’s team? Would it be a
good fit? Are you going to be working with a “talking head”
with little practical experience or someone who really knows what
they are talking about? 
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About Chris Young
Chris is Founder of Rainmaker Group, Inc., a US HR consultancy providing
customised employee selection and retention solutions among their
many service offerings.
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