Personnel Assessment Tools Can Increase Hiring Success
13 Principles for Conducting Worthwhile Assessment Programs

The renowned business guru Peter Drucker estimates that two thirds of employee hiring decisions will prove to be a mistake within the first year! Employees and applicants vary widely in their knowledge, skills, abilities, interests, work styles, values, integrity, reliability, work ethic, and other characteristics. These differences significantly affect the way people perform on the job. Unfortunately, these differences in characteristics are not necessarily apparent by simply observing or even interviewing the job applicant.

It’s no surprise considering the results of a study conducted by Society of Human Resource Management,* indicating a majority of applicants stretch the truth on resumes:

• More than 50 percent of all job candidates misrepresent their qualifications on their resume
• 67 percent of employees would rather work elsewhere
• 95 percent of applicants will exaggerate during an interview to get a job

A properly developed assessment tool may provide a way to select successful sales people, concerned customer service representatives, and effective workers in many occupations, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration.

Use of “whole person approach” assessment tools provide a systematic approach for Executives, Managers, and HR Professionals to select the right person for the job, those who are able and motivated to do the job, those who will be top performers.

Employees who are well matched to their position have higher attendance records, less turnover, higher job satisfaction, and superior job performance, according to Profiles International Inc., one of the nation’s fastest growing, most progressive developers of assessment tools. Both the employee and the employer share the benefits of enhanced person-job fit.

Appropriate assessments also give companies the ability to demonstrate effective, legally defensible hiring determinations—an imperative component in the hiring process. There is no discrimination since they are “blind” regarding age, gender, and ethnicity.

There are 13 important principles for conducting an effective personnel assessment program, as published by the U.S. Department of Labor in Testing and Assessment: An Employer’s Guide to Good Practices.**

1. Use assessment tools in a purposeful manner
2. Use the whole-person approach to assessment
3. Use only assessment instruments that are unbiased and fair to all groups
4. Use only reliable assessment instruments and procedures
5. Use only assessment procedures and instruments that have been demonstrated to be valid for the specific purpose for which they are being used
6. Use assessment tools that are appropriate for the target population
7. Use assessment instruments for which understandable and comprehensive documentation is available
8. Ensure that administration staff are properly trained
9. Ensure that testing conditions are suitable for all test takers
10. Provide reasonable accommodation in the assessment process for people with disabilities
11. Maintain assessment instrument security
12. Maintain confidentiality of assessment results
13. Ensure that scores are interpreted properly

In today’s competitive business environment, where it is so easy to duplicate products and undercut prices, the key strategic advantage for most companies is the performance of their employees.

A strategic hiring process, which uses a combination of hiring methods and tools to ensure the best fit for the position, will prove to be the most effective in identifying, selecting, and retaining top talent within your organization.