One question frequently asked of Windridge Consulting is: “How do we use behavioral assessments in a way that integrates well into our hiring and succession management decisions?”
The most important thing to remember when making hiring and succession management decisions when using assessment feedback is that your objective is always to extend respect to both the candidate (internal / external) and to your organization
Hiring – 5 steps to hiring right the first time:
- Clarify job descriptions and hiring criteria. You want to know up front what behaviors and skills are “must haves” for someone to be successful in the position.
- Equip recruiters with assessment tools. Using assessments will up-the-level of the candidates they pass along to the hiring team.
- Make sure to see past any interview bias and use assessment feedback to gain insights into “behind the scene” behaviors. Keep in mind that it’s easy to disguise behaviors during an interview. For example low Ambition, low Conscientiousness, low Responsibility and/or low Respect for Authority / Management are the very behaviors that will come back to haunt you three months after the hire.
- Be aware, there is a lot of “interview” coaching going on these days. If you don’t believe me, do a Google search!
- Your end goal should be to place people into the positions where they can achieve up to their full potential. You may like a candidate, but if they are not a good fit (behavior / skills) both you, and they, will be frustrated.
Performance – 4 steps to take after you’ve hired someone:
- Once hired, set performance expectations (from day one).
- Provide your new hire with their assessment feedback and coach or train accordingly. The goal is to help your people succeed!
- Assess your current workforce to identify where strengths and weaknesses are. This will also enable you to see if there is any disconnect between team members (via Group Profiles). Using Group Profiles will also give you an idea of how a new employee will fit into your current workforce.
- Design professional development strategies and use assessments to provide managers and supervisors with feedback to help them better understand the dynamics of their workforce.
Successfully using behavioral assessments in your hiring and employee development processes is about paying attention to detail, showing respect, and using common sense.
If you have questions or need help please contact Lindsay Colitses directly via email: lindsay.colitses@windridgeconsulting.com or by phone: 206-533-9700.