Shaking up your selection process “If most employers are asking the same interview questions, and there are templates for right and wrong answers, then what is the point of having job interviews at all?”* As we all know, most employers ask the same or very similar interview questions, plus there are many resources available to coach candidates how to best respond to common interview questions. With candidates having the opportunity to prepare answers that we want to hear, how do we as hiring managers determine who the best candidates actually are? We shouldn’t discredit candidates that have great answers to our interview questions; the ones who have done their homework researching our company and who know what we are looking for in a candidate. However, what else can we do to find out more about them and the likeliness that they’ll be top performers? There is a wide array of selection methods for hiring managers to use when trying to find the best employee out of a pool of candidates. These methods range from advanced work simulations to the face to face interviews, with many options in between. Choosing the most appropriate methods can be challenging, resulting in many organizations sticking to their established processes in a “better the devil you know” approach. However, new approaches in candidate evaluation can lead to a significant improvement in decision making – increasing the odds of identifying great employees and screening out candidates who are not the best fit for your organization. The chart below shows the level of effectiveness of different types of assessment techniques – while no selection method is perfect, some work much better than others. Of course, before you start implementing new assessment techniques you need to address the most important topic: What matters? For an individual to be successful in the position you are trying to fill, what skills, characteristics, knowledge and traits does that person need? What specific attributes should you look for? Psychologists call this process a job analysis; others call it building a job profile, or writing a job description. But the point is the same – once you have answered these questions, and are clear on what you need, you can then begin measuring what matters. Your answers will help you select the most appropriate techniques, choose the most effective assessments, and sift through your candidate pool in a purposeful, practical and defensible way. At Psychometrics Canada, our selection assessments are designed to help you understand people and predict future behaviour. In order to realize the benefits of these tools you need to know what you are looking for. If you would like to discuss how we can help your organization better evaluate job candidates, please contact us at 1-800-661-5158 or info@psychometrics.com. *Workopolis
