Comments on: Measure Twice, Cut Once – Thoughts on Candidate Assessment http://www.workforceinstitute.org/blog/measure-twice-cut-once-thoughts-on-candidate-assessment/ The Workforce Institute Helps Empower Organizations to Address Human Capital Management Issues Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:56:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: The Workforce Institute » Blog Archive » Part 2: Measure Twice, Cut Once http://www.workforceinstitute.org/blog/measure-twice-cut-once-thoughts-on-candidate-assessment/comment-page-1/#comment-2257 The Workforce Institute » Blog Archive » Part 2: Measure Twice, Cut Once Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:51:02 +0000 http://www.workforceinstitute.org/measure-twice-cut-once-thoughts-on-candidate-assessment.htm#comment-2257 [...] the following post, he discusses candidate assessment strategy.  We’ve discussed this topic in a prior post in 2007.  Phil’s discussion digs a little deeper into not only mapping job competencies, but [...] [...] the following post, he discusses candidate assessment strategy.  We’ve discussed this topic in a prior post in 2007.  Phil’s discussion digs a little deeper into not only mapping job competencies, but [...]

]]> By: Hiring by Design - Finding Job Candidates with the Right Fit http://www.workforceinstitute.org/blog/measure-twice-cut-once-thoughts-on-candidate-assessment/comment-page-1/#comment-100 Hiring by Design - Finding Job Candidates with the Right Fit Wed, 19 Dec 2007 22:28:05 +0000 http://www.workforceinstitute.org/measure-twice-cut-once-thoughts-on-candidate-assessment.htm#comment-100 [...] a previous post related to candidate assessment, I wrote about the manager’s role in helping ensure that [...] [...] a previous post related to candidate assessment, I wrote about the manager’s role in helping ensure that [...]

]]> By: Jay Hargis http://www.workforceinstitute.org/blog/measure-twice-cut-once-thoughts-on-candidate-assessment/comment-page-1/#comment-99 Jay Hargis Sat, 15 Dec 2007 15:51:57 +0000 http://www.workforceinstitute.org/measure-twice-cut-once-thoughts-on-candidate-assessment.htm#comment-99 Joyce, My company, Talent Insight Group (http://www.TalentInsightGroup.com), focuses on assessments. In our world today, it amazes me how many companies don't utilize the science of assessment testing. Understanding what lies beneith the surface of an individual is a critical element of the hiring equation. Information about the thinking style, behavioral traits, and occupational interets of the candidate can make the difference between a ho-hum performer and a superstar. I don't know about you but I want my company filled with superstars! Joyce, My company, Talent Insight Group (http://www.TalentInsightGroup.com), focuses on assessments. In our world today, it amazes me how many companies don’t utilize the science of assessment testing. Understanding what lies beneith the surface of an individual is a critical element of the hiring equation. Information about the thinking style, behavioral traits, and occupational interets of the candidate can make the difference between a ho-hum performer and a superstar.

I don’t know about you but I want my company filled with superstars!

]]> By: Steve Hunt http://www.workforceinstitute.org/blog/measure-twice-cut-once-thoughts-on-candidate-assessment/comment-page-1/#comment-96 Steve Hunt Thu, 13 Dec 2007 18:28:24 +0000 http://www.workforceinstitute.org/measure-twice-cut-once-thoughts-on-candidate-assessment.htm#comment-96 First, as you might expect I really like this blog entry! One of the points I make in my book that is relevant to this discussion is that assessments do not need to be perfect to add a lot of value to the hiring process. Depending on the how they are used, even assessments with relatively low levels of predictive validity can provide substantial financial value when applied to large numbers of hiring decisions. Before I discuss this, its important to remember that no method used for selecting candidates is anywhere close to perfect to begin with. When you are making a selection decision what you are fundamentally doing is trying to predict what a candidate is going to do several months or years in the future. Anyone who has ever tried to gamble or forecast the weather knows that attempts to predict the future often fall short of expectations. This is true whether they are based on intuition, complex data models, or the mystic arts of the ancient Zorastrians. That said, a lot of research has shown that well designed assessments can predict employee performance levels months or years into the future. Furthermore, their level of prediction is almost always well above the accuracy levels associated with less sophisticated methods like "a manager's gut feeling". In addition, companies often have more candidates for jobs than they have time to interview. In these cases, an online assessment that provides even a slight edge in terms of helping companies prioritize who to interview first can create subsantial financial value. Remember, not all candidates are going to get interviewed. So even if an assessment has very little validity, if it can provide a tiny improvement in terms of helping companies giving priority to interviewing candidates with the greatest likelihood of success then it will improve the company's hiring success. And all of this happens before companies ever even talk to the candidates. From a candidate perspective this might seem unfair. If the assessment isn't totally accurate, why should it influence whether I am going to get interviewed? But what candidates typically don't think about is: a) there is a good chance they won't get interviewed with or without the assessment - remember we are talking about hiring situations where the number of candidates exceeds the time companies have to interview them b) if they truly are well suited for the job, the assessment will increase the chances of them getting an interview - granted it might be a slight increase but its better than relying solely on chance or a hiring manager's "intuition" that is likely to be based in part on something as job irrelevant as their name or address. c) if they aren't well suited for the job, then there isn't much value in getting hired, Its rarerly good for one's career or life to get hired into a job you hate or cannot effectively perform. Obviously I could (and have) put down a lot more thoughts on this topic. But this is one thing that often gets overlooked in assessment discussions: assessments do not need to be extremely accurate to be valuable for selection, they just need to be more more accurate than the alternative methods available to hire people. Steve First, as you might expect I really like this blog entry!

One of the points I make in my book that is relevant to this discussion is that assessments do not need to be perfect to add a lot of value to the hiring process. Depending on the how they are used, even assessments with relatively low levels of predictive validity can provide substantial financial value when applied to large numbers of hiring decisions.

Before I discuss this, its important to remember that no method used for selecting candidates is anywhere close to perfect to begin with. When you are making a selection decision what you are fundamentally doing is trying to predict what a candidate is going to do several months or years in the future. Anyone who has ever tried to gamble or forecast the weather knows that attempts to predict the future often fall short of expectations. This is true whether they are based on intuition, complex data models, or the mystic arts of the ancient Zorastrians.

That said, a lot of research has shown that well designed assessments can predict employee performance levels months or years into the future. Furthermore, their level of prediction is almost always well above the accuracy levels associated with less sophisticated methods like “a manager’s gut feeling”.

In addition, companies often have more candidates for jobs than they have time to interview. In these cases, an online assessment that provides even a slight edge in terms of helping companies prioritize who to interview first can create subsantial financial value. Remember, not all candidates are going to get interviewed. So even if an assessment has very little validity, if it can provide a tiny improvement in terms of helping companies giving priority to interviewing candidates with the greatest likelihood of success then it will improve the company’s hiring success. And all of this happens before companies ever even talk to the candidates.

From a candidate perspective this might seem unfair. If the assessment isn’t totally accurate, why should it influence whether I am going to get interviewed? But what candidates typically don’t think about is:
a) there is a good chance they won’t get interviewed with or without the assessment – remember we are talking about hiring situations where the number of candidates exceeds the time companies have to interview them
b) if they truly are well suited for the job, the assessment will increase the chances of them getting an interview – granted it might be a slight increase but its better than relying solely on chance or a hiring manager’s “intuition” that is likely to be based in part on something as job irrelevant as their name or address.
c) if they aren’t well suited for the job, then there isn’t much value in getting hired, Its rarerly good for one’s career or life to get hired into a job you hate or cannot effectively perform.

Obviously I could (and have) put down a lot more thoughts on this topic. But this is one thing that often gets overlooked in assessment discussions: assessments do not need to be extremely accurate to be valuable for selection, they just need to be more more accurate than the alternative methods available to hire people.

Steve

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