By Charles Coker, PhD, SPHR
There are several critical elements as to why assessment
testing is really the only way to ensure employers recruit high-level performers.
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First, many years ago, “Psychology Today,” and couple
of other research organizations joined up and conducted a study. It showed that
reviewing résumés and interviewing a person only proved to be 14%
effective in
hiring an employee that lasted more than two years. Job benchmarking, with its
79% accuracy rate, remains the best way to evaluate potential employees, versus
basing a decision solely on résumés and interviews.
The percentage increases based on skill sets, competency
tests, but the highest level of success is obtained through a battery of
assessment tests. One assessment test can give you a 60% efficacy rate. A second will provide an employer with a 75% to 80% success rate. But three
potential candidates’ assessments can give you up to 90% ability to identify
candidates of lasting value.
Three Types of Assessments
Research has indicated there are specific types of
assessments that have proven most effective for employers when evaluating potential
recruits. The first are the basic Behavioral Assessments, which most people are
familiar with, such as the ones created by Meyers-Briggs and DISC. They help
you better understand the job, and the behavioral requirements for that job
itself. Behavioral assessments help determine how a person acts, which is often
the way they’ll do a job. If you have someone who, according to the assessment results, indicates they’re a fast-paced, extroverted person, you’d be much better having
them in a sales position than you would an introverted, analytical type of
person.
A good example of a basic Personality and Behavioral
Assessment is one that asks a series of questions that help determine:
- How someone projects his or herself to others in multiple dimensions
- How they approach life in seven different categories
- The areas in which they have important strengths
- How their beliefs, as well as their objective and subjective mindsets, impact their life
- Identify any internal conflicts (if apparent) that impact their decision-making process
- Sites areas for their personal attention
- Ten specific word descriptions that define their approach to people and processes
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Ideally, at its conclusion, the assessment also offers some
personal training and development programs that could help them by providing suggestions
and resources for improvement.
For example, at MedMasters, our Basic Personality &
Behavioral Profile assessment helps serve as a tool for personal development
and life application. It was designed as a preview of something deeper and
richer to help you better understand your potential.
Among myriad other aspects, it deals with how you project
yourself to others in multiple dimensions, how you approach life in seven
different categories, helps you identify several areas where you have
important strengths, helps you address internal conflicts that may impact your
decision-making abilities, and much more.
Here’s the Catch-22: Almost 80% of marketing and sales
companies utilize assessment testing, but they don’t utilize them to the
fullest potential. In other words, the basic Behavioral Assessment is just the first step.
The second step, which most companies overlook, is what, in
the human resources assessment field, is known as a “Mind Set” assessment.That
is the way a person mentally approaches a given job. Are they very objective?
Are they very subjective? And what are their beliefs about themselves and the
system that they work in? Without conducting this type of assessment, a company
can hire the most confident person based upon their Behavioral Assessment, but the
employee won’t last because their mindset is not in line with the corporate
culture, mission, vision and values. So the second assessment makes certain you
have the right person in the job, after the Behavior Assessment measures
whether or not they can do the job well.
“Research has indicated
there are specific types of assessments that have proven most effective for
employers when evaluating potential recruits.”
The third type of assessment employers should use to ensure they
have the top level performers, is the “Motivational Screen.” This identifies
how a person achieves success. There are four different measures of an
individual achieving success, and they also relate to how a job is conducted.
So when you measure an individual’s motivations, if they already have
established habit patterns in a successful mindset that fits with the job, their
chance of learning the job — even if they’ve never done it before — is
extremely high. This is where you can get good talent who may not have been in
your industry, but they’re easy to cross train and extremely valuable for
long-term ability to succeed in that particular area.
The assessments on MedMasters were specifically designed
according to the results of a five-year study at the
University of Chester Academics at Westminster Theological Centre in the United
Kingdom, entitled, “The Foundation for Personal and Professional Development.”
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| "Free personality testing" sign. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Similarly, the assessments on MedMasters were specifically
chosen because they cover all aspects of an individual’s behaviors, mindset and
motivation. Therefore, I can identify and determine their success plausibility
with any type of job under any type of circumstance.
MedMasters’ Sample Assessment Reports:
- TTI Success Insights – Sales Skills Index (SSI) Report
- TTI PTSI – Leadership/Management Report
- Trimetrix Sales Talent Comparison Report
- Trimetrix Coaching Sales Report
- Trimetrix Coaching Executive Report
- DNA TTI PTSI Sales – Coaching Sales Report
- DNA TTI PTSI Sales Management – Coaching Executive Sales Report
Corresponding to my discussion above, the pre-employment
assessment utilized by MedMasters includes three levels to assist hiring
managers in the employee selection process. Our system compares the candidates’
key attributes against the position’s benchmarked performance profile to
develop a comprehensive employment assessment report and developmental
information employers can utilize to improve employee recruitment, performance
and tenure.
Dr. Charles “Chuck” Coker serves as MedMasters’ Vice
President of Human Capital Strategies. Such companies as AT&T, General
Foods, Harris Corporation, Sprint PCS and MecLabs Group have retained his
expertise to guide them through the recruitment, acquisition and retention of
high-value employees. Dr. Coker holds professional designations as a Certified
Professional Behavioral Analyst, Certified Professional Values Analyst and is
Certified in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Dr. Coker’s work is so accurate
and effective that Harvard University, Florida State University and Westminster
Theological Centre (in the UK) have hired Dr. Coker or used his methodology for
the basis of specific courses and academic studies. Dr. Coker is also a
nationally published writer and is the author of the soon-to-be-released book,
“Profit Through Your People: How the Human Factor Impacts Your Bottom Line,”
his second non-fiction title. In addition to working with MedMasters, Dr. Coker
is the President of LifeThrive Performance systems, one of America’s most
respected organizational performance consulting and training firms. You may
also reach. You may also reach Dr. Coker by connecting with him
on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and YouTube.
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