Qualified Assessments

Hiring Assessments Can Revive Your Bottom Line

by

 HireRight“If it weren’t for assessments, I would hire the way I always do and  get the same bad results!” — President, Engineering Company

 

Many companies today are focused on increasing sales, saving money and improving profitability. They spend a lot of time evaluating equipment and systems to ensure the best ROI. However, they fail to take the same amount of care when selecting the right resources to hire and manage their most important asset – their employees!  The result is, they miss many opportunities to hire the right people, and often lose top talent and customers due to their mistakes – costing them time, money and market share.

Cost of Poor Hiring Practices

Many executives know their turnover rate – some are proud that they are below industry standard. However, they have not quantified the financial impact to the bottom line and are in denial that they can do anything to improve it.

When you take the time required to tabulate the cost of a bad hire, promote the wrong person, or lose a talented employee, you will realize you must objectively assess potential job candidates for job fit, core values and required skills.  Using qualified assessments can significantly lower theft, cost of turnover, workers’ compensation, unemployment and other employment/liability claims when used appropriately. Remember, include intangible costs such as loss of reputation, quality, customers, vendors and other important factors in your calculations, since all of these can negatively impact your bottom line.

Select Qualified Hiring Assessments

There are over 3,000 publishers of assessment products in the market. Most assessments do not comply with the Department of Labor’s guidelines for pre-employment use (See: Testing and Assessment: An Employer’s Guide to Good Practices, Department of Labor). High-quality tools will have technical manuals (not just a letter from a law firm) to ensure each assessment meets the validity and reliability specifications for pre-employment and selection purposes. Ask for the technical manual and refuse to use an assessment for pre-employment purposes without one.

Assessments with High Validity and Reliability are Incredibly Accurate

Many assessments used for training or coaching purposes will show differences in people. However, they usually do not comply with higher statistical requirements for pre-employment tools. Not only is using the right assessment of legal importance, using tools that actually have the highest validity and reliability will measure people accurately and objectively – a requirement to predict future success. The best assessments provide you the ability to become a laser-like coach. Also, due to their accuracy, you will improve your selection process and reduce costs. Remember, any tool, system or process used during the hiring or promotion process must comply with pre-employment requirements.

When you select the right qualified assessments and use them as directed, they work and will positively revive your bottom line.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2015

Source: “Hire Amazing Employees,” Chapter 11, Assess for Job Fit—Use Qualified Assessments http://BizSavvyHire.com

Jeannette Seibly has been a business advisor and facilitator for over 23 years; she guides the creation of new solutions for business challenges and is the author of Hire Amazing Employees.  Check out her website: http://SeibCo.com. Or, contact Jeannette @ http://SeibCo.com/contact

The Most Expensive Mistake Executives Make

by

Our major successes in business involve helping our employees, our most valuable asset, grow and develop, and enjoy job satisfaction. Unfortunately, we fail to use objective information to help determine the best job fit and career path fit when making staff promotions or lateral career moves. The same problem exists when we’re choosing our successors.

The greatest unrealized expense executives make is taking good employees and promoting them (or moving them laterally) into jobs that they are not ready for, don’t want or don’t have the skill sets to be successful. Many employees will readily take on these opportunities due to promises of bigger paychecks and desires to please their bosses – with sad results.

One fast growing company wanted to reward a good employee. They moved him out of customer service and into sales. Within 90 days, he was failing and no one knew what to do. They spent the next six months providing ongoing training, one-on-one counseling, and motivational podcasts. After many sleepless nights and daily frustrations, the employee left. A couple of clients and several top producers left with him. Unfortunately, the significant costs of these types of mistakes are not calculated (therefore, are not realized): high cost of training, loss of customers, loss of employees and proprietary information, and other tangible and intangible costs.

Unfortunately, we spend more time buying electronic gadgets than using the same due diligence and taking the same care with our people — our most valuable assets!

How to create successful moves for our employees to avoid costly mistakes:

  1. Create a 180-Day Success Plan. Keep it simple and smart. Wanting to have too many things accomplished while they are learning a new job will only create unnecessary stress. First, write it all down (See Hire Amazing Employees, Chapter 5, http://BizSavvyHire.com) Second, make sure to include conversations they need to have with key leaders and individual contributors to better understand the realities of what needs to be accomplished and how to go about getting the intended results. Third, remind them to listening will get them further than talking! (See Companies and Executives Need to Vet and Onboard Each Other! http://ow.ly/OZxJj)
  2. Use a qualified assessment. Objectively review their thinking styles, core behaviors and occupational interests by using a qualified assessment and qualified 360-degree feedback tool. (Qualified assessments are those that comply with the Department of Labor Guidelines for selection purposes.) While past accomplishments are important, they will not provide enough good objective data to predict future successes. The right interests and thinking styles account for people’s successes 50+ percent of the time.
  3. Conduct due diligence. Talking with previous managers and employees that worked with them. How did the person handle setbacks? When do they use good people skills (e.g., only with bosses, or do they also know how to respect others)? Do they manage projects on-time and within budget? Of the projects executed, how many produced intended results? What type of facilitator are they?
  4. Train them how to ask and answer the right questions. Everything is a conversation! Train the hiring managers and prospective employees on how-to-have authentic conversations, which includes probing into job responsibilities and expectations. After several conversations, put in writing what has been agreed to and what is expected. This written document will ensure clarity and the win-win outcome required.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2015 All Rights Reserved

It can be lonely at the top! An experienced business advisor, always accessible and at a nearby desk can make a positive and powerful difference for you, and your employees. My goal is to be your in-house advisor, your ally and sounding board as you navigate the complex world of your business! (Contact Jeannette: JLSeibly@SeibCo.com OR 303-917-2993)

 

Highly effective bosses have highly effective employees

by

As a boss, you love those days when you and your team feel productive and appreciated — you’re in the zone! Everything is going well. Your projects are done on time and within budget, and healthy disagreements are kept to a minimum. It gets even better when a new idea from your department has saved the company (and client) money and time — solidifying your reputation as a highly effective boss with highly effective employees. Everyone is happy and satisfied.

These types of days don’t happen by accident. They are created by design when you have the right people and you are the right boss.

Hire for Success.  Use objective and scientifically qualified pre-hire assessment tools to assess accurately for job fit, including: thinking style, core behaviors and occupational motivation/interests. Create a 180-day Success Plan and On-Boarding process that helps the new person get up to speed quickly and become an integral part of the team.  Also, use these validated tools to help you build a strong team, by knowing where the strengths and weaknesses lie.

Coach for Results. Use laser-like coaching to get better results. It starts with believing your employees are great contributors, and allowing them the freedom to do their work. It builds trust and loyalty.

Build the team.  Provide learning moments when they make mistakes or there has been a failure. Don’t forget to provide on-going training and outside coaching to help your employees soar to new levels.

Share your expectations. Clarify your expectations of others, and then be a great role-model. For example, as the boss, you arrive on time for meetings and actively participate.

Set the tone for appreciation. Celebrate and acknowledge your employees individually and as a team, on a daily basis.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2015

It can be lonely at the top! An experienced business advisor, always accessible and at a nearby desk can make a positive and powerful difference for you, and your employees. My goal is to be your in-house advisor, your ally and sounding board as you navigate the complex world of your business! (Contact: JLSeibly@SeibCo.com OR 303-917-2993)

Transform your failures into greater success. Get my copy of “We all fail! How can we use failure to create greater success?” http://ow.ly/Kp34R

[contact-form][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Website’ type=’url’/][contact-field label=’Message’ type=’textarea’/][/contact-form]

 

 

Laser coaching requires you to stop managing

by

Effective bosses know that everybody has their own learning style. Instead of telling your employees how to get the job done, provide assistance that is focused on a quality process and an intentional end result. As a manager, take time to listen, ask the right questions, and use qualified assessments to become a laser-focused coach with the ability to guide your team and provide the necessary adjustments. Encourage your employees to interact with one another, other teams, and their clients to develop new processes and systems to achieve the required end results:  satisfied customers and a positive return on investment. (http://SeibCo.com/assessments)

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

Emotional hiring can be dangerous!

by

Many executives are good decision-makers or they wouldn’t have the title. However, many are so busy that they fail to listen during interviews unless the candidate says the right things. Then their impulsiveness and impatience kicks in and they hire people that “feel like the right ones”! Hiring based on intuitive powers may sound great, but in reality it is an excuse for not using a strategic hiring system.  

Anytime you hire someone who doesn’t fit all the necessary job requirements but has the likeability factor, you’re doomed for failure. Frequent job-seekers—people with backgrounds to hide and manipulative types—have honed their interview skills well! They know what to say and how to sell themselves to get a job. They know how to be likeable.

Infuse objectivity early in the hiring process. (http://wp.me/p2POui-nj ) This will significantly reduce the possibility of interviewing these types of job candidates and falling into the emotional hiring trap. Use a structured interview process, qualified assessments, and due diligence. Call those references! (Learn how to hire the right person. Get your copy of Hire Amazing Employees, Second Edition. It could save your own job!  http://BizSavvyHire.com)

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

How do you manage talent incompetence?

by

We’ve all had to work around them, to the detriment of the organization or clients. These troublemakers refuse to work well with certain people and blame others for their own inadequate skills. They make it impossible to resolve issues since they believe they have the authority to say “no” and use it too often. They can wreak havoc on any business if left alone to do what they want, if they want.

Why not simply fire them? It may be due to longevity, specialized job knowledge, or they simply know where the company skeletons lie. They fail to take responsibility and know how to manage their boss. Their false sense of bravado may have started with overly positive performance appraisals, an over-inflation of their abilities reinforced by a boss with poor managerial skills. They refuse to develop their skill-sets to keep up with industry or profession changes.  Or they may rely upon manipulating the system and/or their boss for their own interests. This type of chronic behavior makes it difficult for employers to take corrective action. Some companies actually give promotions – not-earned commissions or extra bonuses – hoping these tokens will give incentives to improve. But it only exacerbates the problems.

Come Down to Reality. If you inherit one of these people, don’t automatically fire them. They may have insights and job knowledge crucial to keeping current customers, building systems for the future and handling nuances not readily apparent in a system or product. This type of employee may simply require the right boss!

Take time to talk and work with them. Review the job description and job perception. Then, let them know exactly what your expectations are, including the scope of their authority and the quality you need in their work and people interactions. Since these employees often keep procedures in their heads to ensure their employment, be a step ahead and require them to cross-train others on their job. Some may be afraid of technology or have poor reading and writing capabilities. Do not allow them to continue to believe they are an exception to the rules. Insist they come up to speed. It will take time to break old habits. Be consistent. Be clear. Follow-up!

Qualified Assessments. Have the person take a qualified assessment. Use a tool that meets or exceeds the Department of Labor Guidelines for pre-employment tools; these tools have the highest validity and reliability on the market.  It’s very hard to effect change if you rely upon the results of a tool that has face validity (how a person wants to be seen) but no predictive value (actual correlation between the results and job requirements). Adjust job responsibilities accordingly. Provide skill development training.

Hire Bosses who can manage. Hire and promote people into management positions who are great motivators, unafraid of managing actions to produce actual results. Train them on how to conduct performance reviews. Remember, most employees want a coveted manager’s job since it’s the only way to earn more money and/or take on additional job responsibilities. The reality is many may not have the ability or interest to effectively manage or lead others. Some may simply need additional training. Create career ladders that allow non-managerial talent to be promoted and receive pay increases.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2011