Using Assessments to Improve Hiring Decisions

What do you know about the pre-hire assessments available to your organization to aid in hiring the right applicant? A recent article in "The Wall Street Journal" (April 15, 2015) stated that between 2001 and 2013 the number of U.S. large employers using pre-hire assessments increased from 26% to 57%. If you are not using pre-hire assessments as a regular part of your hiring process, you should be.

A pre-hire assessment is an online assessment tool designed to best match an applicant's thinking style and behavioral traits to those required for optimal performance in the position. To effectively use a pre-hire assessment you must first analyze the position you are hiring for. What does the position profile look like? What thinking style and behavioral traits are best suited for the position? Using pre-hire assessments to effectively match the traits required in the position to the traits of the applicant has been proven to significantly decrease the turnover rate and increase job performance and productivity.

At Creative Business Solutions one of the pre-hire assessments we use is called a Profile XT. A case study published by Profile XT, titled "Strategic Hiring System Pays Off In Call Center Operations", describes the performance and turnover challenges for a reservation call center of a major hotel firm. After implementing the Profile XT, the case study states, "Overall, retention beyond June 30 increased from 27 percent to 58 percent with use of the strategic hiring system. Results were even more striking in the area of involuntary terminations; a reduction from 31 percent to only 17 percent involuntarily terminated in the study period."

This graph shows the impact using a pre-hire assessment can have on your organization. It is a powerful and cost-effective tool designed to help aid your company in hiring the right applicant. Doing so will increase employee retention, increase job satisfaction, and increase productivity, which all result in increased performance and profitability. At Creative Business Solutions, we believe the Profile XT should be used after the interview process. Once the applicant pool is narrowed down to two or three candidates through in-person interviews, the Profile XT is an excellent next step to help make your final decision.

Whether you are seeking an entry-level warehouse worker or a Chief Executive Officer, Creative Business Solutions can help you design the hiring process and find the right pre-hire assessments for your particular organization and position. We are committed to helping you streamline your hiring process and hire the best candidates for the position. Please call us today to see how we can help your organization.