| |
Hiring By Design, Not By Chemistry
By Ben Accomando, Ph.D.
Originally published in The Official Magazine of Long Island Association November 2000.
Every new hire will ultimately contribute either to moving a business forward or
to holding it back. The fact is that certain types of people are simply better suited for certain types of jobs. A person’s suitability for
a job depends on personality traits, work styles and job related skills. To make the best match between a person’s work profile and specific
job requirements, objective information about personality, attitude and skills is vital. Just as vital for a good match is knowing what
personality traits fit best with what types of jobs.
Core characteristics define who a person is, while what a person does is defined by the levels of job skills acquired. It is much easier to
teach new skills than it is to change a person’s core characteristics like analytical thinking abilities, work and emotional styles or
interpersonal traits. A senior performance consultant once said, “You can teach a turkey to climb a tree, but it is easier to hire a squirrel.”
Research findings indicate that the benefits of a good match between an employee and a job are quite extensive. People in the right jobs are
happier, achieve their desired potential, are more productive, get along better with co-workers and supervisors, are less likely to leave
their jobs and are more committed to their organization’s values and goals. There are literally hundreds of assessment tools in the market
that measure many core characteristics of individuals. However, choosing the tests that evaluate important core characteristics, meet EEOC
standards, and are easily understood can be difficult. It is important to choose a test that is measuring what you want it to measure, and
can provide meaningful predictions about future job performance. In cases where a comprehensive evaluation is required at the executive level,
whether for pre-hire, promotion or succession planning, it may be wise to hire a specialist to do the evaluation who can provide the clearest
picture of a candidate’s characteristics.
In order to appreciate the value an objective assessment can offer, envision an employee who is going to fill a job position. For example, you
may be looking for a manager who is going to run a sales team for your organization. You start thinking, “I want a bright person, who is organized,
realistic, with a high energy level and self reliant. I also want that manager to accept some rules, have good control over his or her emotions,
likes people, can handle criticism and likes a good challenge.” In your interviews with candidates, you may ask many of these questions. However,
the reality is that nothing you ask or hear has any quantifiable objectivity. Who are you comparing the candidates characteristics against? Core
characteristics that are suitable for one job may not be suitable for another. For example, highly analytic people do well in technical or research
positions but may perform poorly at jobs that require spontaneity or creativity. A comprehensive personality test can offer objective information
on a host of factors and compare the candidate’s results against the best performances in that job category. These results can be invaluable to your
matching candidate to job in the selection process.
In order to compete successfully in a limited market for valued employees, an organization needs to use state-of-the-art tools and technologies that help
select, and keep valued people. A comprehensive profile of a candidate can significantly improve the odds of a good match between the person and the job.
|
|
