Scott Fuhr

SkillSurvey®, Inc., the inventor and leading provider of online reference-checking solutions, will offer its Pre-Hire 360® software in five additional languages starting in the second quarter of 2012.

The software company is the first in its space to provide global online reference-checking options for recruiters, helping to advance their strategic efforts to hire candidates who reflect the diversity of the populations they serve. In a survey of senior executives conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management, for instance, 55% of respondents indicated that they strongly promote diversity and inclusion. The survey also indicates that human resources is the area most responsible for driving diversity initiatives.

Recruiters and hiring managers at organizations will be able to leverage reference-checking surveys in English and in these five languages to help them strategically select the best candidates globally:

• Spanish (Latin American)
• French
• German
• Portuguese (Brazilian)
• Chinese (Simplified)

“More companies are doing business globally, and recruiters have a growing need to attract professionals to work in distributed work teams,” noted Ray Bixler, president and chief executive officer of SkillSurvey. “By making our software available in five of the most-common international languages, we are ensuring that the reference-checking function provides maximum impact in selecting the best hires.”

In addition, with 16-percent of the population of the United States being of Hispanic or Latino origins, the need for a Spanish-language version of the software is high among job candidates. And, with more leading firms like AT&T, Coca-Cola and Target weaving diversity and inclusion principles into their culture’s fabric, the need to hire candidates with a variety of backgrounds has never been greater. Different perspectives in the workplace translate into better products and enhanced experiences for customers.

“Smart companies are hiring with the goal of having their employee demographics mirror their customer demographics,” explained Bixler. “For example, if a business or a hospital serves a predominately Hispanic customer-base or patient population, they will likely hire Hispanic employees in roughly the same proportions. This growing part of the workforce can participate in our Pre-Hire 360® with ease.”

Pre-Hire 360® automates the process of gathering input from a job applicant’s references by using behaviorally-based surveys delivered through an electronic platform. The surveys delve into a candidate’s strengths and developmental needs, as borne out on the job. Confidential input from managers, peers, direct reports and business partners provides a multi-dimensional view of the candidate’s past performance.

While the healthcare sector remains a strong focus of SkillSurvey’s business, with over 500 hospitals now using the service, the company also serves hundreds of firms in other industries. Most notable are companies from financial services, consumer markets and retail segments, including CH2M HILL®, Endo® Pharmaceuticals, John Hancock®, Johns Manville and QVC®.

The addition of the five languages marks the company’s initial multilingual offering and it will roll-out to subscribers in the second quarter of 2012. Additional translations into other languages are also planned.

For more information, contact Scott Fuhr, director of marketing, at sfuhr@skillsurvey.com, or at 610-947-6300, ext. 1225.

About SkillSurvey®, Inc.
SkillSurvey is the inventor of online reference-checking solutions that improve recruiting efficiency and increase quality-of-hire. Its web-based programs allow recruiters and hiring managers to collect feedback from references on a candidate’s behaviors and work performance. The information, all gathered electronically, is used to make better hiring decisions. This patent-pending approach to reference assessments is based on over 30 years of research in job competency modeling. SkillSurvey was named one of the fastest-growing companies in America by Inc. magazine and is also a 2011 Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ firm. Visit SkillSurvey at www.skillsurvey.com.