Measuring What Matters: Using Pre-Hire Assessments In Recruiting

An assessment process is not one-size-fits-all

Hiring has never been more challenging than it is right now. Despite the ongoing pandemic that left so many workers uncertain about their professional futures, a recent survey has found that more than one in three of U.S. employers have had difficulty filling jobs. 

There are a number of different reasons why candidates are just not biting for these roles, but one thing is clear: something about the hiring process needs to change. 
 

Enter: the pre-hire assessment. 

Setting a Pre-Hire Assessment

The pre-hire assessment is not a new concept, but it is one that has hidden in the shadows of the hiring process for years, and is just now taking center stage. The standard hiring process is fairly self-explanatory: candidates submit a resume or application, and from there are contacted for a phone screening, and a few in-person (or Zoom) interviews. 

But studies have shown that past experience, the key metric measured by a resume and interviews, is actually an inaccurate predictor of a candidate’s future success in a position. In order to find the candidates that align best with an organization, hiring managers must measure their potential in a role… not just their past experience.

And, like all recruiting processes, the assessment process is not one-size-fits-all. It must be tailored for the specific department, team, and seniority level the hiring team is looking for. 

The first step in determining how to assess candidates for a particular position or vacancy is to build a set of criteria based on an in-depth analysis of what the job will entail. Focus on measuring what matters. This means that the assessment should look for hard and soft skills, while also only identifying attributes in a candidate that are relevant to success in the role. 

Global legal services firm Latham and Watkins found success by studying high-performers in specific roles. This helps benchmark each employee’s competencies and establish which hard and soft skills should be prioritized during the hiring process. For example, when hiring for a software engineering role, all assessments should test for technical and coding capabilities. However, engineers often need to collaborate and communicate their findings, which is why assessments should also measure these soft skills. 

Pairing Assessments with Interviews 

It’s crucial to remember that an assessment is not a magic bullet for the hiring process. In order for it to be administered successfully, it must be paired with a structured, thoughtful interview or similar live assessment. Using multiple lenses to assess a candidate is where the magic happens. 

Once you’ve determined which attributes and behaviors to measure for, it’s important to consider which method will identify the best evidence of a candidate’s capabilities. Online assessments can be great at identifying decision-making, organization, and other technical skills. On the other hand, skills like conflict management, relationship building, or problem-solving could be better measured through a live interview. The combination of these two data points will ultimately provide a strong, unified, and unbiased assessment of the candidate. 

Impacts on Long-Term Retention 

Assessments don’t just help organizations at the point of hiring. They can also build a stronger relationship between the organization and the candidate. The best assessment processes help educate the applicant about the job beyond the job description by demonstrating which traits will be most helpful for the position, providing an idea of what the company’s culture is like and what behaviors will be expected of them in the role. 

By giving candidates a preview of what the interview and ultimately the position will entail, candidates come to the interview feeling closer to and more invested in the organization. They feel embraced by the culture and familiar with the people and the work that will become a part of their day-to-day, assuming the interview is successful. 

Biopharmaceutical company GSK has found that some successful applicants will even name the assessment process as the reason that they joined the company. The experience helped educate them about the job as well as some of the real-life company values in practice.  

Long-Term Talent Acquisition

We’ve left the era of “just in time” recruitment behind. With that in mind, assessments can be an excellent tool for staying in touch with potential candidates on a long-term basis. If a candidate isn’t the perfect match for a specific role, keeping their assessment data on file can help match them for a different role down the line. This helps organizations maintain close relationships with their pool of talent and nurture an ongoing talent pipeline. 

Assessments can also help current employees match with roles within the business that they may not have been considered for before. For example, some retail banks may close brick-and-mortar branches, but may need to augment the company’s digital team. If there are employees within the business who may be able to develop code or work in the digital space, organizations can avoid layoffs by reallocating that talent to a more appropriate department. 

Throughout the pandemic, we’ve seen some incredible examples of hiring teams combining the best of pre-hire assessments and human intervention. From preparing candidates using assessments to rethinking traditional interview structures, the most forward-looking organizations have tapped into the future of hiring. 

Pre-hire assessments are a crucial tool for connecting with and documenting stellar candidates, and maintaining relationships with future talent. The next phase of the future of work gives us an opportunity to reimagine our hiring processes, and rethink the traditional talent pool. By investing in assessments, organizations can take a leap forward, and change the future of hiring. 

Nicky Garcea is an accredited I/O psychologist and Co-Founder of Cappfinity. Visit www.cappfinity.com  Connect Nicky Garcea