Pre-Screening Assessments

Contributed by Dan Charney
Direct Recruiters, Inc.

We’ve all witnessed the sad scenario of having an intelligent, capable person in the wrong position. The new hire turned out to be a mis-hire and the cost associated is high. It is estimated that a mis-hire or mismatch can cost up to 4 times that person’s annual salary. Good news. This doesn’t have to happen and the guess work can be taken out of the hiring process.

There’s an emerging trend that might be just the ticket for your organization. Companies are discovering the huge benefits of using proven and validated pre-employment assessments. These assessments have become vital tools used to ensure that organizations hire individuals who will allow them to better meet their strategic business objectives.

However, I must warn you that with the gain in popularity, there has been an explosion in the number of assessments available. Sifting through the many pre-employment tests can be a daunting task but bypassing this process and administering the wrong assessment can backfire on you. Therefore, I recommend that the first step in selecting the right assessment is to analyze the exact skills and tools required to be successful in the job. For example, when hiring to fill a Sales Rep position, it would be imperative to know that a candidate has sales interest, energy level, sales skills, business ethics, customer service, etc. Thus, a sales assessment inventory would be a logical choice since it measures these specific dimensions and provides realistic results on whether the candidate can perform the job.

While the sales assessment may seem comprehensive enough, I must share with you that many companies are also opting to evaluate a candidate on whether they are “all-around athletes”. In other words, measuring additional characteristics such as the ability to fit the organizational culture and assimilate into the company as well as having personality traits such as being a team player, time management skills, and honesty. The value of testing for these characteristics is that they will lead to an increase in the quality of an organization’s long-term productivity and profitability.

From my perspective, the pre-employment assessment trend is a positive one and can be a viable tool for successful hiring. And no matter what business or industry, winning is about two things: Effective leadership and having the right people in the right jobs. Administering pre-employment assessments is essential for both of these.

For more information, contact me at 216-464-5570 x110 / dan@directrecruiters.com