Leadership

Structured Assessments Will Deliver ROI

Apr 15th 2011
By Wayne Tollemache

No matter how good applicants may look on paper or how positive they appear during a job interview,
many job candidates lack the behavioral characteristics needed to be a good fit for the job and the
organization, evaluates Wayne Tollemache, Executive Managing Director International, First
Advantage.

The Indian recruitment industry has evolved tremendously over the last couple of years. Increasing
number of companies has put structured practices in place for defining their organizational structure
and hierarchy. With factors like growing MNC culture, shrinking markets and margins, layoffs, there is a
need for leaders who can think and act fast. Previously, a number of leaders from MNCs came on
deputation foreign countries, but now increasingly there is a need for a more customized approach to
work in the Indian context and its typical challenges. Importance of behavioral sciences has grown.
Besides the usual assessment tools, there is an increasing emphasis on people development. Catch em
young, train em young is now the buzzword in India Inc.

There is also more emphasis on structured assessments as organizations have realized how these add
value to their recruitment, training and development plans, with measurable ROI.

The importance of using assessment for succession planning across organizational levels has increased
with the need for every company to have leaders in place, and also have the second line of leadership
ready. Identifying the right talent from early stages, it is essential to groom and train them over a longer
time-frame for the next big role.

This not only involves mapping competencies of the second line of managers but also bringing out their
personal characteristics that make them evolve as a leader. Essentially, this means that now the
emphasis is not only on skill-set mapping but also on assessing a person for his self-awareness,
aspirations, association with the sector and growth plan for self.

With connectivity, the difference in practices in the East and West are reducing. The West is also
cultivating practices like self assessment into their leadership role definition.

An ideal behavioral and skills assessments solution package for leadership development and retention
should deliver a powerful combination of performance-based and knowledge-based tests. Tests should
cover the widest range of job skills across varied industry segments. Behavioral tests validated by
professional industrial psychologists and designed specifically for employers to provide effective,
efficient screening of key behavioral traits and cognitive abilities, is another option. Using advanced
testing technologies for gap analysis enables companies to develop a candidates job-specific skills and
competencies.

The current times dictate that culture fitment becomes an important part of assessing potential leaders.
When a person is being groomed internally, the individual understands the values and aspiration that
the company represents and cultivates. The individual, in fact, has been a part of the process over the
period of the companys evolution. It is important to do a 360-degree framework analysis to train and
develop such individuals.

However, for an external hire, it is important to see if these values match. While the person may be
hired to take the company to the next level through emphasis on sales and the person may come from
that background, it might be possible that the company that is hiring has not grown over that path.
Culture assessment and personal evaluation have become very important tools in this process. The
training and acclimatization process will be different for this individual.

Companies are breaking cross-border barriers and there is a need to think global now. No matter how
good applicants may look on paper or how positive they appear during a job interview, many job
candidates lack the behavioral characteristics needed to be a good fit for the job and the organization
and some applicants are experts at fooling even the most experienced recruiter.

Organizations need to use best-in-class assessment tools for selecting the right leadership talent with
necessary skills, competencies and attitude, to conceptualize, plan, and execute, strategic initiatives in
line with the organizations vision and business objectives.


4 Comments

By Breneda Guyton
Exactly, applicants today especiallly in the HR industry, have the ability to polish, learn and speak to their
resume. Most applicants tend to include transferrable skills that pertains to the Human Resource world.
The best outcome for an organization would to be evaluate the applicant as it pertains to the position.
Give the applicant real life situations of the company at hand. Ensure what the company is soley looking
for, the applicant can do. Human Resource is the same no matter what company. The applicant has to
have the skill and talent to communicate efficiently and understand when and how to create a win-win
situation with the employee, employer, or the client. The Human Resource person should always
understand and know what it takes to take the organization to the next level. The training initiative
should always be on the minds of a successful HR applicant. Line managers are not always sure about to
employment laws. Training Sessions should be held on a regualr basis by an Human Resource expert.

By Gilles Marleau
I agree that some people do a great job polishing their resume and act well in an interview. It is
important to always evaluate the potential candidate with questions that will confirm their ability for
the right job. This evaluation can trigger side ideas for a company to benifit and help in the growth short
or long term.

By Art Velez
I agree some applicants may look great on paper or positive during the job interview, but may still lack.
Essentially, meaning not only emphasizing on skill set but also assessing a person for his self-awareness
and aspirations. Finding candidate with good knowledge, performance and good behavioral skills make a
powerful candidate.

By Randy Kuschel
I agree that today we need to what I call reduciate our selves. But I have learnded over my year of
working for a company or owning a company that it is the companies job to do everything possable to
set the examply of being positive in every area of bussinees. I have seen and have done it my self that 99
good things happen and all that is focused on is the one failure and that is not beening positive