BY C. Lee Smith
Managers have a range of resources they can use when it’s time to bring in a new employee. While many company leaders rely on resumes and interviews to find their next team member, there is a better way. These days, the hiring manager toolkit should include assessments.
Reviewing the Applicant Pool
Busy managers want to move through the list of candidates for their open position as efficiently as possible. Their HR departments may handle the initial screening by using an applicant tracking system.
An ATS can save everyone time, but it can also remove promising candidates from the pool. If the set of applicants you see seems insufficient, ask to review the resumes of candidates who were weeded out.
The Resume
The resume has long served as the gold standard in the hiring manager toolkit. The typical one or two-
The video resume format is also interesting to some employers. Managers want a sense of how a candidate looks and acts and video delivers. However, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission fears this format could result in bias and discrimination.
The one big weakness with resumes is that applicants can engage in trickery. Nearly 70% of job seekers have admitted to not telling the truth on their resumes.
The Interview
The interview serves as another hiring tool that can offer managers plenty of information. But they may be at a disadvantage during an interview. Not every hiring manager is a skilled interviewer.
However, with the right data and preparation, managers can improve the outcomes of their interviews. Increasingly, this means using assessment data collected ahead of the interview.
Assessments
More companies are using assessments as part of their hiring manager toolkit. There’s a huge range of assessments on the market. Understanding the differences in what they deliver can make a big impact on your bottom line.
Personality assessments
Personality assessments have gained ground in the hiring market. The well-
Cognitive assessments
An individual’s general aptitude can signal whether they are comfortable with numbers or other specific aspects of a position. Cognitive assessments measure these details, including the level of logic a candidate might bring to the job.
Skills-
Every position requires an employee to possess a base level of skills. These skills may range from the ability to use Excel worksheets to being a licensed commercial driver. The ability to stand for long periods of time or lift heavy packages may be part of a skills assessment.
Comprehensive Psychometric Assessments
With so many types of assessments on the market, the hiring manager toolkit can become unwieldly. And consider the perspective of the candidate. Being asked to take any kind of assessment makes them nervous.
But the prospect of taking multiple assessments may drive away very qualified potential team members.
A comprehensive psychometric assessment, such as TeamTrait, can be taken in one session. The tool incorporates DiSC, HVP, and the Big Five, among other assessments. The results give managers insight into the candidate’s skill level and how they will react to changes in the workplace.
With this tool, managers can also understand how a candidate will fit into the group and with the typical customers.
Kind in mind that assessments should be given to top candidates before an interview. The results help managers formulate questions about areas of concern.
The hiring manager toolkit should include the latest tools that are designed to find the most qualified candidate. Resumes and interviews allow the candidate to tell you about themselves. Comprehensive psychometric assessment data allows you to understand whether they will be the right fit for your organization.
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