Adaptability is one of the biggest skills employers are looking for now as the COVID pandemic continues to cloud any clear business plans. But how can companies find people with that crucial capability? And how do individuals communicate to businesses that they have the ability to adapt?
Denise Leaser, president of HR technology company GreatBizTools, told “Let’s Talk About Skills, Baby” podcast host Kelly Ryan Bailey that the answers lie in hiring assessments which increase opportunity by matching people’s capabilities – their innate skills, abilities and personality traits — to today’s changing job market.
“Assessments also increase diversity and inclusion in the workforce by opening up job opportunities for all communities regardless of their education or their zip code,” she said.
Leaser’s company develops prehire online assessment system WebAssess, and MyInnerGenius, an HR tech innovation that helps uncover people’s true potential.
She shared with Bailey her own career journey and pivoting to start her own company when family needs required her to work-from-home at a time when those types of opportunities were more limited.
Throughout her career, Leaser had seen how colleagues were unhappy in their jobs, feeling inadequate and stuck. She knew that was where she wanted to make an impact, guiding people to more fulfilling careers. So Leaser built a company focusing on tools that help people find their new ideal job paths – creating a dream career for herself in the process.
For example, WebAssess prehire assessments have been designed by a team of experts in the areas of industrial psychology, business and HR management to quickly take the guesswork out of talent acquisition with a scientific, non-biased process to find the right people with the right skills for the right jobs.
Leaser added that the MyInnerGenius assessment system was created based on a need in the marketplace. IBM, for example, was changing how to hire for their many open IT positions, calling them “new collar” jobs that no longer required college degrees. But how could they find the right people to fill so many spots? The MyInnerGenius tool does that now by helping IBM assess people’s innate competencies to help align them with these new roles and the corresponding training programs to help them succeed.
“Overall, we’re taking the guesswork out of helping people get started in new, future-proof careers by focusing on capabilities not jobs,” said Leaser.
She continued that assessments also benefit companies by helping them rebalance their workforces by matching current employee competencies to new jobs – avoiding layoffs and allowing more people to grow with the company.
Leaser and Bailey also discussed the importance of resiliency and “making lemonade when life gives you lemons.” Leaser recommended taking the time during this shutdown to learn a new skill and to capitalize on what’s different now. Remote jobs for example were once seen as too complex until the pandemic motivated companies to implement entire systems in two weeks. So work today doesn’t depend on what zip code you live in which expands your horizon of new opportunities.
In addition, Leaser and Bailey addressed their concerns about a growing digital divide and how all communities need access to hi-speed internet and the devices that enable to all people to fulfill their potential.
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About GreatBizTools
Headquartered in Florida, GreatBizTools is an HR technology company with a 40-year history helping enterprises and small businesses improve their hiring and skills programs. GreatBizTools is the developer of WebAssess®, an online pre-hire assessment tool used by many of the leading brands and Fortune 500 companies. MyInnerGenius®, also developed by GreatBizTools, is an HR tech innovation which uses cognitive tools to help match employees and students to careers which complement their innate skills and abilities.
