HR organizations could not have predicted the dramatic impact COVID-19 would have on their employees. From isolation, to anxiety about employment stability, to burnout and a desire to work differently, HR leaders are struggling to understand their employees’ needs, desires and capabilities at a deeper level.
Fortunately, modern technology can help with everything from understanding which employees may be flight risks to which employees will make the best candidates for the new normal of remote work.
As leaders, how can we create the 2021 work environment that makes employees relish clocking in on Monday mornings? How can workforce center professionals better place their new hires in long lasting, gratifying roles? There are many ways leaders can create a satisfying workplace, but the most significant factor is the one they have the most control over – and perhaps the least understanding of: the innate desires and true capabilities of the people who work there.
The only way to do that is with a cognitive assessment which can truly uncover the traits and skills which may not be evident in daily work. Assessments are relatively easy to perform and can reap big dividends if you can glean the right information. There are various ways you can interpret the results of a workplace assessment, but we highlighted the four key benefits needed in our present work environment, from hiring to understanding your existing talent pool:
Hire the best performers, not the best candidates
In reality, there is no such thing as a “best candidate” because you haven’t seen her do the job yet. Who you actually want to hire is the best performer.
The best performer is the person who excels in your workplace as a whole, not the person who just successfully does the job she was hired for. Yes, there is a way to identify the best performer. Assessments are a key device in your tool belt when it comes to placing job seekers or bringing a new employee on board. An assessment will give you a much better idea of who your candidate is beyond their resume and rehearsed interview answers.
How would they describe their work style? What skills do they have that they’ve never put to use? Regardless of how much time people spend at work, everyone leads a unique and complex life away from their desk. Someone hired for their IT background might also have valuable insight into marketing strategy, the kind of information that doesn’t have a place on a resume but could easily be divulged by an assessment that peeks into prospective employees’ backgrounds and interests.
Identifying someone’s job-related capabilities, regardless of their background or experience is a significant benefit pre-hire assessments can bring to your workforce.
Identify a cultural fit for your workplace
There is a lot to consider when looking for new talent to bring on board. Prior experience is a factor and good references, certainly, but the most profound indicators of who is truly the best person for the job may be in the answers to questions we don’t ask in an interview.
Candidates qualified enough to make it to the assessment phase have probably already been determined to be a good fit on paper. Work history may give you a good idea of how a candidate may have performed somewhere else in the role you’re looking to fill. But, in today’s work environment, job tasks and roles are changing rapidly. How will a given candidate work in your environment, in your roles, and in your organization as it necessarily evolves and reorganizes over time?
And, with COVID-19, you will need to understand additional characteristics. As we move some jobs into permanent “work at home” roles, how will you know if an employee has the personality traits to work independently and be as productive as she was in the office?
Reduce attrition – dramatically
Employee turnover can cost you as much as a third of your company’s annual income, expenses generated by hiring replacement after replacement.
According to a 2017 report from Employee Benefits News, turnover could end up costing you an additional $15,000 dollars for every employee that leaves your company. Consider that amount alongside a finding from Willis Tower Watson that showed one in every three hires will leave your company after two years, and you’re piling on avoidable annual expenses.
Now, more than ever, we need to deeply understand how to reduce turnover and job dissatisfaction. Somebody who isn’t succeeding as well as you’d hoped the accountant role you hired them for might exceed expectations in another role. Why lose a great, loyal employee who is struggling because you hired them for the wrong role when they may be very successful elsewhere? A good assessment can identify the qualities they have that will allow them to be successful and contribute positively to your organization.
In uncertain times like these, where employees depend on job stability to help them weather the unpredictable, it’s important to show that your workplace is willing to find a place in the “home” for them.
Highlight strengths, pinpoint areas for upskilling and reskilling
By using assessments to evaluate existing employees, employers can determine if there are some important job skills or job-related traits employees lack or should improve. Competency-based assessments provide specific, precise data on the skills, abilities, and traits that should be developed. As a result, companies can organize targeted, personalized training and learning paths for their employees.
Ready to try one – for free?
A career fit assessment from MyInnerGenius can put all your hiring worries to bed. Our assessments yield proven positive results (just ask IBM and Starbucks). For more info on our career fitness assessments and to enjoy a free demo, visit us at https://trywebassess.com/request_demo/
