5 Overlooked Ways To Hire Winners
ere is a true story. My proceed to flop after you put
dentist did a "clinical" them on the payroll. In fact,
evaluation of my teeth. huge amounts of research prove
That is his fancy way to say he most interviewers do poorly at
looked in my mouth and starred at predicting how an applicant will
my teeth with his own two eyes. do, if hired.
He found no cavities in his
"clinical" evaluation. I felt
happy and relieved!
So, it is crucial for a
manager to use special "x-rays"
to spot potential trouble lurking
But then he took a quick within an applicant - and also
x-ray. Lo-&-behold, the x-ray uncover skills and talents that
immediately spotted a cavity will prove beneficial on-the-job.
hiding under one of my fillings!! Here are five superb "x-ray"
methods you can use immediately
to help you hire high-achievers -
and stay away from
In other words, what you underachievers.
see is not always all you get!!!
An objective x-ray found a lot
more important information than a
highly trained eye. 1. Pre-Employment Tests
Research shows that
customized tests are the best way
Likewise, some applicants to accurately predict on-the-job
come across fine in a job performance. You can use three
interview. But, they then types of tests:
Customize tests you use by doing
a "benchmarking study" to find
out how your highly productive,
A. Behavior tests - to evaluate low-turnover employees typically
interpersonal skills, score. Then, you quickly can
personality, and motivations compare applicants' test scores
against scores of your most
productive employees. Of course,
you can show preference for
B. Abilities tests - to predict applicants who score like your
brainpower in problem-solving, winners.
vocabulary, arithmetic, grammar,
and handling small details
2. Remember One Truism
C. Character tests - to detect a When I deliver my speech or
"bad apple" who has a bad work seminar on Hire the Best -- &
ethic or might steal Avoid the Restâ„¢, I always point
out: Whatever behavior you see
from the applicant during the
screening process is likely to be
Tests can be given in the very best behavior you ever
paper-&-pencil test booklets or will see from that person! You
on the Internet. Importantly, surely witnessed this truism.
only use tests designed for
pre-employment assessments.
Let's say you want to hire a
high-energy person. Candidate A
stays very high-energy during
your entire screening process, I'm not referring to DNA.
including all in-depth Instead, bio-data is
interviews. Candidate B starts biographical data. Here's how to
interviews high-energy (a good benefit from bio-data. Grab the
sign) but then acts increasingly files on your superstar
drained as the interviews go on employees. Look for common
(a bad sign). Candidate A is work-related experiences or
much more likely to be education that most of them have.
high-energy on-the-job than
Candidate B. Do not expect
Candidate B to suddenly explode
with energy if you hire that
person. For example, one company I
consulted to wanted to hire
salespeople to sell a service
(not a product). Upon examining
3. Referrals from Your Best bio-data of the company's
Employees superstar salespeople, we found
the high-achieving salespeople
Winners hang around with had worked selling services.
winners. Losers hang around with Most of the company's
losers. Your best employees underachieving salespeople worked
probably hang around with in sales, also. But, the
high-achievers. Ask those underachievers sold products, not
employees to refer applicants. services.
4. Bio-data Interestingly, the same company
also discovered most of its offer
superstar salespeople worked at
McDonald's for six months or 2. applicants who accept the job
longer in high school or college. off are less likely to turnover
This showed an interest in
serving customers (after all,
that is what McDonald's stresses)
plus stick-to-itiveness (lasting Importantly, an RJP needs
six months or more in a normally to be super-realistic. For
high-turnover job). So, start example, I consulted to a tire
digging into your bio-data company. It had great difficulty
treasures located in employees' getting people to work in
files. "purgatory" - a horribly hot room
in which hot, just-made ties were
moved on the tire molds. Anyone
who worked in the "purgatory"
5. RJP room spent all day covered in
sweat and thick white dust. No
RJP stands for realistic wonder most people quit that job
job preview. To do an RJP, (a) after short time!
show applicants exactly what they
will do on-the-job if you hire
them, (b) let applicants think
about it for 24 hours, and (c) I recommended using RJPs. The
then ask applicants if they want company worried, "Applicants
to take the job. Research shows won't take that job if they know
employers who give detailed RJPs much about it!" I said let's try
get two results: RJP anyway. Sure enough, after
seeing this awfully hot and dusty
1. less employees accept the job job, only a small percentage of
applicants took the job. But, tests predict job success better
those who did stayed a long time. than other methods
Note: They were people who
acted distinctly "odd," and 3. take advantage of predictors
relished feeling hot and sticky right under your nose, including
all day! referrals from winners, bio-data,
and RJPs
Do It Now
Importantly, you can start these
If you remember these valuable methods today so you
points, you can hire the best - immediately start hiring the
and profit from it: best.
1. what you see is not all you
get - but it is the best you will
see "© Copyright 2005 Michael Mercer,
Ph.D.
2. use customized tests, since
About the Author:
Michael Mercer, Ph.D., is America's Hire the Best Expertâ„¢. Dr. Mercer authored 5 books, including "Hire the Best -- & Avoid the Restâ„¢" and "Turning Your HR Department into a Profit Centerâ„¢." Many companies hire productive employees using (a) tests he created - "Abilities & Behavior Forecasterâ„¢ Test - and (b) his 7-Step Hire the Best "System"â„¢. Visit Dr. Mercer at www.mercersystems.com
Source: www.isnare.com
|
|
|
|
