Every organization wants to hire the best people for the job.
Identifying the best people for the job, however, remains a challenge for even the most seasoned HR professionals.
So, what kinds of errors plague the hiring process? Journalist, Lee Colan, in the respected business magazine, Inc., lists five of the most common missteps. A link to his article is provided here.
What really stands out in Colan’s article is how subjectivity often gets in the way of effective hiring. Colan says “Experience and intuition are important, but so are more reliable and valid methods like testing, simulations, and work samples.”
Therefore, incorporating objective tests, such as simulations, into the hiring process helps to counteract subjectivity and allows us to get a much deeper understanding of a candidate’s true abilities.
Colan also cautions against taking candidates at their word, without actually verifying that they have what it takes to be successful in the job. It’s always good practice to back up candidate claims with evidence. While a careful, detailed interview process can uncover valuable information about each candidate, this can take considerable time and effort.
On the other hand, simulation-based testing is a great first step to screen out unqualified candidates. Simulations place candidates in a virtual workplace where they test-drive the job and demonstrate what kinds of competencies they really possess. Then you can focus your time interviewing only the most qualified candidates.
The primary benefit of simulated testing starts with reducing subjectivity and hiring the most capable people for the job. This leads to other benefits, as well, including:
- Decreased hiring time and costs
- Identification of individual and group training needs
- Increased employee learning readiness and retention
- Decreased absences and tardiness
- Reduced employee turnover
- Accelerated performance results
If your current employment process is falling short of delivering the kind of results you want, you may need to learn more about simulation-based testing and what it can do to help you better meet your employment goals.