Structured Assessments Will Deliver RoI
Besides the usual assessment tools, there is an increasing emphasis on people development
No matter how good applicants may look on paper or how positive they appear during a job interview, many job candidates lack the behavioral characteristics needed to be a good fit for the job and the organization, evaluates Wayne Tollemache, Executive Managing Director – International, First Advantage.
The Indian recruitment industry has evolved tremendously over the last couple of years. Increasing number of companies has put structured practices in place for defining their organizational structure and hierarchy. With factors like growing MNC culture, shrinking markets and margins, layoffs, there is a need for leaders who can think and act fast. Previously, a number of leaders from MNCs came on deputation foreign countries, but now increasingly there is a need for a more customized approach to work in the Indian context and its typical challenges. Importance of behavioral sciences has grown. Besides the usual assessment tools, there is an increasing emphasis on people development. ‘Catch ‘em young, train ‘em young’ is now the buzzword in India Inc.
There is also more emphasis on structured assessments as organizations have realized how these add value to their recruitment, training and development plans, with measurable ROI.
The importance of using assessment for succession planning across organizational levels has increased with the need for every company to have leaders in place, and also have the second line of leadership ready. Identifying the right talent from early stages, it is essential to groom and train them over a longer time-frame for the next big role.
This not only involves mapping competencies of the second line of managers but also bringing out their personal characteristics that make them evolve as a leader. Essentially, this means that now the emphasis is not only on skill-set mapping but also on assessing a person for his self-awareness, aspirations, association with the sector and growth plan for self.
With connectivity, the difference in practices in the East and West are reducing. The West is also cultivating practices like self assessment into their leadership role definition.
An ideal behavioral and skills assessments solution package for leadership development and retention should deliver a powerful combination of performance-based and knowledge-based tests. Tests should cover the widest range of job skills across varied industry segments. Behavioral tests validated by professional industrial psychologists and designed specifically for employers to provide effective, efficient screening of key behavioral traits and cognitive abilities, is another option. Using advanced testing technologies for gap analysis enables companies to develop a candidate’s job-specific skills and competencies.
The current times dictate that culture fitment becomes an important part of assessing potential leaders. When a person is being groomed internally, the individual understands the values and aspiration that the company represents and cultivates. The individual, in fact, has been a part of the process over the period of the company’s evolution. It is important to do a 360-degree framework analysis to train and develop such individuals.
However, for an external hire, it is important to see if these values match. While the person may be hired to take the company to the next level through emphasis on sales and the person may come from that background, it might be possible that the company that is hiring has not grown over that path. Culture assessment and personal evaluation have become very important tools in this process. The training and acclimatization process will be different for this individual.
Companies are breaking cross-border barriers and there is a need to think global now. No matter how good applicants may look on paper or how positive they appear during a job interview, many job candidates lack the behavioral characteristics needed to be a good fit for the job and the organization and some applicants are experts at fooling even the most experienced recruiter.
Organizations need to use best-in-class assessment tools for selecting the right leadership talent with necessary skills, competencies and attitude, to conceptualize, plan, and execute, strategic initiatives in line with the organization’s vision and business objectives.