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"Explain this to me" exhorts an HR manager
in charge of evaluating pre-hire assessments for a soon-to-be
launched sales force recruitment initiative. "Why does the
test you recommended tell us to avoid hiring one of our top
sales people and your competition's test says she'd make a
good salesperson."
The confusion over the results is
understandable - at face value. But it brought to my
attention again, the confusion in the marketplace for
selecting the right test for the right situation. As I
tell my clients, if I'm experiencing chest pain,
lightheadedness, and a weak pulse, and the blood sugar test
comes back normal, does that mean that test is wrong or it was
the wrong test for the situation?
In the case presented by the HR managers,
both assessments are reliable and valid. The
information from both tests is highly accurate. But two
distinct differences exist. One test is a behavioral
test; the other is a personality test. One is a self-reporting
style test like DISC. The other is a normative test based on
personality factors. (Normative means the results
are normed against a sample population.)
Although there were several seemingly
contradictory results, the results were quite complementary
and when used together, very informative. The DISC test said
the individual preferred a steady, logical pace and enjoyed
influencing people - both excellent and desirable qualities
for the position. That's absolutely correct. What
DISC does not effectively evaluate is whether this individual
has any skills at managing and prioritizing the pace nor the
ability to communicate effectively with others. It just
that he or she responds to problems, people, pace and
procedures in a particular way. It does not evaluate
effectiveness and isn't that what you want to know? How
effective will he or she be in the job? Making assumptions
that a steady influencer or any other style has the skills to
sell or better skills than more direct analytical types is a
dangerous leap. One that could lead one to hire the wrong
person or exclude the right person.
The test we recommended based on the
client's criteria to identify individuals who are effective
consultative salespeople rejected this individual, although
she was considered one of the best. Why? One scale on
which she "scored" in the bottom 11 percentile was
called Social. Social in this case means outgoing.
This individual was friendly and personable based on the DISC
but that is not the same as outgoing. For example,
outgoing means walking into a room of strangers and
introducing yourself. Friendly and personable but
reserved (which she was) means preferring smaller groups or
hoping, even praying, that someone in a roomful of strangers
comes over to you and introduces him or herself first.
Our assessment of choice was normed
against a population of consultative and relationship top
performing salespeople who were compensated with
salaries, bonuses, and commissions. Based on a
combination of selling skills, personality, and motivational
factors, this particular individual did not fit the norm. Did
that mean she couldn't be successful? NO! Did that mean that
others like her might fail in this type of sales with a
similar compensation and incentive program? Yes, because only
2 out of 10 people with her personality
succeeded.
To insure the highest degree of
predictability based on job-specific factors and the fairest
selection process possible, we commonly recommend more than
one assessment using "the whole person approach".
Selecting top performing managers and salespeople does not
happen with a cookie-cutter solution. The best process
is one that combines sifting through the resumes and
applications to screen out unqualified candidates and then
qualifying the best matches through a combination of
interviews and assessments.
What makes a top performer
successful? Behaviors alone don't predict
success. Attitudes are paramount but with the wrong
behaviors, you may have a bull in a china closet or a mouse
hiding in the cupboard. Is it assertiveness, resilience
or the ability to manage stress?
Identifying top performing sales people
and managers is significantly improved through the use of
pre-hire assessments. The likelihood of success of
course increases dramatically with the selection of
assessments that identify what you need to know. So the
first step in selecting the best person for the job is
understanding what traits, qualities and skills separate the
best from the rest.
The second step is finding the right tools
and techniques to identify those must-have traits, qualities
and skills in candidates. There are literally thousands
and thousands of "good" assessments available today. A
good assessment does not mean that it's right for you. The
best and only acceptable assessment is the one that helps you
predict the likelihood of success of a job candidate before
you hire him or her.
Success Performance Solutions
works with small businesses as well as the Fortune
500 to provide convenient, cost-effective solutions that
quickly and effortlessly sifts out unqualified
candidates and matches, manages and motivates
employees. | 
