Global talent acquisition and management firm, Alexander Mann Solutions, highlights the need for firms to utilise data in the pre-hire stage in order to secure the best candidates, particularly when it comes to critical hiring decisions.
In response to a recent report by industry-leading analysts, Aberdeen, which reveals that ‘best-in-class’ organisations are 36 per cent more likely to use assessments in the pre-hire stage than their peers, Alexander Mann Solutions advises HR leaders to review their use of assessments to drive a constant flow of data throughout the hiring process.
In its report, Pre-Hire Assessments: The First Test to Understand the Candidate, Aberdeen also finds that among ‘best-in-class’ companies, use of these assessments increased 16 per cent from 2015 to 2016, and 22 per cent compared to two years prior.
Lisa Forrest, global head of internal talent acquisition at Alexander Mann Solutions, explains why a lack of focus on pre-hire assessments could impact on quality of hire.
She says, ‘Aberdeen’s research supports Alexander Mann Solutions’ position on the importance of data in assessment – best practice has a measurably positive impact on business performance. As the nature of the workplace continues to evolve and the expectations of both employers and candidates start to shift, pre-hire assessments can provide employers with the opportunity to gather detailed information about candidate’s skills-sets, resource requirements, and best-fit characteristics to assist in selecting, and subsequently onboarding, new employees.’
Forrest adds, ‘As highlighted in Aberdeen’s research pre-hire assessments can also have a positive impact on a wide range of positive HR indicators, including time to hire, employee retention, performance and engagement, as well as giving the organisation an understanding of how internal culture impacts hiring and retention.
‘However these pre-hire assessments should not be viewed as a stand-alone tool. Instead they should be incorporated into a wider data driven process facilitated by data analytics tools, which can allow an organisation to constantly identify skills needs across the business, any shortages of talent and potential new hires on both a short and long-term basis.’
Further reading on pre-hire assessments
