We are great believers in the value of character assessment tools. There are some 2,500 assessment tools in the marketplace. The goal of these tools is to help determine a person’s natural strengths...and weaknesses. It’s our belief that the best assessment tool is the one that you use!

POWERFUL EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIPS BEGIN WITH HIRING THE BEST

The beginning of a powerful employer/employee relationship begins with the hiring process. Your goal must be to hire only the best! The value of placing your efforts and resources into the hiring process cannot be overstated. The most important place to put resources in any system is the first 15%.

 

Engage in a pre-interview screening process—Your hiring process should be focused on interviewing quality candidates only. The process of weeding out inferior candidates should be done without you having to meet with them. You should require every job candidate to complete a pre-interview questionnaire, fax or e-mail you a resume, and fill out a job application.

The interview—Don’t take a “wing it” approach to a job interview. Programs such as the ZERORISK Hiring System can provide you with a specifically designed interview questionnaire for the job position at hand.

Other assessment tools have been specifically designed to help in the hiring process. Two tools that we recommend are the ZERORISK Hiring System and, when it comes to post hire improvement, the Kolbe Index for Industry Professionals. The best way to use the Kolbe Index is to have your managers take an assessment on themselves and then have their reports do likewise. The results will be a road map of how to better manage each employee given their unique character traits.

The risks arising from hiring the wrong person for a job are enormous—lost productivity, reduced morale, missed opportunities. On the other hand, the rewards of placing the right person in the right position can be equally great—increased profits, high productivity and improved morale. Indeed, employee selection may be the manager’s most important function.

As with anything else, taking on a new process involves time and money. In this case, the time and money will be well spent. If it helps you to avoid even one poor hire, or the loss of one good employee, it will have paid for itself many times over.

There are many strategies and tools available for testing for skills and character. As with any management and management decision, there is an associated risk factor. Do not be blinded by all or nothing thinking. Eliminating your exposure to hiring claims by eliminating testing procedures may have the unattended consequence of business failure. You must balance your tolerance for risk with your desire for excellence so that you can make a well-informed decision about what your hiring process will be.