Hiring the right people for the right roles and developing those already employed are core operations for any business. Unfortunately, traditional methods of CV screening and interviewing often fail at identifying the right talent. That’s one of the key motivating reasons behind the development and popularity of scientific assessments: to provide an objective approach to talent management.

Assessment specialists are in the business of prediction. They have become remarkably skilled at predicting if potential employees can do the job required, whether they will perform well, and predicting which current employees will turn out to be the top performers.

Using assessments as a method of prediction goes a long way toward minimising the risks of bad hiring/promotion decisions. Organizations can also reduce their risk of losing talented employees as a result of placing them in inappropriate or poorly matched positions.

There are many strong reasons why business leaders would prefer using assessments in the talent management process:

  1. Scientific value — the objectivity and scientific validity of assessments cannot be denied in matching the right person to the right role.
  2. Candidates are becoming more skilled at interviews — assessments allow for a neutral approach where cognitive and behavioural skill are identified rather than skill at being interviewed.
  3. Minimise the discrepancies of a varied/ unequal education system. — assessments provide an opportunity to assess future potential that is largely independent of educational and socio-economic background.
  4. Shortage of qualified candidates — when appropriately skilled candidates are difficult to find, assessments can identify which people have the potential to be developed into a role.
  5. Increase retention thought appropriate development– proactively predicting top performers ensure that they are placed in successor positions. This is a powerful engagement lever for talent managers.
  6. Increase retention thought the alignment of culture fit — ensuring that individual belief systems are congruent with the organisational culture increases the likelihood that employees will remain with the organisation. Assessments can help to identify close culture matches between employee and organisational culture.

If you would like to know more about how to apply assessments to your talent management process, visit our Assessment Services page here.