Part - I

Hiring good people is part work, part art, and part luck.

As HR professionals know, staffing-assessment tools are designed to help companies make successful hiring decisions that foster worker productivity and promote company profits. Using several measurement criteria, such devices can help determine how well a person will perform a job. The keys are to make sure you decide on your goals, and to be certain your tools are effective.

A study conducted by RadioShack found that the use of staffing-assessment tools for hourly workers was associated with an increase in revenue of about $10 per hour per employee. Given a workforce of more than 1,000 hourly associates, this translates into an annual revenue increase of $10 million.

By using well-designed hiring tools, organizations avoid catastrophic losses associated with poor hiring decisions. Brian Fuller, formerly a director of security administration for Macy's Department Stores and currently a vice president at Aon Consulting's Retail Practices, tells the following story: -

"Macy's Department Stores screens out approximately 5 percent of potential hires through background checks. These background checks often indicate that a candidate has previously stolen from another Macy's or Federated department store. In one instance, an employee at Macy's was incorrectly hired because the background check was not conducted appropriately. This single hire resulted in more than $1 million worth of lost revenue due to theft and subsequent legal and security fees. The employee would never have been hired if the background check had been conducted."

Internet is making life easier.

Given the impact of hiring decisions on the bottom line, it is surprising how little effort many organizations put into improving the effectiveness of their employee-selection process. However, an increasing number of organizations have discovered the value of using staffing-assessment tools specifically designed to provide hiring managers and recruiters with a more complete picture of a candidate's ability to perform a job. The development of Internet-based hiring systems means that most of these tools are now more accessible and affordable than ever.

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* Contributed by -
Dr. Charles Handler is the president and founder of Rocket-Hire, a consultancy dedicated to helping organizations use technology and best practices to build effective, legally sound employee selection systems.
Dr. Steven Hunt is a strategic human resources consultant specializing in technology-enabled methods for hiring, developing, and retaining high performing talent.