An employee assessment tool can be a lot of things; a performance appraisal, motivation assessment, or even a competency profile. But it can also refer to a psychometric evaluation.
Not only are more and more companies using psychometric testing, but they are also becoming more dependent on them to perform the majority of their HR functions. Whether you’re a recent graduate in an entry-level position, or a seasoned HR veteran, you need to get with the times!
Don’t think it’s important? Look at the following 5 signs that show you might need to be investing in an employee assessment tool.
1 – Hiring Errors
Do you feel like your selection process is not optimal? Are you getting candidates that look great on paper, had a decent interview, but didn’t perform as well as you thought they would once they got hired?
Hiring errors are to be expected (we are human, after all!), but that only means there is more room for improvement. Relying only on a candidate’s resume and interview leaves you more vulnerable to hiring errors. Just because a candidate already occupied the position in a previous organization for several years doesn’t mean they are the best employee to have.
The same goes for the interview; the interview is when a candidate is literally selling themselves, so you can’t really identify what they are really all about only based on that matter. Even if you gave them a technical test and determined that they are capable of doing their tasks, you still don’t know if they are going to be a good fit in your organization.
And this is where an employee assessment comes in; providing you with additional and objective information to base your hiring decisions on. Hiring mistakes can be easily avoided if you consider a candidate’s natural reflexes, thinking structure, and their level of fit with their team and the organization.
And yes, it is possible to get all of these using the right psychometric test!
2 – Conflict
It’s never good when you have conflict in your organization. Not only does it disrupt the work environment, but it also negatively affects overall productivity and performance. Whether it’s conflict between team members, between employees and their superiors, or even between managers from different departments, everyone can feel when things aren’t going smoothly.
The reasons why conflicts exist in the workplace are numerous, and I’m sure everyone has experienced it at one point or another (directly, or indirectly). Actually, why don’t you try thinking of the last conflict that occurred at your organization; regardless if you were a part of it or just observed it? Think of the people that were involved in the conflict and why they were in disagreement.
Now imagine if these people knew the characteristics and natural reflexes of one another. If they knew how the other worked and functioned, what their motivation is, and whether or not they are sensitive to criticism; could the conflict have been avoided?
Have you ever found yourself saying, “These two are so different I never would have put them in the same team”? Conflicts can really boil down to two things; either the personalities of the individuals are just not compatible, or their working modes are inherently different and the disagreement is augmented as a result of their behaviors.
To sum up, if you knew how your entire workforce was naturally built, you could avoid conflicts between incompatible personalities, or resolve conflicts by satisfying both parties’ inherent needs (because you know what they are!).
3 – Demotivation
Even if demotivation was the only thing wrong in your organization, you still have a big, big problem. In fact, there is probably nothing worse than a demotivated workforce. It can easily be seen how demotivation leads to unproductive, ineffective, and inefficient individuals, and you really don’t want that in your organization.
No matter the size of your company, the industry you are in, or the market you are serving, if your employees are demotivated, then something’s wrong. That doesn’t mean you’re a bad manager, though; it just means you might not be aware of what motivates your employees.
However, there is a silver lining! Despite being one of the worst organizational problems, it is one of the easiest to resolve. Use an employee assessment tool to create a motivation assessment and identify your workforce’s needs. The next step after that is just providing them with the motivation they need!
4 – Low engagement
If you have demotivated employees, then you will certainly have low employee engagement, but the reverse is not true. Even motivated employees can be unengaged employees.
An engaged employee is one that is not only motivated, but is also committed to their role and organization, and consciously involved and satisfied with their work. If your employees are both engaged and motivated, then your organization is on the path to success!
Invest in an employee assessment tool to understand how your workforce is built so you can then, in turn, encourage employee engagement (you might even find that a change in organizational culture is what you need!).
5 – High turnover rate
If you have any of the above problems, then you might also have a high turnover rate. But even if you don’t, there are still many things that can contribute to employees leaving your organization.
Now, I understand that there are some industries or positions that generally have a higher turnover rate than others, but if you’re continuously keeping track of your employee turnover rate (and you should be!), that number certainly shouldn’t be increasing.
If it is, however, then that’s a clear sign that something isn’t going according to plan. Try to pinpoint the source of the problem, and if you can’t, then you should definitely be considering an investment in an employee assessment tool. Not only could it tell you where the problem is occurring, but how to resolve it as well!
After all, wouldn’t we all like a higher retention rate?
Having any one of the above problems is evidently bad for your organization, but having more could be catastrophic. You should unquestionably start exploring better options and opening your mind to an investment that can not only improve your employee’s motivation and engagement, but also your organization’s efficiency and effectiveness. Are you ready to learn more about the benefits of psychometrics yet?