3 Ways to Predict a Successful New Hire
Acquiring talent certainly takes people skills, creative grit, and a discerned ear for both the embellished candidate’s accomplishments as well as the diamond in the rough. Even with all of those skills refined, good hires can be missed, and bad hires mistakenly made.
Why? Because most talent acquisition strategies are well-oiled machines around eligibility – the skills needed to do the job technically well (degree, experience, etc.). However, the suitability side is often what gets missed and requires predictive analytics to hone in on the preferred work behaviors individuals need to possess in order to be successful.
Below are three tips to consider when sourcing for your next new hire (or promoting internally for that matter)!
1. Preferred Behaviors Don’t Lie. Recognize that what people demonstrate in their preferred work behaviors (as well as those they tend to avoid) are how they will show up and perform in a job. Asking someone alone is flawed. It assumes they a) know themselves well enough and b) will tell the truth even if it doesn’t align with what they know you need. Instead of having them tell you with their words, have them show you with their actions before an offer is made.
2. Minimize Bias from Intuition Alone: Many years ago, a man named Chris Argyris developed a theory that informs our decision making on a daily basis. It’s called the Ladder of Inference and it’s incredibly important to hiring and developing people. It lays out the mental steps we take in our reasoning, beginning with how we take in and filter information, to selecting what we determine to be relevant, onto how we draw a conclusion. If we move up this ladder taking in information that is filtered to what we want it to be, we are guaranteed to do a disservice to the candidate, ourselves, and our organization.
Instead, use a predictive analytics tool like the Harrison to enable data to be reviewed from an objective point of view. A tool like the Harrison has built-in methods to detect and prevent deception, such as a) the candidate must stack rank statements in the questionnaire vs. answering questions that can be manipulated to one’s desired perception; b) the tool is designed to focus on the individual’s behavioral preferences ranging from strongly prefer to neutral/middle of the road to strongly prefer not to do.
3. Know What Makes Them Tick: Before you make an offer, understand what you need to do to engage and retain your ideal candidate. Knowing this upfront will enable the hiring team to determine if the company culture and structure can support what they need to be successful. Utilizing predictive analytics for this sort of approach takes the guessing out of it all and creates the opportunity for shared success with all parties involved. It moves from being one-sided on the part of the company where the expectation is that employees will fit into what is designed to the company evaluating if what is designed will set the employee up for success.
The biggest takeaway to leave you with is don’t rely on eligibility alone. Technical competencies are just one side of the coin. Implement a predictive analytics tool that will measure the behaviors needed to ensure this candidate is suitable for the role. It will help you improve the accuracy of your next hire and launch a smoother onboarding experience for everyone involved once you find your diamond in the rough.
