The Partner Channel Magazine Spring 2018

OBJECTIVES
If your goal for administering an assessment is to predict future or likely employee behavior, you should probably
stop right here. Although some assessments claim to be able to predict employee behavior, they often fall short of
that objective. Human behavior is predicated upon a multitude of factors which often change over time. Do you
behave the exact way now that you did when you were 18 years old? Most people change over time (and that is a
good thing). Look instead to assessments which measure innate drives, characteristics, or motivators of individuals
and your work environment needs for particular jobs. That is a far greater predictor of the likelihood of success in
the workplace.
OBJECTIVITY
The assessment you choose should render objective results. It should measure individuals in terms of strengths
and limitations. Surveys which turn out assessment results like you are a “leader” or a “follower” fail to consider
two things: The situational or circumstantial nature of leadership and the impact such a designation has upon
the employee receiving it. All leaders are not cast from the same mold, and those who lead in some capacities
frequently follow in others. The common denomination of leadership is often a passion to lead. Consider what
happens to that passion when an assessment delivers the sentence that you are or should always be a follower. That
does not prompt buy-in and will result (rightfully so) in a given number of those assessed who will not support the
assessment concept or results. A better assessment will identify the strengths and limitations of each individual in
concrete areas such as sequential work versus multi-tasking, autonomy versus team orientation, and verbal versus
analytical skills. That is a more accurate measure which will allow you to place your employees where they will
make the most impact and be the most successful.
COSTS
Some assessments take hours to complete, thousands of dollars to administer, and prolonged training to interpret
and apply. Time and money are both obvious costs to an organization. On the other hand, employee turnover due
to a bad hire or employee misplacement is also a costly proposition–the magnitude of which most employers are not
aware. (For a quick calculator of the hard costs for turnover in your organization, visit https://app.acumaxindex.
com/Form/TurnoverCalculator ). A good assessment should be easy to administer and provide results that are
simple to understand. If priced appropriately, a good assessment can justify its cost by preventing one bad hire or
placement within your organization each year.
Fit is critical to good job performance. An assessment is not a stand-alone tool but should be used in conjunction
with other techniques such as personal interviews, reference checks, and other means of employee screening to
provide a complete picture of an applicant’s characteristics. That will be the best predictor of success for integration
in your organization.
Ed Fisher is the COO at AcuMax Index (www.acumaxindex.com) and can be reached at Edfisher@acumaxindex.com.
AcuMax Index was rated a top 10 Assessment by Recruiter.com.
28 SPRING 2018 | THEPARTNERCHANNEL.COM