HR is typically as bad (or as good) as the CEO wants it to be. At the end of the day, the C suite sets the performance expectations, keeps senior HR talent in place, and cuts the pay check.
A lot of ink, or digital dust is devoted to bashing HR. The real crux from HR's perspective should be Why We Hate the CEO.Every organization has exactly the HR function it wants. Some organizations just have higher expectations.
As a practitioner, finding an organization that values high performance HR services and deliverables is the opportunity.Organizations that seek a competitive differentiation through people demand a superior workforce and the processes to deliver them.
Many C suite executives are just really just happy with mediocre when it comes to what HR can contribute to overall execution of the business plan and profitability.
As Tony Blake from DaVita says, recruiters are the next killer app. Get one on your team, and give them tools like the virtual job tryout
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Yeast and Algorithms
In the 90's I had a bread maker. I would make a loaf on time delay to be ready before breakfast. The kids would love to wake up to the smell of fresh bread. So would I. However, every so often, I would forget to add the yeast. It was the last step of the recipe. Those mornings, we would open the lid to find a dough brick in the bottom of the machine. This was a big disappointment for all of us. THe kids would chide me, and then laugh at the brick.
Yeast is the smallest quantity item in the recipe, yet without it, the ingredients were essentially wasted. Yeast is the life-force that brings together the various elements - flour, water, sugar, and salt into a delightful and satisfying loaf of bread. WIthout yeast, the end product is unusable.
Yeast is much like a scoring algorithm that brings together the ingredients of a multi-method assessment. Without the active ingredient of an algorithm, the scores of various assessments sit in a candidate record like a brick of flour and water.
Yeast is the science inside bread. Algorithms are the science inside a well validated pre-employment testing process. However, unlike yeast, good scoring algorithms can not be bought off the shelf in ready to go packets. Algorithms are arrived at through careful analysis and with a scientific approach to experimenting with and teasing meaning out of complex data sets.
Working with Shaker Consulting Group to design, validate and implement a Virtual Job Tryout is a bit like defining the recipe for bread that will be the most satisfying for your recruiting team. The analytical models we use ensure each ingredient comes together and makes a meaningful contribution.
After implementing the Virtual Job Tryout, your recruiters will have a very different and highly rewarding experience. In the morning, when your recruiters open their candidate machine (ATS), it will flood over them like the aroma of fresh warm bread, it will be the smell of success.
Yeast is the smallest quantity item in the recipe, yet without it, the ingredients were essentially wasted. Yeast is the life-force that brings together the various elements - flour, water, sugar, and salt into a delightful and satisfying loaf of bread. WIthout yeast, the end product is unusable.
Yeast is much like a scoring algorithm that brings together the ingredients of a multi-method assessment. Without the active ingredient of an algorithm, the scores of various assessments sit in a candidate record like a brick of flour and water.
Yeast is the science inside bread. Algorithms are the science inside a well validated pre-employment testing process. However, unlike yeast, good scoring algorithms can not be bought off the shelf in ready to go packets. Algorithms are arrived at through careful analysis and with a scientific approach to experimenting with and teasing meaning out of complex data sets.
Working with Shaker Consulting Group to design, validate and implement a Virtual Job Tryout is a bit like defining the recipe for bread that will be the most satisfying for your recruiting team. The analytical models we use ensure each ingredient comes together and makes a meaningful contribution.
After implementing the Virtual Job Tryout, your recruiters will have a very different and highly rewarding experience. In the morning, when your recruiters open their candidate machine (ATS), it will flood over them like the aroma of fresh warm bread, it will be the smell of success.
Learn more about the recipe for success. Contact us to discover how success is measured.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Assessments: Leap of Faith or Confident Step Forward?
The decision to hire someone will always be an act of personal judgment. However, decisions are rarely better than the data that supports them. The use of assessments or pre-employment testing as a form of candidate evaluation can add valuable, objective information to support the hiring decision. The approach you use to select and implement assessments can be making a leap of faith or it can be a confident step forward in raising the quality of the hiring decision.
Assessments are a resource used to discover something about an individual. The big question often asked by people contemplating the use of assessment is “Does it work?” It is an important question. When you implement any business tool, it is important to be able to act with confidence. Unfortunately, “Does it work?” may not be the best question to ask. The reason being is that the answer may be misleading.
Assessment should be viewed as a form of measurement discipline. As in any other business process, properly calibrating the measurement system is critical. Calibrating assessments to your hiring requirements determines how well the measurements will ad value.
Leaps of Faith
One of the most common leaps of faith made in the use of assessments is driven by one question: “Is this assessment valid?” This Yes-No question does not obtain an answer that helps you determine if the assessment is calibrated in a manner that makes it appropriate for your hiring needs. A more productive probe is: “Tell me about the performance metrics and job behaviors used in the validation analysis.” The answer to this question will help you learn how similar or dissimilar the data in the analysis is to the type of performance you need.
A second common leap of faith is using small Norm Groups. Sometimes assessment vendors suggest using a sample of high performers as Norm Group. To be considered as statistically significant, the group sample should be 100 or more individuals in the same job or from the candidate pool for one job. With small groups of 10, 25, or even 50, any results may be due to chance. This means that a second group of 10 or 20 could produce a very different result. It is important that the number of individuals in the Norm Group is large enough to be significant and very similar in make-up to the nature of individuals with whom you will compare the results.
Calibrating for Confidence
Assessments are calibrated with a variety of methods. The two most commonly discussed methods are conducting a validation analysis and creating norm groups. Validation is a structured business case study and analysis of how response patterns to the assessment predict performance metrics associated with on-the-job behaviors. Norm Groups are the results or scores achieved by a defined population, such as applicants for a specific job, or .current employees in a specific job. It is very important to understand which on-the-job behaviors were used in the validation as well as the characteristics of the group who participated in the validation.
Conducting your own validation analysis is the best way to implement assessments with a confident step forward. A validation analysis documents the business impact from using assessments as a measurement discipline in candidate evaluation. The results of the analysis reports the economic value of hiring candidates more likely to achieve desired on-the job results.
When you use the validation analysis conducted by another company to evaluate your candidates, it is like saying, I want to hire folks just like they are hiring. It also by default states your business is not unique and that you are not different. By using the validation analysis conducted by another company, you are also taking steps to become more like the other company. Is that what you really want?
Before you take a leap of faith into the realm of assessment, take a confident step forward and give us a call. We will help you learn more about how validation analysis can be applied for a competitive advantage. Discover how success can be measured in your staffing process.
Assessments are a resource used to discover something about an individual. The big question often asked by people contemplating the use of assessment is “Does it work?” It is an important question. When you implement any business tool, it is important to be able to act with confidence. Unfortunately, “Does it work?” may not be the best question to ask. The reason being is that the answer may be misleading.
Assessment should be viewed as a form of measurement discipline. As in any other business process, properly calibrating the measurement system is critical. Calibrating assessments to your hiring requirements determines how well the measurements will ad value.
Leaps of Faith
One of the most common leaps of faith made in the use of assessments is driven by one question: “Is this assessment valid?” This Yes-No question does not obtain an answer that helps you determine if the assessment is calibrated in a manner that makes it appropriate for your hiring needs. A more productive probe is: “Tell me about the performance metrics and job behaviors used in the validation analysis.” The answer to this question will help you learn how similar or dissimilar the data in the analysis is to the type of performance you need.
A second common leap of faith is using small Norm Groups. Sometimes assessment vendors suggest using a sample of high performers as Norm Group. To be considered as statistically significant, the group sample should be 100 or more individuals in the same job or from the candidate pool for one job. With small groups of 10, 25, or even 50, any results may be due to chance. This means that a second group of 10 or 20 could produce a very different result. It is important that the number of individuals in the Norm Group is large enough to be significant and very similar in make-up to the nature of individuals with whom you will compare the results.
Calibrating for Confidence
Assessments are calibrated with a variety of methods. The two most commonly discussed methods are conducting a validation analysis and creating norm groups. Validation is a structured business case study and analysis of how response patterns to the assessment predict performance metrics associated with on-the-job behaviors. Norm Groups are the results or scores achieved by a defined population, such as applicants for a specific job, or .current employees in a specific job. It is very important to understand which on-the-job behaviors were used in the validation as well as the characteristics of the group who participated in the validation.
Conducting your own validation analysis is the best way to implement assessments with a confident step forward. A validation analysis documents the business impact from using assessments as a measurement discipline in candidate evaluation. The results of the analysis reports the economic value of hiring candidates more likely to achieve desired on-the job results.
When you use the validation analysis conducted by another company to evaluate your candidates, it is like saying, I want to hire folks just like they are hiring. It also by default states your business is not unique and that you are not different. By using the validation analysis conducted by another company, you are also taking steps to become more like the other company. Is that what you really want?
Before you take a leap of faith into the realm of assessment, take a confident step forward and give us a call. We will help you learn more about how validation analysis can be applied for a competitive advantage. Discover how success can be measured in your staffing process.
Video Game Like Assessments
This is in response to Bryan Baldwin's blog of 2/18/2009
As Brian notes, the multi-media nature of video gaming is what candidates expect from an on-line experience. For that to work in an assessment environment there must be a low or no threshold learning curve on mastering the technology interface. Most gamers get better over time. Multi-media assessment must deliver a fair and consistent first-time experience on a level playing field. Second Life for example, requires about 20 hours of practice to become a proficient navigator. Candidates will not tolerate, nor is it fair, for that degree of learning commitment to get into a job application.
Over 90% of candidates completing the Virtual Job Tryout® state they will refer friends and family to this job opportunity based on the nature of the application experience. When your candidate evaluation experience creates viral attraction, that is employment brand power at its finest. In today’s economy, the experience is the marketing.
While video-game like qualities are a worthy target to strive for, Web 2.0 principles provide a framework for fast and cost effective custom on-line candidate evaluation experiences. The Virtual Job Tryout® platform and methodology has been developed to deliver a job specific, company branded, highly engaging and informative candidate experience. We deliver custom development and validation at or below the cost of many off-the shelf solutions. We know this because of the number of clients that have chosen the Virtual Job Tryout® in competitively bid projects.
Tom is correct, (and thanks for the mention), the validity correlations achieved by the Virtual Job Tryout® demonstrate next-in-class capabilities of robust measurement methods. This is due in a large part to two factors: 1. The multi-method nature of the approach taken for candidate evaluation. 2. The proprietary techniques used to capture a comprehensive data set of subjective and objective measures of on-the-job performance. When it comes to quality validation analytics, size does matter.
It has been well documented that using two or more evaluation methods increases the power of prediction. It has also been well documented that work samples are very sound predictors of on-the-job performance. The Virtual Job Tryout® seamlessly combines four to six experiences comprised of job-specific work samples, job- relevant work history, and performance-appropriate work style. The customized-content nature of these experiences embeds realistic job preview within the evaluation. The candidate takes the job for a test drive. The recruiter gains a work sample that predicts performance. It is a double win for the recruiter and candidate.
Companies are justified in expecting more from their assessment technology. It can no longer be about “the test”. Companies that obtain the best hiring results view candidate evaluation as a measurement discipline for the business process called staffing. With this end in mind, the staffing process is evaluated by statistically exploring the inputs (candidates and candidate data) value-add components (evaluation, decision making and on-boarding) and yields (staffing waste, staffing rework, new hire performance variation).
Companies that view staffing as a business process know that calibration is at the core of process improvement. In the field of assessment validation = calibration. The closed loop analytics deployed with a Virtual Job Tryout® implementation feeds a periodic recalibration which hones in on the performance drivers. The Virtual Job Tryout® gets smarter over time, learning from experience. The staffing process becomes a data source which documents how each hiring decision is contributing to the business.
Brian you are correct about the investment and cycle time for developing a new game. The cost and time to market would have to plummet for even the companies with the greatest appetite for combining the “way cool” with the “way effective.”
There are more lead-time reasonable and cost effective methods for highly engaging and measurement rich candidate evaluation available today.
I too am available for any reader wishing to learn more.
Joseph P. Murphy
Shaker Consulting Group, Inc.
Developers of the Virtual Job Tryout®
Joe.murphy@shakercg.com
www.shakercg.com
As Brian notes, the multi-media nature of video gaming is what candidates expect from an on-line experience. For that to work in an assessment environment there must be a low or no threshold learning curve on mastering the technology interface. Most gamers get better over time. Multi-media assessment must deliver a fair and consistent first-time experience on a level playing field. Second Life for example, requires about 20 hours of practice to become a proficient navigator. Candidates will not tolerate, nor is it fair, for that degree of learning commitment to get into a job application.
Over 90% of candidates completing the Virtual Job Tryout® state they will refer friends and family to this job opportunity based on the nature of the application experience. When your candidate evaluation experience creates viral attraction, that is employment brand power at its finest. In today’s economy, the experience is the marketing.
While video-game like qualities are a worthy target to strive for, Web 2.0 principles provide a framework for fast and cost effective custom on-line candidate evaluation experiences. The Virtual Job Tryout® platform and methodology has been developed to deliver a job specific, company branded, highly engaging and informative candidate experience. We deliver custom development and validation at or below the cost of many off-the shelf solutions. We know this because of the number of clients that have chosen the Virtual Job Tryout® in competitively bid projects.
Tom is correct, (and thanks for the mention), the validity correlations achieved by the Virtual Job Tryout® demonstrate next-in-class capabilities of robust measurement methods. This is due in a large part to two factors: 1. The multi-method nature of the approach taken for candidate evaluation. 2. The proprietary techniques used to capture a comprehensive data set of subjective and objective measures of on-the-job performance. When it comes to quality validation analytics, size does matter.
It has been well documented that using two or more evaluation methods increases the power of prediction. It has also been well documented that work samples are very sound predictors of on-the-job performance. The Virtual Job Tryout® seamlessly combines four to six experiences comprised of job-specific work samples, job- relevant work history, and performance-appropriate work style. The customized-content nature of these experiences embeds realistic job preview within the evaluation. The candidate takes the job for a test drive. The recruiter gains a work sample that predicts performance. It is a double win for the recruiter and candidate.
Companies are justified in expecting more from their assessment technology. It can no longer be about “the test”. Companies that obtain the best hiring results view candidate evaluation as a measurement discipline for the business process called staffing. With this end in mind, the staffing process is evaluated by statistically exploring the inputs (candidates and candidate data) value-add components (evaluation, decision making and on-boarding) and yields (staffing waste, staffing rework, new hire performance variation).
Companies that view staffing as a business process know that calibration is at the core of process improvement. In the field of assessment validation = calibration. The closed loop analytics deployed with a Virtual Job Tryout® implementation feeds a periodic recalibration which hones in on the performance drivers. The Virtual Job Tryout® gets smarter over time, learning from experience. The staffing process becomes a data source which documents how each hiring decision is contributing to the business.
Brian you are correct about the investment and cycle time for developing a new game. The cost and time to market would have to plummet for even the companies with the greatest appetite for combining the “way cool” with the “way effective.”
There are more lead-time reasonable and cost effective methods for highly engaging and measurement rich candidate evaluation available today.
I too am available for any reader wishing to learn more.
Joseph P. Murphy
Shaker Consulting Group, Inc.
Developers of the Virtual Job Tryout®
Joe.murphy@shakercg.com
www.shakercg.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
