Simplicity! That’s what everyone promises in our tech-driven world, isn’t it? But it turns out that simplicity can be complicated.
Consider hiring assessments. There are lots of them on the market, and most are presented as being simple and easy. After all, what hiring manager or HR professional wants to jump through hoops to get answers or read pages and pages of dense information about job candidates when the position needs to be filled ASAP? Leaders need timely intel that supports good decisions so they can make the hire and move on to the next business challenge.
But choosing the right assessment presents its own challenges. On the surface, every assessment process is similar in that it usually requires only a few clicks. But how do you know what’s happening behind the scenes? How do you know the information you’re getting is worthwhile? How do you sift through all the options on the market and choose the right assessment for your organization? What seems simple at first can end up being a maze of unexpected turns, backtracking, and dead ends.
The answer, dare we say, is simple: people. We should all agree that an organization is only as good as the people who work there, so it follows that an assessment is only as good as the people who designed it. And what kind of people create assessments that actually work?
- People who understand the science
Anyone can write a questionnaire. Only people who understand and are experienced in assessment science can produce an assessment that meets standards for validity, measures what it is supposed to measure, and provides you with meaningful hiring intel. - People who understand jobs
Assessments aren’t a one-size-fits-all tool like a hammer. Good assessments are a set of precision instruments. The instrument for entry-level roles isn’t the same as for managers. They may be founded on the same scientific principles, but different roles require different success metrics. - People who understand business
Experienced assessment vendors know that scientific validity is critical, but they also know that business is not conducted in a laboratory. It’s conducted in offices, on shop floors, in facilities, and out in the field. The insights and recommendations you receive from an assessment report should reflect such knowledge and expertise.
The surface-level simplicity we are often promised upfront does not help us if it wastes time and resources on the back end. Technology-driven assessment solutions are only effective when the people delivering them to you understand your needs on every level. It’s the human touch, something we should never lose sight of. After all, what’s the easiest way to navigate a maze? Follow someone who already knows the way.
