Psychological assessments by an organizational psychologist, assessment instruments administered by company personnel either on site or on line, or some combination of these approaches may also be done. (Assuming that the individuals administering and interpreting the assessments have been properly trained) The advantages of using assessments as part of the hiring process are as follows:

1.        Benchmarking – This is the process of determining what skills, talents, attitudes, and behaviors are important for successful performance in a given position. By analyzing the results of individuals who have demonstrated success in a given position and the requirements of the position, candidates can be compared with a set of objective standards.

2.        Comparative analysis –Standardized assessments allow for the direct comparison among individuals on whatever dimensions are measured by the instruments. For example, if a given position requires a high level of attention to detail and the assessments used measure attention to detail, the suitability of one candidate over another on that dimension can be directly determined.

3.        Quantifying organizational culture – Organizations have their own personalities, just as individuals do. A major contributing factor of an individual’s success in an organization is how well that individual assimilates into the organization’s culture, which has been loosely defined as how we do things around here. In fact, as an individual rises in an organization, his or her technical ability becomes less important and his or her ability to understand, work within, and influence the culture of the organization becomes critically important. Assessments can quantify many aspects of an organization’s culture, although not all.

4.        Technology – The workplace has changed dramatically in the last decade and technology has driven those changes. Individuals cyber commute or work flex hours, companies conduct virtual meetings to reduce travel time and expense, and almost instantaneous communication is the norm rather than the exception. Many standardized assessments can be administered on- line, allowing for individuals to respond at any time, day or night, and from their office, home, or laptop. This allows organizations to determine which candidates meet the minimum requirements to move ahead in the hiring process without the cost in time and manpower of bringing obviously unsuitable candidates in for a visit to the company office.

Although the advantages mentioned above are real, a word of caution is in order. The use of standard assessments is only one element in an effective hiring process. They should not be used instead of background checks, reference checks, and personal interviews. Assessments should be used together with these other sources of information. Your organization is never going to be one hundred percent accurate in hiring new employees, but a systematic approach to hiring, effectively using assessment tools, can greatly reduce the number of hiring mistakes and its accompanying pain for all involved.