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Is it possible to be "bad" at hiring?
Do you know of anyone where you would say that they are bad at hiring people? In your opinion, what makes someone "bad"?
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4 Answers
Nancy,
I would say the "bad" is somewhat harsh as it conotes an intention that is likely not present. However, there are organizations and individuals which consistently make "poor" hiring decisions. I have encountered both and typically it is the result of relying on "gut feel" or some other instinctual reaction to candidates rather than a thorough understanding of what is needed to be successful in the role. I am not saying that instinct has nothing to do with hiring. But all hiring should be supported by a thorough understanding of the role, the organization and what it necessary to be successful. Ideally our instinctual reaction to a candidate is backed-up by an equally strong understanding that they meet the technical, experiential and cultural requirements of the role.
Cheers,
William
None of us is good at everything. So yes, it is possible to be "bad" at hiring. We can also get better. There are seminars, classes, and one on one time spent with people successful at what we want to improve on. We may never be the "best", but we can improve on bad.
There may be a person(s) in your organization who would be excellent at vetting candidates. It might be prudent to ask that person to be part of the staffing process.
Nancy - yes! Call it bad, poor, ineffective, etc. I have come across many people who do not seem to be able to hire good people consistently. For me personally, this is a good thing and is usually how I start with clients.
Why does this happen? I have found mostly due to lack of planning. Lack of understanding the skills required, lack of understanding their culture and who would best fit in, and lack of preparing interview questions. The other reason is people don't "actively listen" during the interview process.
Speaking from a Call Center perspective – the people who are “bad” at hiring are the ones who view hiring strictly as an ‘art’.
The people who are good at hiring are the ones who recognize that the science of pre-employment screening/testing contributes significantly to increased Contact Center productivity – and to reducing turnover – and to maximizing employee retention.
So which Tools and Techniques yield the best results?
In a Study on “The Comparative Validities of a Variety of Predictors of Hourly Wage Jobs in Reducing Turnover in New Hires” the following Results were uncovered:
Interview -- 14% Predictive Ability
Reference Checking -- 26% Predictive Ability
Job Preview -- 44% Predictive Ability
Skills Testing -- 53% Predictive Ability
Personality/Job-Fit Assessment -- 80% Predictive Ability
Interviews are a subjective and potentially biased process. This Study demonstrated that regardless of an Interviewer’s Skill – or a Candidate’s ability to present well – an Offer of Employment based on a strong interview alone only had a 14% chance of predicting the long-term effectiveness of a Job Candidate for a Call Center Agent Position.
Adding Reference Checking to the Interview Process only increased the likelihood of predicting long-term effectiveness in a Job Candidate for a Call Center Agent Position to 26%. And we all know that it’s getting harder to perform meaningful & insightful Reference Checks.
Job Previews - via software-based call simulators - or through having the Candidate just spend some time on the Production Floor shadowing Agents/Supervisors - only increases the likelihood of predicting long-term effectiveness in a Job Candidate for a Call Center Agent Position to 44%.
Skills Tests such as Typing Tests, Audio Transcription Tests, Windows Literacy Tests, etc. only increase the likelihood of predicting long-term effectiveness in a Job Candidate for a Call Center Agent Position to 53%. That’s just a bit better than flipping a coin!
With an 80% Predictive Ability, Personality/Job-Fit Assessments are best at forecasting future success of a Job Candidate for a Call Center Agent Position. Candidates for Call Center Agent job need to have a unique constellation of Traits - and specific amounts of those Traits - in order to successfully complete the Job Requirements. A Call Center Agent’s long-term success depends much more upon Temperament/Personality/Job-Fit Factors than on Product Knowledge, Past Experience or Skill Set. Personality/Job-Fit Assessments allow you to select new Call Center Agents who will fit your employment needs better - and stay on the job longer - leading to a Call Center Agent Workgroup that has more experience and is more productive.
Top performing Contact Centers drive their Revenue & Performance through superior hiring tactics. We help employers gain better insight & more accurate predictions as to which applicants from a pool of Candidates would perform up to, or beyond their established standards. You can find out about a Free Trial of SPAS Call Center Agent Pre-Employment Screening Software at http://www.telesoftsystems.ca/64201.html
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