Types of Behavioral assessments and how it helps in the recruitment process?
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Behavioral assessments are pre-employment recruitment tools to gauge a candidate's potential. Hiring is a tedious process, and it is naïve on a recruiter's part to rely on resumes and interviews alone. Studies show that almost 50% of the candidates lie in their resumes or indulge in window dressing. Interviews are also short and can't be very effective in predicting job performance. Hence the need for behavioral assessment tests, and in this article, we shall look at them in detail. So, let's begin.
First of all, let us define and discuss the behavioral assessments in detail to understand what it is all about.
Behavioral assessments are tests that help you know the client's behavior, precisely his behavior at his job. It estimates the client's potential, skills, traits, and how he will perform in a given job-related situation.
Behavioral assessments have their roots in psychology, where they were used to get an insight into an individual's behavior and personality. It has made inroads into workplaces where now these tests are routinely used to hire the best available talent. Under these tests, the recruiters provide the candidates with real-life case studies, problems, and scenarios and ask for their solutions. By presenting them with simulated situations, the recruiters are better placed to gauge the employees' performance and potential.
There are many different varieties of behavioral assessment tests, and we will hint at them later in this article. Let us now discuss five common elements of every behavioral assessment test.
These five characteristics are as follows;
Dominance
Extraversion
Patience
Formality
Objectivity
In a workplace, you need dominance to get things moving in your direction. It is not like bullying. Instead, it exercises your legitimate authority over others, intending to accomplish results. The highlights of dominance are being confident and assertive in your behavior.
Extraversion measures an individual's readiness and comfort level while meeting and interacting with people. The ideal candidate should have a mixture of both introvert and extrovert personalities. It is good to be outgoing, energetic, and talkative, but being like this is not a desirable trait, especially in an organization.
Patience doesn't mean just waiting for something to happen and being 'patent' about it. The term has broad connotations. It is the context of behavioral assessment; it implies being consistent, sincere, and stable about things, situations, and people.
It is the adherence to laid-down procedures, protocols, and policies. Rules and regulations bind every organization, and every member must stick to them. It ensures discipline, continuity, and outcome predictability.
It is a non-partisan attitude in conducting the affairs of the organization. Whatever your duties and responsibilities, you should discharge them transparently without any bias. If you are in a managerial position, it becomes critical that you do not give in to any prejudices and remain impartial in your work.
Now that we have discussed some common characteristics of behavioral assessment tests, we will now spell out some essential benefits of behavioral assessments in recruitment below.
We will now take a look at various behavioral assessments in the hiring procedure of an organization.
They are a realistic predictor of an employee's performance.
These tests remain free from gender, age, ethnicity, and other biases to a great extent.
Because they use real-life situations with slight modifications, they evoke a more nuanced and balanced response from the candidates.
The candidates also get a glimpse of how the organization works and what will be their core responsibilities and duties.
The tests also help retain employees as they get a fair idea of what situations they will face and how to go about them. There are fewer surprises for them when they join the organization, which reduces employee turnover.
The results of these tests are valid, and you can take them at their face value. There are fewer chances of error, and the recruiters can decide based on data collected scientifically with minimal deviation.
An unpleasant situation emerges when a recruiter has to convey feedback to unsuccessful candidates. Often the left-out candidates complain about biases and unclear rejection criteria. But not so when you are using behavioral assessment tests. They provide a clear view of the candidate's performance, and you can easily convey to them where they lack and how they can improve on it.
Another of the many advantages of behavioral assessment tests is that they help you zero in on the most suitable candidate. If you are indecisive between two candidates, the test can help you make the right decision. You can make a comparative analysis of their results and easily pick the right person for the job.
These tests are practical tools for the recruiters to make the hiring process as transparent and straightforward as possible. It gives them the confidence to go through the entire exercise smoothly, efficiently, and confidently. There are no stumbling blocks, and it will turn out better for all of them.
Lastly, we will talk about other tools and methods for judging a candidate's behavior as follows;
A case study derives from real-life events and is more likely to receive a favorable response from the candidates. They find it more engaging and immersive too. You can choose case studies that relate to the candidate’s area of expertise and the position he is applying for.
The good old interview is here to stay and is not going anywhere soon. However, what can change is how you conduct an interview and what responses you elicit from the candidates. Online interviews will become a norm in coming days and so will video conferencing.
There are specific biological tests for some jobs where the applicant has to endure high-stress levels. They help define the mental capacity of the individual to manage and handle high-tension situations and are effective in given cases.
That wraps up our topic on behavioral assessments and their multiple benefits for the organization. We hope it will be both informational and instructive to you. These tests are instrumental in picking the right person for the right job and ensuring the best job fit—all the best for your hiring procedure.
