Comments on: what are the best predictors of success?

By: David Graham

David Graham — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:36:30 +0000

Dan-

That is a very interesting concept. I have always felt that work-based scenarios/problems serve as a much better indicator of potential performance than the typical cover letter/resume/interview process. In fact, I have been stunned to learn how little stock people in HR often put into the interview- and perhaps with good reason- http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/136/made-to-stick-hold-the-interview.html.

I work with a company (www.GrouperEye.com) that wants to move college recruiting along these same lines. We run case competitions and increase the interaction between college students and the companies who recruit them. While it is not a new concept (consulting companies have used case-interview process for years, Google runs specific case competitions, etc.), nobody has taken the time to try to apply this broadly to college recruiting. We have used our own system and it works. Companies get better fits in their hires, and the kids who might get weeded out early on because of that C- in Spanish freshman year have a chance to prove to companies that they are the one for the job.

By: Dan Erwin

Dan Erwin — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 04:54:15 +0000

I’ve worked as a consultant for an architectural firm that looks for recent architectural and engineering grads that will fit their corporate values. We’ve created 10 to 15 different scenarios that pose problems to be resolved. And different interviewers present different scenarios to a candidate. We listen to their response, not for the resolution they come up with. Instead, we want to understand how they think about problems. Can they suggest potential data that should be considered, give a sense of how well they interpret data, and how they come up with conclusions. We also set up scenarios that will show us how their training has taught them to think about architecture and clients. We are looking for recruits who pay attention to clients, and show that client values are truly fundamental. We’ve found that we can weed out the design impresarios and identify people who will put clients first, be able to collaborate with them, and at the same time offer significant value to the client. We’ve used the model for three years and are quite happy with our success. It does take some planning to create the scenarios, and we find ourselves readjusting them after a set of interviews. I also know that the process can be used in any work setting. I’m quite convinced that how a person thinks about their business is the most important attribute–not their technological training. Most companies do well at technological training, but piss-poor at people skills.

By: Oscar Thibidoux

Oscar Thibidoux — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:24:54 +0000

Years ago I took a psych profile before I was “hired” to work with IDS Financial Services (American Express Financial Advisors/Ameriprise). I passed. I did not do well. I was miserable working for a company with which my ethical standards were in conflict with company policies. I loved my clients. Management seemed to be in conflict with the espoused values. While in many ways it was a great company, I did not fit in. So, I left. The screening efforts did not work in my case.

As an employer I am constantly looking at why certain employees did not work out. After 20 years I’ve gotten better. But, I’m far from perfect.

By: Jimmy

Jimmy — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:43:45 +0000

This is an area I’ve spent a great deal of my time trying to better understand. First and foremost I feel that many organizations find failure with predicitive indicators, because in order to accurately predict success you have to accurately measure success; and far to many organizations do a poor job of measuring and differentiating success of employees. This is particularly true when you are measuring and defining non-revenue or production generating positions.

I’ve always found that the best (not perfect, that word should never be used) method to follow is to define all of the competencies required to perform a role. Then measure the top 20% against the bottom 20% of performers to see how they compare and where the differences lie. Looking at the bottom 20% against the top twenty is key, by the way, you must be able to differentiate.

When you design a strong interview model around the competencies, I use a behavioral model myself – with a 5 point scoring model, you then have to measure their performance, not just overall, but against how they scored in the interview. 5 points was chosen as the interview points, since that matches with our ratings for employees. You then need to analyze annually, and make adjustments.

It is a lot of work to get this in place and functioning properly, it is not a quick fix, but I’ve always found it produces very storng returns.