| You need to hire the best employees. You | | | | objective method to make predictions. |
| undoubtedly hired some employees who | | | | But, make sure you use a test customized |
| were losers. | | | | for specific jobs in your company! |
| Oops! Well, let's be more diplomatic. | | | | If you have not used tests customized |
| Let's just say you hired some | | | | for specific jobs in your company, then |
| "underachievers" you would have been | | | | you really have missed out on the most |
| better without. | | | | objective and customized prediction |
| Or maybe you have the curse of hiring | | | | method you could use. |
| only "average" employees - people who | | | | 6th Horrible Mistake: You [stupidly] |
| are average in productivity and average | | | | told the applicant what you were looking |
| in producing profits. | | | | for!! |
| Question: Who wants to hire "average" | | | | Then, lo-&-behold, the applicant spent |
| (or "below average") employees? | | | | your entire interview telling you s/he |
| Answer: No one! | | | | just happens to possess all the skills, |
| To hire the best, you need to avoid the | | | | talents and qualities you - stupidly - |
| problems that plagued your previous | | | | told the applicant you want in an |
| hiring decisions. So, let me reveal | | | | employee. For example, let's say you - |
| seven horrible hiring blunders or | | | | stupidly - told the applicant you need |
| mistakes you may have made. | | | | to hire an employeewho excels at |
| 1st Horrible Mistake: = Interviewers | | | | teamwork, customer-service, and |
| typically do a lousy job at predicting | | | | correctly handling small details. I bet |
| job success. | | | | I can predict what that applicant told |
| This is a proven fact, verified by a lot | | | | you in the interview: The applicant |
| of research. Statistically, most | | | | told you - with a serious yet pleasant |
| interviewers doabout as well as flipping | | | | expression - that s/he excels at |
| a coin! | | | | teamwork, customer-service, and |
| 2nd Horrible Mistake = Reference checks | | | | correctly handling small details. And |
| fail to tell you what you really need to | | | | then, when you hired the person who gave |
| know. | | | | you all the answers you - stupidly - |
| Most employers are so freaked out about | | | | toldthe applicant you want, you pay the |
| giving reference checks that they tell | | | | price of having an employee who may not |
| you nothing or barely anything useful | | | | REALLY betalented at teamwork, |
| about how an applicant performed | | | | customer-service, or handling small |
| on-the-job. Another way to put that is | | | | details. You got fooled - and you have |
| most reference checks are about as | | | | only yourself to blame. |
| non-useful as simultaneously (a) | | | | 7th Horrible Mistake: You terribly harm |
| flipping a coin while (b) rubbing a | | | | any person you should not have hired. |
| rabbit's foot!! | | | | Let's be humanistic about it. If you |
| 3rd Horrible Mistake: You relied on | | | | hire the wrong person, the applicant |
| your "gut feel" or "intuition" & you | | | | also loses. People crave to work in a |
| were W-R-O-N-G. | | | | job where they will do well and enjoy |
| Later, as you moaned about the mistake | | | | it. People hate a job where they will |
| you made by hiring the wrong person, you | | | | perform only average or below average, |
| asked yourself, "I knew what I was | | | | and not enjoy the work. So, you |
| feeling. But, what was I thinking?" | | | | actually benefit the applicant you |
| 4th Horrible Mistake: You used | | | | carefully evaluated using customized, |
| subjective prediction methods to make | | | | objective hiring methods. |
| hiring decisions. | | | | Summary: When you hire . . . |
| For example, you relied on subjective | | | | 1. high-achieving "superstar" |
| interviews, subjective reference checks, | | | | employees, both you and your company |
| or subjective "impressions " of the | | | | win. |
| applicant. Wow! Were you ever | | | | 2. underachieving employees, (a) you |
| off-base. And then you andyour company | | | | lose and (b) your company loses. |
| needed to pay for your incorrect hiring | | | | So, make sure you use customized and |
| decisions. That is expensive, | | | | objective prediction methods,like |
| time-consuming, and frustrating. | | | | pre-employment tests, biodata and |
| 5th Horrible Mistake: You used NO | | | | more,to make sure you hire employees who |
| objective AND customized prediction | | | | are |
| method. | | | | (a) productive, (b) profitable, and© |
| Important: Research shows | | | | low turnover. |
| pre-employment tests are the most | | | | Copyright 2006 Michael Mercer, Ph.D. |