Use of Behavioral Assessments When Hiring

I am often asked: “When should we use performance based behavioral assessments in our hiring process?” The answer is — use a quality performance based behavioral assessment before your first formal interview — or at the least, before your final interview. Assessments are all about behavioral insights and information (strengths and areas of concern) and are not necessarily a pass / fail exercise, but an incredible tool to receive insights into a person’s behavior tendencies.

Remember, assessment results are what a candidate is telling you about him or herself. Some behavioral insights can be difficult to ferret out during the interview unless you have a heads-up on where there might be a tendency for behavior tendencies to appear. For example, “concern” behaviors typically might not be noticed until three to four months after the hire, when the everyday stresses of the job take over and all the newness has worn off.

The following are four key points for using performance based behavioral assessments:

1. Performance based behavioral assessments provide excellent insights into a candidate’s strong points, and areas of concern, as they relate to successful fit in the position(s) you’re filling.
2. Assess your candidates before your first formal interview, or at the least, before your final interview.
3. Customize your interview using assessment feedback to make sure you are identifying assets and liabilities the candidate is bringing to the position and organization.
4. Caution: If you assess after the interview, unfortunately, it’s extremely easy to have already formed an opinion about the candidate (positive or negative) and it may be difficult to adjust your perspective. Thus, assess before the interview so you can use assessment feedback to enhance your interview.

Behavioral assessments are by no means the only criteria for making hiring decisions, but they will add depth and strength to the hiring process. The insights and information they provide will help you create focused interviews and real, insightful conversations with your candidates.