|
PRESS RELEASE: 3 GAMES MANAGERS PLAY – THAT RESULT IN HIRING LOSERS
DID YOU EVER HIRE A “SQUARE PEG FOR A ROUND HOLE?”
You can use pre-employment tests, certain astute insights, less laziness plus a shocking realization about betting to help you avoid a huge hiring mistake – avoid hiring ‘a square peg for a round hole.’
I’VE RECEIVED A “DEJA VU” PHONE CALL HUNDREDS OF TIMES
You will benefit from hearing a phone call I received hundreds of times from managers at a big variety of companies. I call it a deja vu phone call, because I have gotten the same phone call so many times that, as Yogi Berra quipped, “It’s like déjà vu all over again.”
In this phone call I receive, a manager who uses my pre-employment tests calls me, and says, “I want to hire an applicant, but the applicant got horrible scores on your pre-employment tests. But, I loved the applicant in the interview. What should I do?”
I always respond, “Well, that’s up to you.”
To which the manager always asks me, “O.K. but, Dr. Mercer, what should I do?”
Invariably, the problem boils down to this: A company using the pre-employment tests has customized “Benchmark Scores.” Those are scores its superstars or best employees typically earn on the tests. To help hire the best, the company obviously should prefer applicants who get pre-employment test scores similar to its best employees’ “Benchmark” test scores.
However, the manager making the “Deja Vu” phone call has an applicant who scored very different than the company’s superstars’ “Benchmark” test scores.
So, I explain, “The pre-employment test and its benchmark scores are the only customized and accurate prediction method you use. In contrast, interviews and reference checks are subjective, and typically rather inaccurate. The benchmark scores on the pre-employment tests are customized to tell you if an applicant has key qualities similar to your company’s best employees in each job.”
Then, I continue, “So, you want to hire applicants who get test scores similar to your superstar employees, plus also do well in all other prediction methods, such as interviews, reference and background checks, and realistic job observations.”
Suddenly, the truth comes out. The manager played hiring ‘games’ could have resulted in a whopper mistake: Hiring a ‘square peg for a round hole,’ specifically, hiring a lousy applicant.
Here are three games managers play – that can result is the blunder of ‘hiring a square peg for a round hole.”
GAME #1 = SEMI-PSEUDO-RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE
The manager hopes – or hallucinates – the applicant’s seemingly relevant work experience is transferable to success in the manager’s company. This often is an incorrect assumption. Just because an applicant did similar work does not mean the applicant will be productive in the new job.
GAME #2 = FALLING IN LOVE – WITH THE APPLICANT
This is a shockingly common mistake managers make. Why? First, research proves most managers do not know how to interview applicants nor make correct judgments based on interviews. Second, job hunters know interviewing tricks that knock-your-socks-off.
Here are three actions a well-rehearsed applicant uses to make a manager ‘fall in love’ with him or her. The applicant uses charm tricks of
1. entering room with big smile, looks manager in eye, and gives nice handshake
2. complimenting the manager’s office or a photo or momento in the manager’s office
3. making the manager laugh or smile in the first 120 seconds
After ‘falling in love’ with and hiring the super-charmer, a manager frequently feels foolish, like lyrics of Dierk Smedley’s song: “I knew what I was feeling. But, what was I thinking?”
GAME #3 = TOO LAZY – TO FIND A BETTER APPLICANT
After a manager admits to being seduced by semi-pseudo-relevant work experience and ‘falling in love’ with a charming applicant, then the truth comes out: The manager feels too lazy to find more applicants.
But here is the bottom line: A manager will spend less time finding a superb applicant than the manager wastes while managing an average or below-average applicant – and applicant who never should have been hired. Plus, a productive employee proves vastly more profitable.
So, I always assure the manager by saying, “I know it’s a hassle to find more applicants, but I’m sure you can find applicants who will turn into top-notch employees.”
SHOCKING REALIZATION =
EACH TIME YOU HIRE SOMEONE, YOU ARE BETTING YOUR JOB & COMPANY
After discussing Games 1, 2 and 3, I say this to the hiring manager to convince them it is worthwhile to find better applicants: “Hiring is like betting. Every time you hire a person you are betting your job, career, and company. Do you feel confident betting on an applicant whose pre-employment test scores were different than benchmark test scores of your best employees?”
There always is silence on the phone. Then, the manager slowly speaks up and says, “You’re right – I am betting my career and the company each time I hire someone. Now, I realize I need to find a better applicant. It’s worth my time and energy.”
5 LESSONS from DEJA VU PHONE CALLS
1. Pre-employment tests – customized for jobs in your company – are most accurate way to
predict if an applicant may succeed in your company. Don’t bet against test results.
2. Don’t hallucinate past work experience translates into productivity at your company.
3. Never ‘fall in love’ with a charming, well-rehearsed job applicant.
4. Laziness in hiring squanders money and time when you fail to hire the best.
5. Hiring is betting. Is an applicant worth betting your job, career, and company?
RECOMMENDATION
Bet on job applicants who (a) get scores like your best employees’ scores on pre-employment tests, and also (b) rate well on all other prediction methods you use. That makes a good bet for your job, career, and company.
COPYRIGHT 2008 MICHAEL MERCER, PH.D. All rights reserved.
Michael Mercer, Ph.D., is a nationally-recognized expert on pre-employment tests and hiring the best. Dr. Mercer created the widely used “FORECASTER TESTS.” His 5 books include “Hire the Best -- & Avoid the Rest.” You can get – at no charge – 14-page report on “How to Hire Winners” – plus subscribe to “Dr. Mercer’s Management Newsletter” at http://www.Pre-EmploymentTests.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRESS RELEASE: 5 WAYS TO AVOID HIRING PSYCHOPATHS
Avoid hiring psychopaths using pre-employment tests, key job interview questions, background and reference checks, and even their aura.
PSYCHOPATHS IN THE NEWS (& maybe in your company)
Recently, the news is buzzing about a high-level people who (a) preached a high moral standard but then (b) acted using a low moral standard. This includes elected government officials and even some clergy. Unfortunately, sometimes employees violate standards of conduct or laws, and this creates a big mess for a company.
Some of these trouble-making people are “psychopaths.”
HOW TO SPOT A PSYCHOPATH
A psychopath
* has no conscience
* manipulates people
* preaches high moral standards, but lives low moral standards
* charms people
* seduces or acts inappropriate in that regard
* threatens other people in terms of their (a) well-being or (b) physical safety
Psychopaths prey on people who give in to their manipulations, verbal hostility, or physical intimidation. Their prey often do not tell managers or executives due to (1) fear of how the psychopath will treat them if they snitch or (2) psychopaths charming managers so much that the managers do not believe the “snitch” who reveals how the psychopath really acts.
MANAGERS MUST NEVER HIRE PSYCHOPATHS
It is crucial for managers to avoid hiring psychopaths. Harmony promotes productivity. Fear caused by a psychopath’s threats, hostility and manipulations destroy harmonious work relationships. So, managers must not hire psychopaths.
5 WAYS TO AVOID HIRING PSYCHOPATHS
1. Pre-Employment Tests – especially certain test scoresFrom my research on pre-employment tests, there are specific test scores that may indicate a job applicant is a psychopath. Specifically, psychopaths may get low or high scores on certain measures/scales in pre-employment tests:
* low scores on two measures – (a) Truthfulness and (b) Following Rules
* high scores on two measures – (a) Aggressiveness and (b) Power Motivation
Lesson: Be cautious with job applicants who get such scores on pre-employment tests.
2. Job Interviews
If you suspect a job applicant may be a psychopath, then you can ask questions to elicit answers revealing if the applicant threatens or intimidates people. Reason: Psychopaths get a huge thrill from intimidating through (a) real or implied threats, (b) verbal hostility, and (c) manipulation.
So, managers need to ask questions that let the psychopath proudly tell you about getting their way through intimidation.
Examples of such job interview questions:
a. “Imagine two times you had difficulty getting co-workers or employees to use your very good ideas. Tell me exactly how you handled them to get them to use your ideas?”
b. Everyone has friction with co-workers or employees. Tell me two specific experiences in which you needed to work with an employee with whom you had friction.”
After asking each question, listen for the job applicant boasting about implied or real threats, intimidating, anger, or ridiculing other employees.
Warning: Another red flag is if the applicant smiles at you, and says anything like “You had better offer me a job” – with the implication of “or else” between the lines.
3. Reference Checks
Call the job applicant’s ex-bosses at home, and ask for a “personal reference.” Obtain specific examples of how the applicant “handled difficulties and friction with other employees.” Listen for warning signs of threats, intimidation, anger, or ridicule.
4. Background Checks
Fortunately, sometimes psychopaths bite the dust by getting convicted. So, managers should uncover convictions for crimes that would concern a company, for example, stealing, fraud, DUI, or violence. Also, check to see if their claimed educational degrees and diplomas are real, and not figments of their manipulative lies.
5. Aura
Alright, I admit this is not scientific. But, if your gut-feeling about an applicant says trouble is brewing under the applicant’s smiling, charming exterior, then listen to your suspicion.
If something about a job applicant “does not feel right,” then you are better off finding a better applicant. Find a job applicant who does well in all your prediction methods. That includes doing well on pre-employment tests, interviews, references, and background checks.
Yes, that also includes finding a job applicant who exudes a good aura.
COPYRIGHT 2008 MICHAEL MERCER, PH.D.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRESS RELEASE: Tips for Less Stress In Your Workplace
Stress is a hot topic in the workplace. Some employees get bent out of shape by almost anything. Other people calmly take almost any sort of situation in stride.
Here are immediately useful tips for leaders and all employees. First are tips to help leaders avoid hiring people who will waste time and energy feeling stressed-out and burnt to a crisp. Second are tips to help every working person confidently handle stress in a poised manner.
TIPS FOR LEADERS TO AVOID HIRING HIGH-STRESS, WACKED-OUT JOB APPLICANTS
1. Look for specific pre-employment test scores.
A superb pre-employment test predicts (a) reaction to pressure or stress and (b) optimism. A job applicant who smoothly handles whatever is thrown at him or her will receive high test scores on two pre-employment test scales:
a. Objective Reaction to Pressure – that is, the person will act poised under pressure
In contrast, a high-stress applicant will score low, indicating a subjective reaction to pressure and stress. (That is a nice way to say the low-scoring applicant loves to whine, moan, and complain.)
b. Optimism – that means the person is upbeat, confident, and focuses on solutions. In contrast, a person whose Optimism test score is low is pessimistic. A pessimist searches for a reason to feel Chicken Little was right that “the sky is falling.”
2. Watch how the applicant reacts to taking the pre-employment test.
In the third book I wrote, “Hire the Best -- & Avoid the Rest,” I point out that whatever behavior you see from an applicant in the screening process is the best behavior you will see from that person. So, if the applicant whines or freaks out about taking a pre-employment test, then that is a bad sign. Watch out: The person is telling you stress is the name of their game.
3. Ask pointed questions in job interviews.
Force the applicant to tell you specific details of their work accomplishments and failures. Do not let them get away with platitudes about “doing good work.” Also, tell the applicant you might verify everything they tell you. Observe their reactions to these pressure interviewing methods. If they act jittery, that indicates they may be high stress if you hire them. Does any manager want to deal with that?
TIPS FOR EVERYONE TO REDUCE STRESS AT WORK
1. Get along with people.
Low-stress employees usually create smooth working relationships with practically everyone. To do this, find things you have in common and act friendly with absolutely everybody – from the president down to the janitors.
2. Always be diplomatic and tactful.
Never act impatient nor angry – regardless of how you feel Expressing anger in your workplace results in direct or subtle retaliation, which surely increases stress.
3. Learn what is expected of you.
Find out exactly what is expected from you by the two most important people: Your (a) boss and (b) boss's boss. These two people will make or break your career, and greatly affect your stress level. When you meet their expectations you simultaneously can get ahead plus decrease a possible cause of stress.
4. Be a team player with your boss and co-workers.
Team players express gratitude to others, and receive less grief than employees who seem rebellious or act like loners.
5. Give 3 compliments each day at work.
People love receiving compliments, and they will make your life easier. Reason: You made them feel good with a compliment. They will remember your compliment when you ask for a favor.
6. Set goals for yourself – both personal and work-related.
High-stress people rarely take actions to accomplish their goals. Low-stress people, on the other hand, spend more than half their time doing actions that help them achieve their short-term or long-term goals.
Here is a revealing to discover how much time you really devote to achieving your goals. First, write down everything you did in the last seven days. Second, on a separate piece of paper, list your (a) three short-term goals – to achieve in the next three months and (b) three long-term goals – to achieve in three years. Third, look at your seven-day activity list, and note any actions you did that helped you accomplish short-term or long-term goals.
Typically, people spend less than five percent of their time doing activities that will achieve their goals. And people feel more frustrated – and stressed – when they do not accomplish their short-term and long-term goals.
7. Write a daily "to-do" list.
Each day before leaving work, write a list of what you need to do the next work day. That quick organizing helps prevent you feeling overwhelmed by tasks you need to do.
8. Keep a neat desk or work space.
You do not need obsessive-compulsive neatness. For example, my desk is covered with a lot of papers. But, I keep a 2-foot X 2-foot space to use only for work I am doing at that moment.
9. Exercise at least a little every day.
Any movement or exercise helps. Even a 10-minute walk helps. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park at the far end of the parking lot. People bottle-up emotional tension in their muscles. By exercising a little, you release emotional and physical stress. Then, you will feel more clear-headed when you encounter a stressful situation.
10. De-employ yourself – consider changing jobs.
If the above nine tips do not help you, then you might want to find a new job. Remember the wise saying: "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."
Michael Mercer, Ph.D., is a sought-after keynote speaker at conferences and seminar leader at companies. He wrote 5 books, including “Hire the Best -- & Avoid the Rest(tm)” and “Absolutely Fabulous Organizational Change(tm).” Dr. Mercer created 3 pre-employment tests that many companies use to help them hire the best. These are the “Forecaster(tm) Tests.” You can get his three 14-page Special Reports on leadership, self-improvement and hiring – plus subscribe to his free Management Newsletter – at http://www.DrMercer.com or http://Pre-EmploymentTests.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Press Release:
Leaders & Hiring Managers Profit From ‘Birds of a Feather Flock Together’
Hiring managers and leaders use pre-employment tests, job interviews, role modeling and
strategic de-employment to increase profits based on the saying, “Birds of a feather flock
together.” In business and daily life, this is called “social networks.”
What is the premise and useful research on social networks?
The premise is expressed in a phrase in the book, “How Winners Do It” which says, “Human
beings crave to be around people who seem similar to themselves.”
Research on social networks received a lot of media attention (New England Journal of Medicine,
Vol. 357:370-379, Number 4). This reported on a 32 year study showing obese people tend to
hang around with obese people.
The day I heard about that research, I was driving on a street near my house. I saw dozens of high
school students running. All looked trim and fit. They were on the school’s sports teams. Both
the research and track team members illustrated the same point: “Birds of a feather flock together.”
‘SOCIAL NETWORKS’ IMPACT YOUR COMPANY’S PROFITS & TEAMWORK?
In my research on pre-employment testing, I continually find employees like to work and talk with
employees with similar qualities. Examples:
* Productive workers hang out with productive workers
* Lazy employees prefer working with other lazy people
* Teamwork-oriented employees enjoy collaborative people
* Whiners complain and gossip with whiners
Observation: Whiners’ favorite social activity is a Whine-&-Cheese Party!
To customize a pre-employment test, a benchmarking study is done. The outcome enables the company to focus on hiring job applicants who get test scores similar to test scores of the company’s best employees in each job.
From this research, I regularly find similarities among high-achievers in each job in each company.
For instance, the winners in a particular job might typically get employment test scores indicating strong teamwork, optimism, and customer-service. In other jobs, the high-achievers earn pre-employment test scores showing strong optimism, attention to detail, and arithmetic abilities.
Profitable lesson for leaders and hiring managers: Such research results repeatedly prove that,
indeed, “Birds of a feather flock together.”
4 WAYS HIRING MANAGERS & LEADERS PROFIT FROM USEFUL RESEARCH
Managers and executives can harness the power of ‘social networks’ to hire and manage groups of highly productive employees via
1. Pre-Employment Tests
2. Job Interviews
3. Role Modeling
4. Strategic De-Employment
METHOD 1 = PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTS
Conduct a benchmarking study to customize pre-employment tests for each job in your company.
The benchmarking starts by having employees answer the employment test’s questions. Next, have
an expert statistically uncover how your best employees typically score. Those are the benchmark
test scores. Then, when you test job applicants, you can prefer applicants who get test scores
similar to your best employees.
For example, if your company’s best employees pre-employment test scores are high on friendliness, teamwork, optimism, motivation and problem-solving, then focus on hiring job applicants who get
similar test scores. It is that simple.
METHOD 2 = JOB INTERVIEWS
Start customizing your interviews of job applicants by listing the most important 6-9 job talents you must have in the person you hire for a particular job. Make sure those job talents are verified by the
pre-employment test’s benchmarking study. For instance, if you list teamwork as an important job talent, make sure your employment test’s research showed your superstars scored high on the test’s teamwork scale.
Then, create an interview guide form and questions to assess job applicants on the key 6-9 job talents. Make sure you focus on applicants who do well on all prediction methods, including customized (1)
job interviews and (2) pre-employment tests.
METHOD 3 = BE A ROLE-MODEL
Effective leaders and managers put this Thoreau quote into action: “What you do speaks so loudly
that I cannot hear what you say.”
That means act the way you want your employees to act.
Let’s say you did a pre-employment test benchmarking study and also customized job interviews.
And then you hired only employees who got employment test scores similar to your high-achievers
and who possess the most important 6-9 job talents. For example, let’s say you hired only employees who are friendly, teamwork-oriented, optimistic, and good problem-solvers.
As their leader and guiding light, you must be their role-model, Hiw? By always exhibiting friendliness, teamwork, optimism, and astute problem-solving. Your employees learn how to act by watching your actions. And you simultaneously reinforce the strengths for which you hired them.
METHOD 4 = STRATEGIC DE-EMPLOYMENT
Since “Birds of a feather flock together,” what does the wise leader or manager do with employees who do not fit into the pattern of productive employees. For instance, using the example cited above, what does the leader do with an employee who is unfriendly, solo work-oriented, pessimistic, and stinks at problem-solving?
First, make sure that employee knows your company’s winners’ excel at friendliness, teamwork, optimism, and problem-solving.
Second, be a role-model of those outstanding qualities.
Third, make the underachiever hang out with the ‘social network’ of productive employees, and stop interacting with unproductive employees. This can include (a) having the employee join you for lunch
or (b) assigning the underachiever to work only with productive employees. This puts positive peer pressure on the underachiever.
Fourth, if all else fails, you need to de-employ or get rid of the underachiever.
Remember: You are running a business, not a baby-sitting service for underachievers.
YOU CAN LEAD PROFITABLE SOCIAL NETWORKS
Remember the adage: “Birds of a feather flock together.” Leaders and hiring managers profit from this by hiring and managing what now are called ‘social networks’ – especially social networks of composed of only productive, low-turnover, and honest employees.
© Copyright 2007 Michael Mercer, Ph.D.
Michael Mercer, Ph.D., is a nationally-recognized expert on hiring and pre-employment testing. Dr. Mercer created the “Abilities & Behavior Forecaster™ Tests” used by many companies to hire the best. His five books include “Hire the Best – & Avoid the Rest” and also “Turning Your HR Dept. into a
Profit
Center .” You can receive a free subscription to his “Management Newsletter,” plus his free 14-page Special Report on how to hire the best, at phone = 847-382-0690 or
http://www.Pre-EmploymentTests.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Press Release:
HIRE INTELLIGENT (enough) EMPLOYEES
With unemployment rates low, are you frantic to find good employees? In your search and
assessment of job applicants, don't fall into the trap of hiring any warm bodies that walk into
your office. One the of keys to successful employees is that they are smart enough to do the job.
You readily can use pre-employment tests and work simulations to hire job applicants with enough intelligence be productive employees. This helps you reach your goal to assess job applicants so you can decide which one will be fantastic employees who are productive, profitable and dependable.
IQ OF TIRE PRESSURE
I bet you hired some job applicants who had all the behaviors you sought. They turned you on in the interview. They had the right interpersonal skills, personality traits, and motivations. You felt excited to hire the applicant with many great behaviors.
But – after that new employee worked for your company for about 2 weeks – you realized the person had the IQ of tire pressure!
That very nice person did not have the brains to
1. learn the job
2. correctly handle problems and situations on-the-job
Oops! At that moment, you thought to yourself, “When they passed out brains, that nice person forgot to stand in line!”
SOLUTION = HIRE APPLICANTS WITH ENOUGH INTELLIGENCE TO DO THE JOB
You can avoid making such hiring blunders. You simply need to
* find out how smart your successful employees are
* hire job applicants as smart as your successful employees
2 WAYS TO FORECAST JOB APPLICANTS’ INTELLIGENCE
The best ways to predict if a job candidate possesses the intelligence level needed to do a job are
> Pre-employment tests
> Work simulations
The easiest – and most customizable – way to predict an applicant’s brainpower is to have the applicant take mental ability tests. In my 20+ years of research and experience, I found five crucial mental abilities the tests should measure:
1. Problem-Solving
2. Vocabulary
3. Arithmetic
4. Grammar, Spelling & Word Use
5. Handling Small Details
In fact, large-scale meta-analytic research on hiring methods found mental abilities tests had the highest correlation for correctly predicting if an applicant can do a good job. Behavior tests also predict well, according to the research. So, an efficient, easily customizable way to help you hire the best is for applicants to answer both (a) mental abilities tests plus (b) behavior tests.
You also can add an additional job skills evaluation method called work simulations.
QUICK METHOD TO CUSTOMIZE MENTAL ABILITY TESTS
Since it takes about four years to research and validate a highly useful pre-employment test, you are best to start by using an already created test. Then, your goal is to find out what test scores your successful employees get on the test. After all, you want to hire applicants who have the same
amount of intelligence as your best employees in each job.
Beware: Some people tell you to use “national norms.” That makes little sense. “National norms” foolishly are based on who-knows-what quality of employees – not only top performers. Doesn’t it make a lot more sense to test your company’s successful employees in 15 – 25 minutes? Then, you will discover “benchmark” test scores customized for your company’s successful employees. After all, those are your best employees, and you need to hire applicants with similar qualities.
After you do the “benchmarking study,” you then can have job applicants answer the same mental ability tests. When a candidate gets test scores similar to your successful employees, that applicant has the brains to do the job. You can seriously consider that person.
However, an applicant who gets test scores different than your best employees is someone who may not have the needed brainpower. You probably want to throw their application or resume in the garbage, and then find someone better.
IMPORTANT = EACH JOB REQUIRES A CERTAIN LEVEL OF INTELLIGENCE
Many managers incorrectly assume they should hire only highly intelligent employees. What a monstrous mistake! Instead, focus on hiring applicants who get test scores similar to test scores of your best employees in each job.
Keep this in mind: (A) Few jobs require high levels of intelligence, for instance, executive positions and jobs needing super-smart people. (B) Some jobs need average intelligence levels, for example, many professional and mid-management jobs. (C) Most jobs require only a below-average to average level of intelligence.
The book “The Bell Curve” presented hundreds of pages on research proving this point. Summary: Intelligence is on a bell curve – with some people below-average, some average, and some above-average. Each job requires a person with intelligence at a certain point on the bell curve.
For example, my research on pre-employment tests prove most productive factory workers have only below-average to average intelligence. My research also shows most executives score very high on mental abilities tests. Think about it: Would you take a productive factory worker and offer that person an executive job?
The reverse also is true. You should not take an applicant who scores super-high on the intelligence pre-employment tests, and put that brilliant person into a low-level job requiring low intelligence test scores. If you did that, the brilliant employee would feel bored within two months! The highly intelligent person will fit better in jobs intelligence at the high end of the bell curve.
ADDITIONAL METHOD TO ASSESS JOB-RELATED INTELLIGENCE
First, see which applicants score similar to your successful employees on the mental ability tests and behavior tests, plus impress you in interviews. Then, you know which applicants you may seriously consider hiring. Then, you can do a work simulation.
In a work simulation, you can see if an applicant can do key job skills. Make sure they are job skills you definitely want the applicant to have before you possibly hire the person.
Here are examples of work simulations I customized for companies I consult to.
+ Sales Rep applicants – role-play a sales call on a prospective customer
+ Driller applicants – take pile of items on ground and efficiently stack items on pick-up truck
+ Project Manager applicants – design project management plan plus give presentation on it
+ Customer Service Rep applicants – handle simulated calls from customers
+ Secretary/Assistant applicants -- type, make spreadsheets and do online searches
Importantly, keep the work simulation very similar to the real work the applicant would do, if hired. Make a rating sheet to assess how well (or poorly) the applicant did on work simulations.
KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE PRIZE = HIRE INTELLIGENT (ENOUGH) EMPLOYEES
Remember: Your goal is to hire the best. To succeed, you need to hire applicants who get
1. mental abilities test scores similar to your best employees’ test scores
2. behavior test scores similar to your best employees’ scores
3. excellent ratings on work simulations of key job skills
You often find it tough to locate job applicants who do well on all three crucial forecasts. But, it is tougher, time-consuming and expensive if you hire a second-rate employee who does not have enough intelligence to be a fabulous. So, make sure you hire applicants who are intelligent enough to be productive, profitable, and dependable employees.
© Copyright 2007 Michael Mercer, Ph.D., www.Pre-EmploymentTests.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Mercer in the news.
Please click on the link belw to view The Wall Street Journal quoting Dr. Mercer
on pre-employment tests and intervewing job candidates.
http://www.careerjournal.com/columnists/qanda/obstacles/20070424-qandaobstacles.html
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRESS RELEASE:
LEADERSHIP SKILLS LESSONS FROM
PARIS HILTON:
Leadership Expert Tells What
Paris Taught Leaders
Paris Hilton represents many things to many people. And now she inadvertently offers fantastic lessons in leadership skills, according to Michael Mercer, Ph.D., a management consultant with The Mercer Group, Inc., in
Barrington, Illinois.
“Paris Hilton’s crimes and follow-up botches offers lessons to leaders on how not to handle key leadership problems,” explained Dr. Mercer, author of the book “Absolutely Fabulous Organizational Change.” Dr. Mercer cites five lessons Paris Hilton taught all leaders.
1. Admit Your Mistakes
Ms. Hilton said her 45 day jail sentence “punishment is cruel and unwarranted.” A smart leader admits mistakes and accepts the consequences, according to Dr. Mercer. “Employees admire leaders who come right out and admit they did wrong. Honesty in trying circumstances shows the leader is a human being who admits blunders and whose heart is in the right place.”
2. Hire the Best
“
Paris claimed other people handled her mail, including legal papers concerning her convictions and punishments. Well, Paris Hilton and every leader needs to hire assistants sharp enough to tell them when monstrously important pieces of mail arrive or read all their mail themselves,” commented Dr. Mercer, author of the book “Hire the Best -- & Avoid the Rest.” “At some point, leaders should not blame other people for their major mistakes.”
3. Apologize Like You Really Mean It
“When a great leader apologizes, everyone should feel the leader really means it,” observes Dr. Mercer. “In contrast,
Paris seemed more concerned with wiggling out of jail than indicating she feels sorry for her dangerous and illegal missteps.”
4. Only Sign Documents You Read & Agree With
“Leaders sometimes get so caught up in their big-shot activities that they sometimes forget some details require their total attention,” says Dr. Mercer. He points out
Paris said she signed key legal papers without fully reading them. “Signing important papers without reading and agreeing with the contents is a leadership crime no leader ever should commit.”
5. Show Up + Show Up On-Time
Paris failed to show up properly in two big instances: She never attended alcohol education sessions required after her DUI conviction, and arrived late to court. “True leaders absolutely must do what they must do on the schedule they need to do it,” emphasizes Dr. Mercer. “Failure is not an option for leaders. Who appointed a leader – or Paris Hilton – king or queen so they might think they don’t need to do on-time what they definitely must do on-time.”
“Paris Hilton is a model and rich and privileged. But, at this point it definitely is better to learn from
Paris than to be
Paris ,” quips Dr. Mercer.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Press Release -
GOOGLE’S HIRING METHOD MISSING KEY STEPS
The 10/23/06 "Wall Street Journal" (www.wsj.com) reports on Google revamping its hiring methods. Hiring expert Michael Mercer, Ph.D., says Google is on the right track, but is sorely missing crucial pre-employment tests plus other prediction methods. Dr. Mercer creates pre-employment tests and authored five books, including "Hire the Best -- & Avoid the Rest."
"Google needs a step-by-step hiring process, such as my "7-Step Method to Hire the Best(tm)," explains Dr. Mercer. "My 7-Step Method to Hire the Best(tm) zooms in on predicting if an applicant has skills and talents similar to the company's high-achievers or superstars." It is progressive: If an applicant rates high on the first prediction step, then the applicant is allowed to try the second prediction method, and so on. If an applicant earns only an average or worse rating on any prediction method, then that is the end of considering the applicant. (After all, who wants to hire an average or worse job applicant?)
Dr. Mercer revealed his seven pre-hire prediction methods that he recommend all companies use -- including Google -- along with comments on how well Google currently does it.
First, is Brief Initial Screening Interview -- focused on whether applicant has biographical data similar to its superstar employees. "Google falls short here," observes Dr. Mercer, "because it needs to identify the bio-data of successful employees in each job which WSJ did not say Google does."
Second, are customized Pre-Employment Tests -- so a company can prefer job applicants who get test scores similar to its superstar employees' test scores. Dr. Mercer comments, "Unfortunately, Google does not do pre-employment tests. In fact, Google asks job applicants to identify their personality traits and past standardized test scores! That makes no sense. Reason: Any applicant with the IQ above tire pressure, including Google's typical applicants, can figure out if they should say they are, for instance, teamwork-oriented or creative or good at math or other job talents."
Third, should be the In-Depth Interview -- delving into the 6 - 9 most important job talents. While Google does an average of 5.1 interviews for hired applicants, there is no indication interviewers have a neatly laid-out list like Dr. Mercer would create of (a) 6 - 9 most important job talents, (b) specific questions to ask to assess each job talent, and (c) specific applicant actions to observe during interview. "Who knows what each interviewer asks? Also, WSJ did not say interviewers were trained in how to conduct a customized, In-Depth Interview."
Fourth is a Work Simulation or Role-Play -- forcing applicant to demonstrate key job skills. Here, Google seems to shine -- partly. It gives applicants "homework." Dr. Mercer notes, "But, the work simulation should be done in the Google office. Otherwise, applicants can take it home, get friends to help, or even have someone else do the "homework" or work simulation for them! Also, after the Work Simulation the applicant should be asked to deliver a brief presentation, so Google can assess communications skills."
Fifth, Google definitely should conduct a Realistic Job Preview -- in which job applicant spends 4 - 10 hours watching an employee actually do the job the applicant is applying for. Apparently, Google fails to do this. "Given its corporate culture and job demands, this is a huge gap in its hiring method -- and one I strongly recommend Google start doing," advises Dr. Mercer.
Sixth are Reference Checks -- getting applicant's ex-bosses to "spill the beans" about the person's good and bad work qualities. Dr. Mercer devised a way to "weasel" truthful reference checks from ex-bosses who may feel unwilling to open up. But, WSJ's article did not report on Google doing ultra-revealing Reference Checks.
Finally, Google does great at having 1 Executive Approve/Disapprove Each Hiring Recommendation. "The purpose of this is to assure the applicant received positive ratings on all of the first six steps of my 7-Step Method to Hire the Best(tm)," explains Dr. Mercer. "Here, Google excels -- because one of its co-founders, Larry Page or Sergio Brin, reviews hiring recommendations. Wisely, they sometimes do not allow managers to hire certain job applicants."
Overall, Dr. Mercer says, "For Google to grow from big to bigger, it needs a customized, structured hiring method. Google aims to shorten its hiring process. But, unless Google researches and creates an organized method, such as my 7-Step Method to Hire the Best(tm), it could save a few dollars -- but waste millions on bad hiring decisions."
CONTACT DR. MICHAEL MERCER:
PHONE = 847-382-0690
E-MAIL = DrMercer@MercerSystems.com
To see steps in "7-Step Method to Hire The Best(TM), please click on this link http://www.mercersystems.com/UserFiles/File/7steps-to-hire-best.pdf |
