DRS 255 SKILLS IN JOB MATCHING AND PLACEMENT
Introduction
The majority of hiring and placement decisions are made by managers or executives who have
"gut feelings" (Strong feeling) about people. Yet, often those placements lead to impulse
(instinct) hiring, unforeseen training costs, and high turnover rates. What is the solution? Job
matching.
What is Job Matching?
Job matching is basically common sense combined with objective assessment data. Common
sense plays a role because you would not put a social, high-energy person behind a desk as a data
entry clerk. In the same way, you would not ask an introverted, (Reserved, shy or quite) number
cruncher (somebody whose job consists of performing large quantities of arithmetic calculations)
to be an event planner. Too often, employers hire based only on work experience, education, and
qualifications. Why aren’t personality and internal motivation considered? That is the role that
objective assessment data plays.Appropriate job fit is essential for employees and managers to be
high achievers.
By using assessment tools, you can measure a person’s personality, behavior, learning style, and
interests. If you combine this information with a person's resume, then you have a more
comprehensive picture of the candidate. People often take jobs because they need a job — not
because they like to do the job. Most people are capable and resilient enough to learn how to do
many jobs, but they probably prefer only certain types of jobs. High turnover is the result of
people taking jobs that are not a good match for them. Retention is achievable when qualified
people are matched with jobs that fit who they are as a person.
Developing Job Match Patterns (shapes and forms)
All companies should have multiple job match patterns. Patterns are typically developed by
evaluating the results of top-performing employees in a particular position. For example, you
may have a sales team that has three successful sales people. Job patterns are created by
averaging the scores of those top performers. This will enable you to create a job pattern for that
particular job. Then when you assess applicants, you will be given an auto-generated report that
states how closely the candidate’s characteristics match your top performers. If the candidate has
a high percentage, they are likely to do well in a sales position. If they are a low job match, they
may struggle to be successful. This does not mean that the person with a low percentage will
make a bad employee; it means that the candidate is better suited for a different type of job.
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Management Application
Managers across the board encounter difficult selection and organization decisions. Assessments
are a tool that can be used to clarify and solidify placement decisions. They provide the best
possible insight for those seeking deeper information about employees. Assessments can be used
in both the hiring or development processes.
Maybe you already hired the wrong person for a particular job. How do you remedy the
situation? You do exactly what you would do with a new hire — have your employee take the
assessments and then you place the assessment results next to the resume. Then you will have
two options: You can use the coaching and development reports to help that employee be the
best he can be in a position that doesn’t completely suit him. Or, you can identify a new
opportunity for the employee and transfer him to a position in which he is able to excel.
Job matching is not only objective, it is also efficient. Job matching will help you hire the best
person for a particular job. Appropriate job-fit is essential for employees to succeed and
companies to be productive.
Employee Selection Process
By including job match as a key factor in your employee hiring process, your allocation of
human capital will be significantly more effective. Most employee hiring decisions are made
with inadequate information, but Profiles International assessments will deliver the information
you need to know before tendering a job offer and making a hiring mistake.
Matching People & Jobs - Burning Glass Approach
The approach to matching people and jobs is based on a simple concept: that by analyzing tens
of millions of actual career transitions, we can identify the specific skills, experiences, and
credentials that lead to placement in any given job. What this adds up to for job seekers are job
matches that fundamentally make sense. For recruiting professionals, this means the ability to
search a database or screen a flow of applicants and immediately identify those candidates most
suited for the job.
The concept may be simple, but the technology that makes it a reality is anything but. In order to
put theory into practice, Burning Glass developed a unique artificial intelligence engine that
reads, parses, (Explains) and analyzes resumes and jobs in order to deliver intuitively relevant
matches based upon past patterns of placement. Rather than relying on keywords or broad
occupational categories, our technology determines potential matches based on its knowledge of
the job market and a detailed, in-depth analysis of both resume and job description – just like an
experienced recruiter. For us, resumes aren’t merely collections of words – instead, they are both
the history of careers in progress and the key to future placements, based on the timing and
sequence of the experience, skills, and other qualifications they describe.
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It’s an innovative approach, but one that’s borne out by our customers’ significantly improved
outcomes – the recruitment agency that tripled the number of placements from their resume
database, the job bank that has seen nearly two-thirds of registered job seekers receive enquiries
from employers who found them through Burning Glass, or the nearly 2,000 placements made by
a job matching program Burning Glass administers for a statewide unemployment agency.
Top 5 Strategies for Identifying & Hiring Great Employees
In a time when creative growth and technological advancements are crucial to business success,
companies are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of hiring and retaining talented
employees. Talent management is one of the most difficult tasks an organization faces as fewer
workers with the required skill sets are entering the marketplace. Developing an effective hiring
strategy will help to ensure that your business can respond to challenges such as the emerging
talent crisis, job applicant screenings, interview question preparation, and background check
implementation.Identifying and hiring top talent is not easy. It can result in stress, anxiety and
fear of change. But it doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, solid hiring strategies can be simplified
with methodical, step-by-step processes.
This guide will provide you with the Top 5 Strategies for Identifying and Hiring Great
Employees:
1.Identify Your Hiring Challenges
2.Review Your Hiring Methods
3.Manage Employment Interviews
4.Manage Background Checks
5.Conduct Pre-Employment Assessments
Identify Your Hiring Challenges
The first and most critical step in identifying and hiring great employees is being able to identify
the challenges you are currently facing in your hiring strategy. Once you’ve done that, you can
find solutions that will help you solve those challenges.
Here are some common challenges faced by organizations in the hiring process:
•Finding interview questions that will determine if a candidate is going to be a fit for the job and
a match for the company culture.
•Background checks that provide references and past histories on candidates.
•Making hiring decisions without screening job applicants for both personality and abilities.
Did you know that most hiring decisions are made within the first 4 minutes of an interview?
Don’t set yourself up to make this same mistake!
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Review Your Hiring Methods
Your hiring process is one of the most strategic and valuable places for cutting costs and
maximizing productivity—if your process works correctly the first time. Utilizing a proven
employee screening system is essential to ensuring that your hiring process works
effectively.Your own experience tells you that you have hired some excellent employees, but
some of them have also failed. Now think back: Did you use pre-employment screening methods
to assess job candidates? What made you choose a particular applicant to fill a particular
position? We have found that employers use the same hiring methods for all positions.
This suggests that your existing employee selection process may result in inconsistent hiring
results and increased turnover. Best practices for hiring start with a focused approach to defining
job requirements. This practice is often neglected in the hiring process because hiring managers
tend to focus on the job tasks performed by a candidate instead of the characteristics that a
candidate must possess in order to be successful in the position. By clearly defining the skills and
traits necessary for success in a particular job, you’ll be better suited to evaluate candidates so
that you get the best match.
An estimated two-thirds of employee hiring decisions may be hiring mistakes! Peter Drucker a
management Guru.
Manage Employment Interviews
Employment interviews are an indispensable part of the hiring process, and when they are done
properly they can be an excellent tool for screening applicants. The more methodical and
systematic the interview process, the more likely it is to produce the kind of information needed
to make good judgments about a job candidate’s chance for success.
All interviewers should be taught proper interviewing techniques, and they should be clear about
what they can and cannot ask. During an interview, the interviewer should have the opportunity
to:
•Directly observe certain aspects of an applicant’s behavior, such as communication skills,
alertness, personal grooming standards, self-confidence, and understanding of necessary
technical concepts.
•Obtain additional information about the applicant’s education and work experience.
•Assess the applicant’s knowledge, skills and other competencies by asking about past
performance and achievements.
•Preview the job to the applicant so the applicant can determine whether he or she is truly
interested in the position.
•Promote a good public image of the employer.
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Manage Background Checks
A national organization of fraud examiners estimates that the average loss to a business from
employee fraud and theft is $9 per employee, per day. That amounts to about $2,000 per
employee.Problematic employees at all levels of the organization can engage in detrimental
behaviors, including theft, fraud, embezzlement, selling intellectual property to competitors, and
more. Using background check services to find honest job applicants who are drug free, reliable
and hardworking will help you make hiring decisions you won’t regret later. Employee
Background Check services use technology that delivers criminal background checks and pre-
employment screening information so that you can hire honest, qualified employees. Employee
Background Check services deliver the following information:
•General Information reports
•Driving Records
•Workers’ Compensation reports
•Credit reports
•Criminal History
•Education Verification
•In-Depth reports
•Rush Services
•Custom Service
Conduct Pre-Employment Assessments
Many companies use pre-employment assessments to screen applicants. Employee assessments
that measure ability, personality and medical conditions can lower the incidences of theft and
work-related accidents. They can also reduce the likelihood of negligent hiring suits.
Additionally, they also may reveal certain job-related skills or abilities that are not apparent on
an application or resume. Specific pre-employment screening assessments are available for
departments such as sales and customer service, and general assessments are available for other
departments. By combining reliable data derived from pre-employment screening assessments
with customized job analysis surveys, you can create a benchmark by which you can hire an
employee who matches both your job and your company.
Pre-hire assessments can help you formulate questions that will help you determine if a candidate
will be a fit for the job and a match for the company culture. Once a candidate passes the first
interview, he or she can take a pre-hire assessment. You will be provided with a detailed, legal
set of recommended interview questions to ask the candidate in the next job interview. These
customized interview questions can be used in tandem with the insights provided by employee
assessments to help you make a well-informed hiring decision.
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Why Smart Employees Underperform: 7 Hazards to Avoid
Introduction
We’ve all been there. After an extensive and thorough search for a line manager, one candidate
stands out. This candidate has the right experience, solid qualifications, and a relevant work
history, and she gave an impressive performance during the interview process. She said the right
things, put forward some great ideas and generally presented very well. You hired her.Three
months later, you begin to question your decision. Your new hire’s team appears disgruntled,
morale is low, and output and productivity are well behind the figures from the previous quarter.
After investigating further and speaking with a few key team members, you realize there’s a
disconnect—a mismatch. While she looked impressive on paper and presented well during one-
on-one interviews, your new hire’s style, approach, and behavior on the job are simply
inconsistent with the values and expectations of your organization. Her modus operandiis foreign
to her colleagues. Your new hire is not a good cultural fit and one or more of the following
hazards may be the cause.
1.Inadequate capability
2.Poor job fit
3.Fuzzy goals and accountabilities
4.Poor relationship with manager
5.Poor relationship with co-workers
6.Health and wellness issues
7.Physical and environmental factors
1. Inadequate capability
Don’t judge a book by its cover, and don’t believe what you read on a resume!
Capability refers to the skills, tools and experience that a person needs in order to successfully
perform her job. When any of these factors are missing, there is an increased chance that the
employee will underperform. It isn’t uncommon for hiring professionals to overlook these basic
factors, especially if a candidate has solid academic credentials and comes across as intelligent
and confident in a job interview. Furthermore, it’s no secret that most candidates exaggerate their
abilities on their resumes and job applications.
Diagnostics that help you identify if an underperforming employee has adequate
capability:
Skills—Do you know what skills are needed to perform the job and whether the employee
possesses those skills? If she doesn’t possess the necessary skills, how will you help her acquire
them, and how long do you expect that process to take? Skills training take time and money, and
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results are never guaranteed unless there is adequate commitment from both the manager and the
employee. It’s in everyone’s best interest for the manager to set appropriate expectations for the
employee from the beginning. This is especially true if the job requires special technical
capabilities.
Tools—Even if an individual has the skills and experience to do the job, does he have the tools
to deliver peak performance? For example, a highly skilled and experienced web designer can’t
build a website without adequate computer hardware and software. The tools don’t have to be the
most up-to-date, but a system that crashes can be incredibly frustrating and unproductive, even to
the best performer.
Experience—Just because an employee has the skills to do a job doesn’t mean that he has the
experience to apply those skills in his specific position. This is especially true for recent
graduates, outside hires from different industries and internal hires from different departments.
While the required skills may be similar from one job to the next, differing applications and
terminology may require that the new hire take time to learn the nuances of his new position.
2. Poor job fit
“Fit” reflects the behaviors and interests neededto succeed in a job
Many people fall into the trap of choosing a profession or job that is a bad fit. We are who we
are. Our ―mental DNA‖ is influenced both by our genetics and our early life experiences, and it
is almost completely formed by the time we are 20 years old. Rather than trying to understand
ourselves so that we can choose a calling that builds on our strengths and aligns with our
interests, we choose jobs because of peer pressure and societal influences. You probably know a
medical doctor that trained at a prestigious school and worked for several years at a modern
hospital. Despite adequate skills, tools and experience, he is aloof, insensitive and has a terrible
bedside manner, and you only see him if no one else is available. He might have been better
suited as a lawyer so that he could cross-examine a witness on trial. In short, he really doesn’t
possess the innate compassion that would make him a great doctor. He is a poor fit for his job.
Skills can be taught, but behaviors are much more difficult to change
A doctor can improve his bedside manner through training and mentoring, but it takes
tremendous effort and motivation to change natural behavior. If an individual isn’t motivated to
change, then he probably won’t.It is important to understand a person’s innate behaviors and
interests when trying to match him with the right job. Know the job, know what type of person is
successful in that job, and then hire others who have the behavioral traits that fit that job. This is
easier said than done because it is difficult to gauge behaviors in a job interview, but behavioral
assessments can be extremely helpful.
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3. Fuzzy (unclear, vague) goals and accountabilities Why Smart
Clear goals help focus and motivate employees to achieve the desired results
Employees need to be very clear about their responsibilities and about the results you expect
them to achieve. Daily work and priorities are easily affected by the crisis of the day, new
requests or changes in direction. Setting and tracking SMART goals helps your employees focus
on what is most important to your business, and clear accountabilities help ensure that the work
gets done with minimal conflict.
Use SMART goals to create clarity and improve the employee’s performance
Specific–Your employee has a much better chance of accomplishing a specific goal than a
general goal. To set a specific goal, the employee must answer, at a minimum: Who is involved?
What needs to be accomplished? When is the deadline? Why is this goal important?
Measurable–Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each
goal you set. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and
experience the thrill of achievement that motivates you to keep working toward your goal.
Aligned–The individual’s goals need to support the organization’s priorities. Otherwise, the
employee is not channeling his efforts in the most productive manner for the organization.
Realistic–To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing
and able to work. But be sure that every goal represents substantial progress. Your goal is
probably realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished, or if you have accomplished
something similar in the past.
Timed–A goal should be grounded within a time frame; otherwise there is no sense of urgency.
4. Poor Relationship with Manager
A poor relationship with one’s boss is the number one reason for failure at work. There are two
common flashpoints that adversely impact performance.
1. The employee is unclear about the manager's expectationsGoals should cascade down
from a manager to his employees so that everyone understands how they contribute to the
objectives of both the team and the organization. If an employee does not understand the
goals she has been given, or if she hasn’t been given goals at all, the onus is on her to
seek clarity. Asking a simple question such as, "What are the top three priorities in my
role that you would like me to focus on? ―Can help everyone on the team gain clarity.
Employees should also ask "Why is this so important?" as the answer will give them a lot
of good clues for developing the relationship with their manager.
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2. Managers fail to adapt their styles to the employees’ preferred styles.Every
employee/manager relationship is unique and requires a different management approach.
For example, the approach taken by highly decisive boss working with a highly decisive
employee should be significantly different from the approach taken by this same boss
when working with a less-decisive employee. The decisive employee thrives on quick
decisions, while the other employee will be more methodical in his or her decision-
making approach. The less-decisive employee will potentially enter into conflict with the
faster-paced manager. A "one-size fits all" management approach will likely result in
frustration for everyone.
Managers and employees who understand each other’s preferred styles will better
understand how to communicate and work together effectively. We have identified seven
factors that strongly predict the compatibility between a manager and her workers. These
are: self-assurance, self-reliance, conformity, optimism, decisiveness, objectivity, and
approach to learning. Assessing a manager and her employees allows her to use objective
information about herself and her workers so that they can work more effectively toward
a common goal.
5. Poor Relationships with Co-wokers
There are four primary factors that harm relationships among co-workers:
1. Insensitivity toward others–Insensitive co-workers damage any sort of team dynamic and
potentially expose the employer to hostile work environment and employment discrimination
law suits. Any remarks that might be interpreted as discriminatory with regard to gender, age,
sexual orientation, race, or disability contribute to a hostile work environment. Managers who
sense this hostility need to take quick and decisive action to prevent it from continuing.
2. Unclear accountability–Conflict between interdependent employees or groups emerges
because they are unclear about business objectives, priorities, and deadlines, as well as processes
and resources for delivery. Additionally, mixed messages create incongruence that actually
encourages departments to pull against each other in the interest of achieving their own
objectives—to the detriment of the greater organization. When accountabilities are unclear, balls
get dropped, turf wars rage, confusion reigns, and productivity plummets. This leads to
frustration and indifference, and ultimately underperformance.
3. Poor cultural fit-Cultural fit refers to the employee’s compatibility with the organization's
values and mode of operation. While the employee presents well on paper and performs well
during one-on-one interviews, the employee’s style, approach, and behavior on the job are
simply inconsistent with the values and expectations of your organization. Their modus operandi
is foreign to their colleagues.
4. Incompatible styles–Co-workers have communication styles and natural behaviors that
simply don’t mesh well with one another, and neither is willing to adapt his style. This creates
conflict and hostility, which creates stress and distraction for the entire team.
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6. Health and Wellness issues
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
Approximately $260 billion in output is lost each year in the US because of health-related
problems. Whether they are absent from work altogether, or present but working at a reduced
capacity, employees suffering from physical or mental illness have difficulty performing at their
peak. Employees spend approximately 36% of their total waking hours at work. This makes
theworksite an ideal place to provide workers with the knowledge and skills needed to
helpimprove attitudes and behaviors concerning health.
A comprehensive worksite health promotion program typically contains six elements:
1. Education about—and encouragement of—healthy living, focusing on overarching lifestyle
changes. Disseminate information and build awareness of healthy living issues, preferably
tailored to employees’ interests and needs.
2. Supportive social and physical environments. This includes implementing policies that
promote healthy behaviors and reduce risk of disease.
3. Linkage to relate programs that help employees balance work and family life.
4. Worksite screening programs ideally linked to medical care that ensures follow-up and
appropriate treatment as necessary.
5. Processes for supporting individual behavior change with follow-up interventions.
6. A continuous improvement process that enhances the program’s effectiveness.
6. Physical and Environmental Factors
Numerous behavioral studies have proven that a pleasant and comfortable work environment
improves worker productivity and reduces turnover. For example, indoor temperature affects
several human responses, including thermal comfort, perceived air quality, sick building
syndrome symptoms, and performance at work. Researchers in Finland showed that when the
interior air temperature was 30oC, worker performance was 8.9% below worker performance at
the optimal temperature of 22oC.
Physical Factors
1. Workplace layout encourages efficient communication flow but minimal disruption
2. Ergonomically correct workplace reduces fatigue and distractions to reduce errors and injury
3. Safety awareness and concerns that can cause stress and accidents
Environmental Factors
1. Temperature
2. Air Quality
3. Lighting Conditions
4. Excessive Noise
5. Traffic
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Indeed, it has been found that a productive work environment requires that management be able
to positively motivate its employees in an infrastructure that is amenable to employees’ needs.
Job Matching, Placement and Incentives
This component provides matching and placement services to clients who are unlikely to succeed
in conducting their own job search, even with support, because of poor work habits, market
perception, barriers or interpersonal skills.
In Job Matching, Placement and Incentives, clients expect:
Help in matching their skills and interests with work opportunities
Help in facilitation of work opportunities and negotiation of the employment relationship
on their behalf
Experiential or on-the-job training
Placement support in identifying and resolving workplace issues that may affect their
success
If necessary, financial support to remove barriers to participation
Employers expect:
Assessment of a client’s skills, aptitudes and interests in relation to their workplace
business needs
Help in developing a work experience or on-the-job training plan that is realistic for the
cinet and consistent with the workplace requirements
Experiential or on-the-job training
Support in identifying and resolving workplace issues with the participant that may
impact the employer’s ability to meet business goals
Financial incentives to offset some of the costs of their commitment to an effective work
experience or on-the-job training placement, where appropriate and necessary.
As well, employers must commit to:
Developing a relevant training/work experience plan that will help the participant achieve
his/her labour market/employment goal and the employer achieve business goals, in
conjunction withthe service provider and participant
Providing feedback and assessments of a participant’s skills level, where required
Having potential for long-term employment/contract position for the participant
Demonstrating the ability to provide the participant with adequate supervision, and
training/work experience
Placing the participant on the company`s payroll and provide the same employment terms
conditions and benefits as for all regular employees.
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