Using Assessments in Succession Planning

Q. I'm trying to replace a regional manager that is retiring in the next few months. We have several internal candidates that have the potential to replace him, as well as outside applicants. Do you have any recommendations, beyond the traditional interview, that can help us assess these candidates before we make a decision?

A. Research by Lyle Spencer Ph.D. and author of Competency at Work, demonstrates that traditional job interviews have the least value in predicting future job performance. Yet, companies rely heavily on the traditional interview process to find, screen, and select qualified candidates. The main reason for relying on job interviews is that it is simple. However, traditional interviews don't work well by themselves due to several factors:

  • The attributes critical to success in a position are generally not well defined.
  • A person's level of competency is not always easy to assess.
  • Interviewers may not be objective or well trained in assessing competency.
We recommend using a combination of in-depth behavioral interviews and validated assessments in order to understand each candidate's competencies and level of contribution.

The process requires an initial investment of time and resources, but it is much more effective than using the "hire-and-hope" strategy (not to mention the enormous costs for making the wrong hiring decision).

Through this process, we have noticed a sharp increase in top talent retention and decreased turnover. Candidates experience the rigor of the selection process, as well as begin their jobs with an in-depth development plan already in place.

Below are some of the recommended assessments that can be used as part of a selection process:
    Talent Interviews
    Talent interviews are designed to predict future behavior on the job, based on past behavior. Interviewers ask questions about how the candidate acted or reacted in past job-related situations. The philosophy behind this process is that people are likely to repeat behaviors from past experiences when taking on new responsibilities.

    The key to making talent interviews more effective is to ensure that the person conducting the interview is experienced and knowledgeable in the practice of talent interviews, they're different than standard job interviews!

    360 Degree Feedback Assessment
    360 assessments are used for internal candidates, and provide a wealth of information regarding the perceptions of supervisors, peers, direct reports, and others. This type of feedback helps to gain perspective on a candidate's leadership ability that might not be readily apparent to a supervisor.

    We regularly come across candidates that receive high scores on a 360 assessment from a manager and low scores from direct reports. These same candidates often receive stellar performance evaluations. However, through the 360 process, it becomes clear that the candidate is failing in leading a team, despite being strongly endorsed for promotion by the manager. The multi-rater assessment is often able to uncover this problem before a bad placement decision was made.

    DecisionWise Personal Contribution Profile
    The Performance Contribution Profile provides an effective approach for assessing and selecting candidates for succession based on demonstrated knowledge of competency in work related situations. It measures:

      Competency Preferences
      Results Focus- Get it done.
      Personal Standard- Do it right.
      Change Focus- Do it better.
      People Focus- Talk it out.
      Technical Focus- Fix it.

      Level of Contribution
      Level 1- Depending on Others
      Level 2- Contributing Independently
      Level 3- Contributing through Others
      Level 4- Leading through Vision

    Critical Thinking, Decision-making, or Problem Solving Assessment
    We use these types of assessments because they provide a good overall understanding of a person's ability to think through problems and come up with solutions. There are several of these kinds of assessments on the market to choose from. These assessments are designed to measure abilities involved in critical thinking, including the ability to:

    • Define problems
    • Select important information for the solution to problems
    • Recognize stated and unstated assumptions
    • Formulate and select relevant and promising hypotheses
    • Draw valid conclusions and judge the validity of inferences
Conclusion
We have found promotion and hiring success greatly improve as we work with clients using these assessment tools and practices. Hiring changes from a guessing game to a data-driven decision making process. The key to the process is to understand the assessment methods and tools, and use them appropriately. The extra time and effort pays off in huge dividends as you place the best candidates in the right positions.