Last September, we wrote about why it is particularly meaningful to invest in your own staff. The increasingly tight labor market shows that this issue is still relevant. Also, when you read the HR trends for 2023, you'll see that alongside 'attracting personnel', the theme of 'retaining personnel' is becoming increasingly important. This year, many organisations are focusing on what is called 'employee experience'. How employees experience an organisation, which starts from the first contact, has a strong relationship with why employees stay or leave. How can the use of online assessments play a role in a positive employee experience for your staff?
"An online assessment can be part of the application process" is a phrase that appears in many job postings. Does that scare off candidates? Perhaps, but it certainly won't deter most of them from applying if they find the position truly interesting. In fact, we often hear from clients that it is often a reason for many applicants to apply. They see it as a sign that investment is being made in people and that there is attention to personal and professional development. Especially for the generations just starting out in the workforce or those who have been working for a short time (Generations Y and Z), self-development is an important theme. For Generation Z in particular, it is very important that the work they do aligns as closely as possible with their motivations, norms, and values, but also that they have ample opportunity for development. Two birds with one stone: with an online assessment in your job posting, you immediately capture the first positive employee experience for this generation, and both you and the candidate gain insight into the match between candidate and work/organisation. It prevents a 'bad hire', as Generation Z easily switches to another position if they find the work insufficiently aligned.
Many employers think that after the employment contract is signed, they can sit back and relax and the new colleague will find their own way. An onboarding period is often fine, but after that, employees are often left entirely to their own devices until the annual performance review... A trend we see is that many employers are moving away from this; it means a lot of work for managers because suddenly all sorts of forms need to be filled out, and it causes a lot of stress for employees. More and more, more informal conversations are scheduled, and the development discussion is conducted 'ongoing' rather than twice a year. How nice is it then to refer to the results of the online assessment: is the employee still doing what he/she/they enjoy and what aligns with his/her/their qualities? What does the employee want to grow in, and what steps can someone take within the organisation? The 'ongoing development discussion', with the results of the online assessment as a means to have that conversation, again contributes to a positive employee experience.
'Sustainable employability' is also a trend that has been going on for a while and is not going away anytime soon. To what extent can an employee continue to perform their current work in a healthy manner, and are they 'fit' for future work? Again, regular discussions between employer and employee are of great importance, in order to be able to intervene in a timely manner. The results of an online assessment also provide insight into whether there is a good fit or 'over qualification' or 'under qualification' and what is needed to optimize and develop the potential of the employee. A nice development we see with clients is that they dare to look more broadly and move away from the 'logical career path'. The CV is increasingly abandoned when looking to the future. After all, a CV tells you what you have done, but it doesn't always say anything about what you are capable of. The insights provided by online assessments encourage thinking beyond job boundaries. For example, one of our clients looked at the online assessment profile of a colleague working at reception and saw a great match for a position as a swimming instructor within his organisation for her. With a shortage of swimming instructors, he was extra motivated to suggest to her to consider taking a different step in her career. A good example of how talent doesn't always have to come from outside, but may be closer than you think.
Online assessments are more than just a 'snapshot'. It is a valuable tool to gain insight into people's qualities and provides guidance for both short and long-term development. It shows that you invest in your people, and thus you work (consciously or unconsciously) on retaining personnel, sustainable employability, and positive employee experience.
Curious about what online assessments can do for your organisation? Contact us at 073-5231278 or info@iscreen.nl.