Here is an excerpt from an article written by Catherine Luff for Talent Management magazine. She explains why and how, with the global economy in full recovery and talent management pushing full-steam ahead, organizations should follow four steps to properly evaluate talent. To read the complete article, check out all the resources, and sign up for a free subscription to the TM and/or Chief Learning Officer magazines published by MedfiaTec, please click here.

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Rely on the Evidence In Decision-Making

Personal opinion can cause inconsistency in decision-making. What looks good to one manager may be far below the expectations of another.

It has been a slow path to recognition, but the human resources function is finally stepping into the organizational limelight. Core areas of influence — recruitment, development and progression of talent — have been brought to the forefront, and with the unemployment rate continuing to dip in the United States, many organizations are propelling talent management to the top of the agenda.

Still, the years spent in the shadows have left a mark. As HR departments suffered from a continued lack of investment, technology moved at an increasingly rapid pace, further opening the doors for new talent management capabilities. But the opposite trajectory of investment and technology produced an environment in which HR is expected to deliver exceptional results using outdated and ineffective tools.

Moreover, the components of the employee life cycle have changed, as have employee expectations and motivations. Ensuring the future growth of organizations is now dependent on updating the current approach to talent management. For HR, this means a welcome injection of fresh resources is due to enable a better understanding of ways to get the most out of talent.

As organizations ramp up their talent management efforts amid the improving global economy, there are four stages they should follow to properly evaluate talent.

[Here’s her discussion of the first of four.]

Stage 1: Assess New Talent

Recruitment is where the employee life cycle begins. Therefore, it is the stage at which talent management must be most efficient. Compounding the issue is the added pressure that for HR talent selection represents a significant portion of its contribution to organizational success. As research from Alison Barber in her 1998 paper “Recruiting Employees: Individual and Organisational Perspectives” and James Breaugh in his 1992 study “Recruitment: Science and Practice” suggests, recruitment forms 20 percent of HR practices that ultimately affect a company’s bottom line.

Lance Mortimer, director of learning and development at U.K.-based talent development firm Silent Edge Ltd., warns that insufficient recruitment efforts on the part of talent management can have a negative effect. “If we do not identify and employ the best people for the right roles, by considering person/job/organization fit, there is a chance that development will either be elongated or new hires may lack the necessary capabilities to be effective,” he said. “This can lead to a waste of money, time and effort, and a reduction of productivity.”

The most efficient system of recruitment is the use of appropriate multiskill assessments. The secret to this approach lies in matching skills, knowledge and behavior with the needs of the organization and job role. Eliminating personal bias through accurate and objective evaluation is the next challenge to overcome.

This stage is likely to go beyond behaviorally anchored rating scales. Candidates must be measured against the competencies required for the role, rather than the preferences of the interviewer. This provides a full picture of their skills upon which to make a decision.

According to a 2008 study from Adrian Furnham and John Taylor, “Personality and Intelligence Correlates of Assessment Centre Exercises,” published in the journal Individual Differences Research, the assessment model turns out candidates who are most likely to be successful. But more sophisticated evaluation offers the possibility of higher quality and better talent placement.

Most assessments are largely paper-based, which makes collating candidate information difficult. Using a technology platform to capture scores and report data instantly would bring together accurate assessment with a more efficient process.

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Here is a direct link to the complete article.

Catherine Luff is a marketing communications executive at U.K.-based talent development firm Silent Edge Ltd. She can be reached at the firm.