Pre Employment assessment Archives

In order to conquer your market, a lot has to happen — things like setting sales goals, advertising, understanding your customers, keeping them loyal, and knowing your makes and models inside and out, just to name a few. But it all starts with people. Your dealership team puts theory into action. That’s why your success starts with a reliable selection process and a solid pre-employment assessment strategy using tools like behavioral assessments, sales assessments, and cognitive ability tests.

Do you know how to select the right people?

Even the most brilliant auto dealership leaders may be unprepared to tackle the important (but certainly arduous) business of hiring. Those who manage small offices may have been lucky enough to know and trust the people they hire, like relatives, friends, or individuals from inside their own circle of influence. It’s always easier working with known quantities.

However, as dealerships grow, leaders are sure to run out of family members, acquaintances, and employee referrals when looking to fill open positions. When the inevitable occurs, small dealership managers will be dependent on a strange, often intimidating unknown for their staffing source: the outside world! When working with the unknown, it’s best to take precautions before hiring and use as many tools as possible to gather information. Gut feelings can play a small part but should never be the only tool used to select people; too many things can cloud our judgement, and some candidates are very good at hiding their faults.

The Turnover Myth

In larger dealerships, HR’s primary objective may be to find somebody – anybody – to quickly fill an open position. A common myth often accepted as an absolute fact is that frequent employee turnover is normal and unavoidable, so it almost doesn’t matter who is hired since the employee won’t stay long anyway. Unfortunately, such a misguided theory fans the flames of inefficiency and expense, compounding the already frustrating everyday problems major dealerships face.

Formal, but not Bureaucratic

Managers of larger dealerships might think a more formalized hiring system is unnecessary. Too many corporate layers yield complex problems, while the usual time-driven emergencies within a dealership can get in the way of following the system perfectly. As a result, stringent hiring practices can seem impractical or too time consuming. And there is certainly some truth to that; stringency can be as problematic as no system at all.

A formal process is necessary, but you need one that works for your culture and is not encumbered by bureaucratic layers that unnecessarily complicate the process. It’s important to find a workable balance between unstructured and chaotic and overly bureaucratic. Extremes never work; looking for the middle ground will go a long way toward avoiding problems.

Leading a team of trustworthy, capable, long-term, and well-suited A-players should always be the goal regardless of how many employees any manager oversees. Never settle if you can help it. List your needs and some reasons for those needs. This will help you set priorities and see your expectations, strengths, and weaknesses in a more real, practical way. Think about the specifics of your work environment and company culture.

Is your dealership fast paced, even hectic? If so, you have good reason to avoid hiring people who tell you they hate being rushed and do not work well under pressure. That might even be disguised as words like “patient” and “systematic.” While such persistence and diligence are admirable qualities, they could be liabilities in a busy, highly charged atmosphere. Of course, certain roles might need that methodical approach, so it’s important to think about all factors, like the dealership culture, the department’s culture, and the demands of the job itself.

Also, make sure you stay up to date on the latest hiring trends to stay competitive in the job market.

When you are ready to start looking for your next superstar employee, consider these 5 tips:

CREATE A JOB POST THAT WILL ATTRACT QUALIFIED TALENT
Your job post is your first impression, and it’s also the best way to quickly weed out people who are not the right fit. First, make sure your job post shows who you are as an employer and company. Highlight your brand. More and more, employees want to work for a company that aligns with their personalities. If your dealership culture is fun and playful, make sure your post is fun and playful too. Don’t be afraid to use humor in your post. But if your culture is serious and formal, be serious and formal. Staying true to who you are will help you attract like-minded people, and like-minded people are more likely to stay.

It's also important to be clear about exactly what the job is and what type of person is best suited to it. All too often we hear how candidates felt misled about the role. Your biggest employee retention tool during the selection process is honesty. Don’t be afraid to scare off people. The right candidates will want to apply, but if you don’t, the wrong candidates might get hired and feel resentful of the “deception” and leave or do the bare minimum. Scaring off the wrong type is best for your retention efforts in the long run.

Once you’ve posted your job and gotten responses from candidates, start weeding out the ones who clearly do not align with your needs. Whittle down your candidates to a number that seems reasonable to you, but keep in mind that, as you dig deeper into each person’s background, you may uncover more than just a few unpleasant surprises. Research shows that 30 to 40 percent of applications and resumes include some false or inflated facts!
TEST FOR THE SKILLS YOU NEED FROM DAY ONE
It’s a good idea to make sure any potential new employee actually has the skills needed to perform well for you. This can be done by administering proficiency tests that are job appropriate and designed to demonstrate abilities. It might be computer proficiency, accounting skills, cognitive ability, or a service technician test. Don’t assume that the person interviewing for your bookkeeping position knows the difference between debits and credits. Sometimes, people who say they know how to do something just want to get their foot in the door and, hopefully, learn along the way.
USE A BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT FOR VALUABLE INSIGHT
A pre-employment personality assessment will help you look even closer at a candidate’s potential with the job and even the team. If you’re looking to retain strong, productive employees, make sure the people you hire are a match to the job target you have in mind. Omnia helps to set the “job personality” so you can see how a candidate’s traits align with the best traits for the job.

The best part is that a behavioral assessment is not a pass-or-fail test. The Omnia behavioral assessment uses the candidate’s responses to a simple online checklist. It’s a quick yet powerful tool that provides extensive insight into a person’s strengths, weaknesses, fit to the job, and personal motivators.

Within a dealership environment, sales hiring is often a major pain point. A personality assessment is also a sales hiring assessment. Why? Because our assessment’s assertiveness trait is strongly correlated to sales performance. Naturally assertive people are stronger closers.
DO A BACKGROUND CHECK
Perform a background check to protect yourself and your team. Incidents of violence and crime in the workplace are, unfortunately, not uncommon. Make sure there are no issues from a candidate’s past that make you uncomfortable. “Negligent hiring” is a term commonly used in today’s business world and can be alleged if an employer fails to exercise reasonable caution when choosing an employee. Employers could be held financially and legally liable for illegal or violent action taken by employees not subjected to reasonable pre-employment screening.
ASSESS YOUR OWN PERSONAL LEADERSHIP STYLE
Think about your own management style and encourage all department heads to do the same. To motivate and inspire others, it helps to understand yourself.

Is your ideal employee one who consistently asks for your guidance or one who makes their own decisions? Do you tend to micromanage processes, or do you expect your team to figure it out for themselves?

While it might sound nice to simply surround yourself with people who mesh with your own work approach, that’s not always realistic or even wise since different roles require different traits. Knowing how to adjust your approach to meet the needs of your employees is one of the strongest employee retention tools you can use.

It’s absolutely possible to hire and lead a productive, cohesive, and dedicated team, but first you need to know what you want and seek out employees who can live up to that. Never settle. Demonstrate your excellence as a decision-maker and take your management skills to new levels by employing people who exceed your expectations.

Bye-Bye, Turnover! How Behavioral Assessments Can Slash Employee Turnover

Employee turnover can be an insidious plague that siphons away resources and disrupts the very core of a business's foundation. Too dramatic? Maybe, but employee turnover is certainly a problem for many businesses, and retaining top talent can be a daunting challenge.

There are many factors that can influence an employee's decision to stay or leave their job, such as job satisfaction, compensation, career advancement opportunities, work-life balance, and company culture. Balancing these factors while keeping employees engaged and motivated can be difficult, especially in a competitive job market where top talent is highly sought after by other companies, including your competitors.

But one tool that businesses can use to combat this problem is a behavioral assessment. Using behavioral assessments can provide a baseline layer of data that employers can use to complement their selection and retention activities.

Let’s delve into how behavioral assessments can help reduce turnover and improve overall employee retention rates.

What is a Behavioral Assessment?

Behavioral assessments are pre-employment and post-employment testing mechanisms that identify an individual's behavioral inclinations and personality traits. The Omnia Assessment is a quick, accurate, and user-friendly psychometric tool that measures 4 personality dimensions – assertiveness, sociability, pace, and structure, along with perspective (professional maturity) and intensity (degree of the trait). The Omnia behavioral assessment is designed to predict an individual's workplace behavior based on their self-reported personality tendencies. Our clients often use these assessments to discern which candidates are best suited to their open positions, company culture, and work environment.

What Are Some Advantages of Using a Behavioral Assessment?

A primary advantage of behavioral assessments is their ability to identify candidates that fit seamlessly into a job role and workplace culture. There is a strong correlation between a good fit and reducing turnover rates. Employees who feel that they mesh well with the company culture are more likely to be satisfied with their job and less likely to resign. For example, a candidate who scores high on the cooperation trait in a behavioral assessment may be more suitable for a company or department that values collaboration and teamwork, compared to a candidate who scores low.
Behavioral assessments can help identify potential issues before they arise. For instance, if a candidate scores low on Omnia’s perspective trait, they may be prone to stress in the workplace. If a company knows this ahead of time, it can take steps to assist the employee in managing their stress levels, such as providing additional support or training. By proactively addressing potential issues, employers can reduce turnover and keep their employees satisfied and engaged.
Behavioral assessments can also be instrumental in identifying candidates who are likely to stay with the company long-term. For example, a candidate who scores high on the stability trait may be more dependable and committed. Such employees are less likely to leave the company, which can save businesses time and money on recruitment and training costs.
Behavioral assessments can assist employers in pinpointing employees who possess the skills and qualities necessary for leadership roles. A candidate who scores high on the assertiveness trait may be more inclined to take charge and make decisions in a leadership role. Identifying potential leaders early on can help the company nurture them for future leadership roles, reducing turnover by providing clear career paths for employees.

When searching for a candidate to groom for a future leadership or advanced position, it's important to consider their work style, culture fit, and natural talents. Some workers may struggle with organization and require guidance in prioritizing tasks, while others are self-starters who can hit the ground running. Additionally, it's crucial to assess whether the candidate will fit in with your corporate culture, particularly if it's relaxed and informal. Finally, if you need a problem solver who can take charge and deliver results, a behavioral assessment can help identify individuals with the necessary natural talents.

How Do You Find the Right Fit?

It should never be about just filling positions. You want to find the right people. The right people will be more likely to stay and take your team to the next level. So, how do you ensure you're bringing in the cream of the crop?

Consider work style.
Do you need someone who can take charge and work independently? Or maybe you're after a team player who can collaborate and prioritize with ease. Don't settle for anything less than a perfect match. Putting a take-charge, independent personality into a support role is likely to lead to turnover of that position far sooner than you want.
Think about culture fit.
That candidate might look great in a 3-piece suit, but is that how your organization rolls? If your office is a laid-back, flip-flop-wearing paradise, make sure you're hiring someone who can hang loose and keep up. And more importantly, employees are more likely to be engaged, committed to their work, and inclined to stay if they feel that their values and goals align with the organization’s values and goals.

Through the use of personality assessments, you can build a workplace culture that values authenticity, self-awareness, and personal growth. Omnia’s goal is to give organizations information they can use to create a workplace where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued; where diversity and inclusivity are celebrated; and where individuals are empowered to reach their full potential. By leveraging the power of personality data, we believe that we can help companies build stronger, more successful teams…teams that want to stay.
Don't forget about natural talent.
If you are hiring a leader, you want someone who can swoop in, take charge, and solve problems like a boss. Behavioral assessments can help identify these unicorns. With all the right tools, including your own instincts, you are sure to hire for fit more often than not.

Why Are Companies Missing Out on the Magic of Behavioral, Pre-Employment Assessments?

They could be stuck in old-school hiring traditions. Sure, they've been testing typing speed, math skills, and critical thinking for ages, but what about the most important factor: personality?
Using behavioral assessments during the hiring process can help companies identify candidates who have the right personality traits for the job and the company's culture. These assessments can measure a wide range of traits, such as adaptability, emotional intelligence, and work ethic. By incorporating these assessments into their hiring process, companies can increase the likelihood of finding candidates who will be a good fit for the company culture, which can reduce turnover rates and improve overall employee satisfaction.
Some companies may lack a clear vision. They may not have taken the time to develop an employee persona that aligns with their goals. Just as there's a buyer persona, there's also an employee persona waiting to be uncovered.

BONUS: Tips for Developing an Employee Persona

Define the job or role.
Start by defining the specific job or role that you want to create an employee persona for. This will help you identify the skills, experience, and personality traits that are necessary for success in that position.
Gather data.
Collect information about the job or role, including job descriptions, performance metrics, and feedback from current employees and supervisors.
Conduct research.
Conduct research on the industry, market trends, and competitors to gain a better understanding of the skills and qualities that are in high demand.
Identify key traits.
Use the data and research to identify the key skills, experience, and personality traits that are necessary for success in the job or role.
Create the persona.
Use the identified traits to create a detailed profile of the ideal employee for the job or role. This should include information such as their job experience, education, skills, work style, and personality. This information will make it easier throughout the entire selection process.
Refine and update.
Refine and update the employee persona as needed, based on feedback from current employees and changes in the job market or industry.

If you're up for the task, you can do the research yourself and identify the traits that make your best employees shine. But let's be realistic; you have a business to run. So why not let us work our magic and put together a pre-employment assessment that will help you find the perfect fit for your team? Don't miss out on the potential of these powerful tools — give your hiring process the upgrade it deserves.

Even though we are a behavioral assessment firm, it’s important to emphasize that behavioral assessments are just one component of reducing employee turnover. They should be used in conjunction with other hiring practices, such as interviews, reference checks, and skills assessments, as well as other retention strategies, like recognition and engagement programs. Additionally, it is essential to ensure that behavioral assessments are utilized fairly and consistently across all candidates to avoid bias or discrimination.

In the end, it's all about balance. Use data and assessments to inform your decision-making, but don't forget to rely on your experience and intuition. With a little bit of luck and a lot of smarts, you'll have a superstar team in no time.

Long story short, behavioral assessments are a potent tool that businesses can use to combat employee turnover. They can help identify candidates that are a good fit for the company culture, anticipate potential issues before they become problems, identify employees who are likely to stay long-term, and pinpoint potential leaders. By using behavioral assessments in the hiring process, employers can reduce turnover rates, save resources on recruitment and training, and cultivate satisfied and engaged employees.

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