One of the fastest ways you can improve your organization’s workplace culture is to utilize assessments for employees. Assessments will help you figure out exactly what your team needs to thrive and how to improve employee performance, but they can be overwhelming if you’re new to using them.
Here are three keys to getting the most out of your assessments for employees.
Why are assessments for employees important?
Assessments are your key to increasing employee engagement and development.
If you’re new to the world of employee assessments, you might be wondering exactly what they can do for your team. Assessments for employees can help in many areas, but if you’re taking an employee-centric approach, they’ll help with engagement and skills development.
Did you know that 70% of staff members would be at least somewhat likely to leave their current organizations and take a job with one that is known for investing in employee development and learning? You can’t ignore a number like that.
The good news is that assessments are your key to increasing employee engagement. Workers want to be invested in by their employers, and employers want to hang onto top talent while improving their talent pipeline.
Assessments fulfill both these needs. They help individuals understand their strengths and weaknesses, which in turn helps improve communication across an organization. If everyone on a team understands their own behavior, motivations, and emotional intelligence, just imagine what they can get done! Assessments help leaders evaluate employees while employees can work on improving their skills and performance.
How are assessments used in the workplace?
Assessments are the key to streamlining your hiring process and acquiring top talent.
Beyond developing your current employees, assessments are your secret to finding the right new hires. From writing job descriptions to assisting Human Resources, assessments bring new insight to every aspect of the hiring process.
The benchmarking process helps narrow down and clearly define the responsibilities of a role. By determining ahead of time what exactly a role needs to be, employers can scope out the right candidates and evaluate employees with accurate job descriptions, clear KPIs, and a more insightful interview process.
In order to get the most out of assessments in your hiring process, make sure you’re working with a consultant to help you navigate the process. Consultants often help establish a team of SMEs, or Subject Matter Experts. These SMEs can add their own opinion and insight into exactly what qualities a position needs, so the resulting benchmark is well-rounded and unbiased.
How can organizations use assessments for employee evaluation?
Assessments are the key to creating a successful scaling strategy to develop employees and incentivize them to stay with your company.
What are the reasons someone leaves a job? According to the Harris Poll, the top reason is for better financial compensation, but the second reason is for career development. It’s powerful to consider that becoming an attractor company can be as simple as creating an employee development program.
That’s where assessments come into play. When you focus on the details of who a person is and what they need from their roles, the big picture becomes clearer.
Adding assessments into your employee evaluation process creates a shared language between your departments and team members. It can be hard to articulate an issue constructively, but assessments and their vocabulary allow you to do just that.
For example, consider the following. Let’s say an employee has been snapping at their teammates in meetings and is considered unapproachable. Starting off the conversation by saying, “You’ve been in a horrible mood lately and your team is noticing” is going to immediately put them on the defensive.
If you use the Clear Glass method and say, “I’ve noticed it seems like your glass has been red frequently. Can we talk about your stressors and how to relieve them?” That conversation frames the issue as a problem to solve collaboratively, not a character flaw, and can lead to a team debrief, an EQ assessment, or professional development.
What should you look for in an assessment provider?
A crucial factor in getting the most out of employee assessments is to make sure you’re working with the right assessment provider. Not all assessments are created equally, so make sure your coach or consultant is using assessments that are scientifically validated.
Hearing first-hand experiences is a great way to learn how your team can make the most of assessments in your organization, so look for an assessment provider with a large national or international presence and lots of other customers.
If you’re interested in learning more about using assessment tools in your organization, TTI Success Insights can help. Contact us here to get the information you need.
