Next Steps in Hiring

So, there we were.  A room of senior human resources people and recruiters, all discussing the issues of metrics, assessment, job fit, human capital measurement, and measuring performance.  In short, most of the important issues facing staffing today.  We were all having fun, and it seemed everyone in the room agreed on the main points of the discussion.

 

Then, there was a magical moment about halfway through where everything stopped and the world suddenly became more complex .  Objective feedback appeared that we were not expecting.

 

It had begun simply enough, with a discussion of how assessment tools might be applied to measure job fit, leading to the secondary ability of measuring engagement.  Fine so far.  We had all agreed that leading edge indicators were superior to trailing edge indicators, and the challenge was figuring out leading edge indicators that made sense.  My point was that most people in the room were measuring turnover, a trailing indicator because the individuals that are a part of it had already left the organization when they were measured.  On the surface, employee engagement seemed to be a better metric because it was a measurement of people who were still a part of the organization, and therefore a leading edge metric. 

 

I asked for further input, and got it.  A woman leaning against the back corner quietly asked “Isn’t it true that high performing people would challenge the system more than mediocre people, and therefore high performing people would score worse on engagement metrics?”  Well.  Interesting.  Most people in the room leaned back from their note taking, thoughtfully started chewing on their pens, and nodded in agreement.  The discussion immediately took an unexpected turn, and several audience members have volunteered to give me more data on the subject.

 

To me, the most important point was not that high performers may score differently on engagement assessments.  The most important point is that we must always keep feedback loops in place, to make sure that what we think we’re measuring is actually reflected in real life. 

 

It is human nature to see the world through the filter of what we already know.  For our work in measuring human capital and applying modern assessment tools to human resources, we must always remember to keep objective the backboards in place to keep us on target. 

 

Simply put, I hope this blog can be a part of your personal feedback loop and keep you on target. I look forward to the challenge.