Accelerate Your Talent Future with Predictive Assessment!

Integrated Talent Management Requires Decision Analytics

Are you overwhelmed by the proliferation of HR-related technologies and analytics capabilities, as are many HR professionals? Like any disruptive technology, it takes time and commitment to sort through the possibilities, their benefits to the organization, appropriate talent strategies and effective implementation. Behavioral assessments are adapting to the new technologies but many assessment tools are simply that—resources to be utilized for narrow applications and specific needs. Change and innovation in the field are happening so fast that at times we need to just stop, evaluate processes/methodologies, and consider the ROI for adopting the new technologies and analytics.

To gain an integrated approach to talent decision analytics requires some real homework! Behavioral assessment systems that go beyond limited applications rely on technology to achieve greater impact across the talent cycle by providing predictive decision analytics; with these systems, the ROI can be significant.

Beyond the Tried and True

Employers are utilizing behavioral assessments and decision analytics across the talent cycle— hiring, onboarding, career development and talent deployment, leadership development, personalized learning, succession planning, coaching/mentoring, engagement and retention, employee experience and wellbeing. The real challenge is determining which assessment for what purpose!

Tried and true assessments are often the first go-to solution because they are, well, easy and familiar. However, they are not always the best solution to achieve organizational goals.

Obviously, defining one’s goals and objectives is a great place to start when considering assessment tools and capabilities. “Tried and true” assessments are often the first go-to solution because they are, well, easy and familiar. However, they are not always the best solution to achieve organizational goals. Once you have identified the challenge and goals, consider what type of data is required. The model in Figure 1 is a good way to think about what type of data is needed and which assessments may fit the need.

Value/Complexity Model

Figure 1

Organizations have discovered that it is not enough to assess merely technical skills even for technical roles. With the reality of the rising number of service-related jobs due to AI and robotics in manufacturing, there is an ever-increasing importance of interpersonal skills such as communication, adaptability, and teamwork for performance success. So, when evaluating assessment solutions, organizations must consider the application or purpose, who will use the data and how. Using our Value/Complexity model as a way to think about various assessment capabilities, Figure 2 shows a few examples of where assessments fall in each category.

Value/Complexity Model

Figure 2

As you see, the popular and simple assessments are of limited value when it comes to utility or contribution. While 360 assessments can be diagnostic, it really depends on what specifically they are measuring, how they are administered, the trust level of participants and the culture, and who is applying them. Harrison Assessments is an example of a highly sophisticated behavioral and decision analytics system that is both predictive and prescriptive. Never-the-less, with sophisticated talent systems as with any technology, the effectiveness of implementation is essential to achieve the goals of the organization.

Accelerate Your Talent Future

Obviously, you must begin by researching various assessment capabilities and prepare the organization for implementation to realize the benefits. A 2018 McKinsey global survey on talent management identified three key talent management practices that support financial performance: rapid talent allocation, positive employee experience and a strategic HR team. Predictive talent analytics support each of these practices so the opportunity to impact the bottom line of organizations is vast. It starts with a strategic team willing to do their homework and committed to best-in-class practices. Next, they need an HR/OD team willing to do the research and learning necessary to prepare themselves and their organization to implement the optimal solutions to achieve business goals. Willing senior and middle management operational leaders committed to a culture of talent innovation are equally important to implementing talent initiatives that leverage decision analytics enablers—HR cannot go it alone.

A Systems Approach to Behavioral Assessment

As we see in the Value/Complexity Model, Harrison Assessments provides both predictive and prescriptive solutions; Harrison enables these solutions through their sophisticated and integrated technology system of decision analytics that apply across the talent cycle. Some of the unique features of the system are: