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Category: Hiring Assessment Tool

The Labor Market is Strong: Tips and Tools to Aid the Hiring Process

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Hiring AssessmentsThe labor market is strong and continues to grow, with employers posting 11.3 million jobs in May 2022, making it an exciting time to be looking for a new job. According to the latest jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), hiring demand has remained strong in most industries, except for manufacturing and mining.

The current demand in the labor market is being driven by an expanding economy and low unemployment rates. This is a great time to be hiring, but it’s important to have the right strategies and tools in place. Let’s discuss some hiring process tips and tools, including using a hiring assessment.

The Current Demand in the Labor Market

As mentioned, the current demand in the labor market is being driven by an expanding economy and low unemployment rates. This means that there are more job openings than there are unemployed people to fill them.

In May, employers posted 11.3 million job openings in the United States, a signal of an extremely tight job market. The beginning of 2022 saw more workers quitting, however that has slowed now, and firing has risen. In May, 4.3 million workers quit their jobs, while there were 1.4 million layoffs and discharges.

Workers Continue Their Job Search

Job seekers continue to look for new jobs regularly, making it a good time to be hiring. However, there are a few tips to keep in mind during the hiring process to ensure it goes smoothly.

Hire for Potential

One tip is to hire for potential. When looking at candidates, don’t just consider their current skills and experience, but also think about their potential to grow and develop in the role.

This can be difficult to assess, but there are a few key questions you can ask during the interview process to get a better sense of a candidate’s potential:

  • What are your long-term career aspirations?
  • What are some skills you would like to develop in the next few years?
  • When was the last time you learned a new skill?

Review Candidates Based on Your Current Organization’s Needs

Another tip is to review candidates based on your current organization’s needs. Consider not only the skills and experience a candidate has but also how they would fit into your company culture.

It can be helpful to create a list of key qualities you are looking for in a candidate and then use that as a guide during the interview process.

Use the PXT Select Employee Hiring Assessment Tool

One tool that can be extremely helpful during the hiring process is the PXT Select Employee Hiring Assessment offered by Corexcel. PXT Select is a innovative hiring assessment that can help you identify which candidates have the necessary skills and abilities for the job. It can also help you predict job performance and assess fit within your organization.

The PXT Select Hiring Assessment is a fantastic way to identify optimal candidates for the job and ensure a successful hire.

It works by candidates first taking an assessment that evaluates three key areas: Interests, Behavioral Traits, and Thinking Style.

Thinking Style: The thinking style portion of the assessment measures how an individual approaches problem-solving and decision-making.

Behavioral Traits: The behavioral traits portion of the assessment measures an individual’s approach to work, including their motivation, adaptability, and teamwork.

Interests: The interests portion of the assessment measures an individual’s preferences and interests in relation to work tasks and activities.

After taking the assessment, you will receive a detailed report that highlights their strengths and areas for development.

If you’re looking for a better way to identify the optimal hire for the job, then consider using the PXT Select Employee Hiring Assessment. This assessment tool can help you make better hiring decisions by finding the best fit for your organization.

Source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/hiring-demand-remained-strong-as-summer-started-economists-estimate-11657099801

Hiring Assessments Are a Trend That’s Here to Stay

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wooden people shaped figures in a row

The hiring process is arduous for employers and applicants alike. The applications and interviews are time-consuming…and draining. Applicants are thinking “pick me!” and employers often feel bad when they don’t.

To remove the uncertainty involved with selecting the right candidate (someone with the necessary skills who would fit in with the culture), many employers are turning to online hiring assessment tools to help with the process. These tools generally look at a candidate’s personality, work style, knowledge, and skills. The hiring assessment we offer, PXT Select™, offers online ease and incredible insight.

No matter which online hiring assessment you use or are asked to complete, take these steps for best results:

Applicants

Don’t try to outsmart the assessment. You won’t win. The assessments are programmed with “B.S. detectors.” PXT Select reports even state, “Some candidates may answer in a way that is socially desirable or to make themselves look better, rather than respond candidly and risk disapproval.” When you take a hiring assessment, answer honestly.

Free yourself from distractions. When you take an assessment, leave yourself about an hour to complete it. Some assessments are longer, some are shorter, but that’s the average.

Ensure a good internet connection. PXT Select allows users to pause the assessment and come back to it later, but some assessments don’t. Don’t risk having your responses marked incomplete or wrong.

Have a calculator handy. Some assessments include math and allow the use of calculators.

Don’t psych yourself out! If you don’t know an answer, just move on. Some impossible questions are built into hiring assessments. Tough math questions in particular are viewed on a scale. Where an engineer might be expected to have a high score, candidates applying to other positions might be fine with a much lower score.

 

Employers

Do not use a hiring assessment to rule out a candidate upfront! Do not use it as the sole decision-maker, either. That is not how it is intended to be used. Instead, use an assessment for about a third of your decision-making, later in the process.

Start by reviewing a candidate’s resume and assessing their experience. Then factor in their interview and references. Once you have narrowed down the talent pool to several candidates, you can use a hiring assessment.

The assessment provides insight that the individual can’t during an interview. The results report on his/her thinking style, behavioral traits, and interests. Yes, interests matter. (Say a candidate is applying for a customer service job, but their results show they’re not a people person. It might not be a good fit in the long run.) With several candidates’ reports in hand, you can move on to the next round of interviews.

Added bonus for employers: PXT Gives you interview questions to ask. The questions are based on each individual’s responses and allow you to learn even more.

Online hiring assessments ensure that the right candidate is brought on board for a position. So get on board! These hiring tools are here to stay.

Email us at learn@corexcel.com to learn more.

The Dos and Dont’s of Personality Assessments

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When used properly, personality assessments are a phenomenal tool for any workplace. The information they provide can help enhance employee communication, resolve team conflict, and make employees aware of their own behavioral inclinations. When used improperly, to make hiring decisions…that’s a “don’t.”

This is important, because these days the majority of Fortune 100 companies use some sort of a personality assessment as part of their hiring process. To encourage proper usage here is how to use personality tests and the dos and don’ts we recommend.

The Dos

We offer personality assessments because we have seen the incredible workplace transformations they’ve created. Here is how to use a personality test for the best results:

Use a research-validated assessment. All personality assessments are not created equal. Many out there are not backed by research. That’s one of the reasons we offer DiSC® assessments.

Give everyone the same assessment. This way, you compare apples to apples.

Educate the assessment givers and takers. It’s important that the people giving the assessment fully understand what the assessment measures. It’s also essential that they convey to the assessment takers, “This is not a test. There are no right or wrong answers.”

When using an assessment in the hiring process, follow up. If a candidate’s results show inconsistencies or potential characteristics that might not align with the role, use interview questions to learn more. Remember that you can learn a lot about someone from an interview.

Don’t

There is one crucial “don’t” when it comes to using personality assessments, particularly if you’re using them as part of the hiring process. Don’t. Pigeonhole. People. In other words, don’t rule out a candidate just because their results show them to be in a certain personality/behavioral category.

Please always keep in mind that assessments are not designed for this purpose. While you can learn a lot about someone’s innate style from their results, that should only be a small portion of what you’re considering.

At the same time, if you’re using assessments to learn more about the people already on staff, don’t excuse poor behavior just because of an individual’s style. If an employee keeps showing up late, for example, their style does not make that acceptable.

Taking an assessment? Don’t try to trick it or answer questions in a way you think would sound good. The assessment gets to the truth.

Do let us know if you’d like more information on how to use personality tests.

Email us at learn@corexcel.com to learn more.

After a Pause on Hiring, Reset and Restart

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When the pandemic began, it abruptly threw businesses into turmoil. Workers went remote. Hiring in many industries was put on hold. Management focused on how to stay afloat and move forward. Now that states are starting to reopen and move towards a sense of normalcy, businesses are lifting the pause button, resetting, and starting to hire again. If you’re one of them, here’s what we suggest:

hiring reset after covid

Consider hiring remote workers1. Instead of bringing people on board and planning for them to eventually come to the office, you can add permanent telecommuters to the team. Unsure? Try a candidate out as a freelancer. Start with an experienced remote worker, communicate your business’s values, and establish guidelines. Also, be sure to convey your corporate culture and to verify a candidate’s identity.

Use a hiring tool. In the best of times, it’s a challenge to make sure you bring the right people on board. Now, without meeting candidates in person, you want as much insight as possible at your disposal as you decide who to hire. We recommend PXT Select™, an online hiring assessment designed to help you select the best candidates for your organization. It not only assesses thinking style (e.g. verbal reasoning), but also behavioral traits (e.g., independence), and interests (e.g., technical). It measures verbal and math skills, too.

This is important because you don’t want to hire someone who, although good at the job, ultimately won’t stay because they don’t feel fulfilled or engaged. PXT Select takes a variety of factors into consideration and provides information that lets you know if a candidate is truly a good fit.

Candidates complete an assessment online that takes an hour or less to complete. The system generates reports that let you truly get to know a candidate. It even suggests personalized interview questions for you to ask a candidate to probe deeper for more insight on certain points. You can also use the reports to compare multiple candidates.

So dust off your pre-pandemic hiring practices and reset with these tips. You’ll start fresh and bring in the best new hires for your organization.

Email us at learn@corexcel.com to learn more.

1Forbes.com: Hiring Your First Remote Employee? Follow These 16 Tips

Six Essential Steps to a Great Hire

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Essential Hiring StepsWhen your organization has a job opening, you want to hire the right person. You also want the hiring process to be as smooth as possible. Whether you’re filling a new position or replacing an employee, follow these steps:

1. Update the job description or create a new one.

Clearly state the education, experience, and skills that you seek. Include the job’s compensation.

2. Publicize the job

Post the job opening on LinkedIn, Indeed, or other job boards. Also, post it on your internal job board, so that your current employees have an opportunity for career growth. Spread the word through your network of contacts as well.

3. Screen and narrow your pool of candidates

Review the applications/resumes for experience, education, and work history. Does the candidate’s experience match what you’re seeking? Are there unexplained gaps in job history? Has the candidate jumped from job to job? The answers help narrow down the pool to those most qualified.

4. Conduct phone interviews

Phone interviews help you gauge each candidate’s energy. If you’re filling a customer-facing job, assess the candidate’s speaking ability. If you’re hiring for a solitary job, the individual’s enunciation on the phone is less important.

5. Use a hiring assessment tool

Now that you’ve spoken with a candidate, you’ll want to “look under the hood.” We recommend using PXT Select™, an online tool that measures behavioral and thinking styles, interests, verbal and numeric skills, and even assertiveness. Importantly, it helps set apart candidates who otherwise seem equal. With PXT Select, you can compare an individual’s results with the job’s performance model—and with other candidates’ results. This adds a layer of objectivity to the hiring process.

6.Conduct in-person interviews

Interview your final, select group of candidates. PXT Select provides personalized interview questions designed to clarify discrepancies identified in the assessment.

Now you have the information you need to select the best candidate. Once your offer has been accepted, you can use PXT Select’s onboarding tips. Happy hiring!

Webinar: Does Your Best Candidate Already Work for You?

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Find Out with PXT Select!

Prospective Job Candidates

In today’s tight job market, it is more important than ever to choose right when hiring for an open position.

It is also critical to keep current employees interested and excited about future opportunities.

Solve both challenges by considering candidates often overlooked – those right under your nose!

Join us to discover a unique, new assessment that gives you objective data about your current employee’s thinking style, behavior traits and interests – PXT Select.

PXT Select will give you the data you need to make an informed decision about your team member’s capabilities and their ability to fill your open position.  You may find hidden talent and you will be better equipped to develop career paths for those employees you want to retain.

In this webinar you’ll hear:

  1. How PXT Select can help you match current employees with other positions.
  2. How  you can coach your current employee for success in their new job.
  3. What PXT Select measures and why it matters.

Date:  July 25, 2018

Contact Us to request the webinar recording.

Webinar: Discover PXT Select Pre-Hire Assessment

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Identify Your Best Candidate from Sales to C-Suite

You spend hours evaluating resumes finding several candidates. How do you decide who becomes your next employee?  The wrong choice costs 30% of an annual salary and results in lost opportunities and increased employee conflict.

Most large companies have a well-established hiring process that includes a validated, data-driven pre-hire assessment. Yet many small to mid-sized compaies still rely on the resume, a few hastily thrown together interview questions and intuition to determine whether a candidate’s fit for the job.

It’s simpler thank you think to implement a pre-hire assessment.  In this webinar, you’ll learn:

  1. What makes a pre-hire assessment valid and reliable.
  2. The role of validated, data-driven selection tools.
  3. What PT Select measures and why it matters.
  4. How the PXT Select Hiring Assessment can help with hiring and onboarding.
  5. Simple steps you can take to get started.

Date:  March 29, 2018

Contact Us to request the webinar recording.

Learn more about PXT Select, request a demo or make a purchase.

Webinar: 4 Steps to Get the Right Person in the Right Job

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You’ve spent hours evaluating resumes and you’ve found several likely candidates. How do you decide which candidate becomes your next employee? Choosing the wrong person costs on average 30% of the job’s annual salary. And you realize that hiring the wrong person can result in lost opportunities and increased employee tensions.

Most large companies have a well-established hiring process that includes a pre-hiring candidate assessment that is validated and data-driven to help make their hiring decisions. Yet, many small to mid-sized companies still rely on the resume, a few hastily thrown together interview questions and intuition to determine whether a candidate fits a job.

Implementing a pre-hire assessment is simpler than you think. Find put how you can improve your hiring process with a pre-hire assessment. We’ll introduce you to PXT Select, a unique, new candidate assessment tool that can provide data on candidate’s skills and generate customized interview questions based on the candidate’s results.

In this webinar, we’ll cover the 4 steps that can improve your selection process and help you hire the right person for the right job. You’ll:

  • Discover 4 steps to improve your hiring process.
  • Learn the role of validated, data-driven selection tools in today’s job market.
  • Discuss today’s options for pre-hire assessments.
  • Explore the key components of the PXT Select pre-hire assessment.

Date: October 26, 2017

Contact Us to request the webinar recording.

Learn  more about PXT Select, request a demo or make a purchase.

Webinar Recap: Ready to Hire Simpler & Smarter?

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People are the Most Valuable Variable in Business

“My inventory goes home every night.” — Michael Eisner

In case you missed our live webinar and don’t have time to listen to the recording, here’s a high level recap of our June 2017 webinar, “Ready to Hire Simpler and Smarter?

Although technology often drives business success, the number one asset to any company is personnel. Human resources supply the brainpower, capabilities and distinctive personalities to drive the business.

Putting the wrong person in a job can result in negative attitudes, conflict with other employees, poor attendance and high turnover. An assessment that evaluates the strengths, attributes and interests of employees and potential hires can help minimize poor job placement and create an efficient, productive workplace.

With the PXT Select hiring assessment, you can identify the best person for each role. As the business changes, you can use PXT Select to identify future roles for employees that build on their strengths and a maximize productivity within the organization.

Costly Miscalculations

Unsuccessful hires cost money and hurt morale. Resources spent on advertising, interviewing and training an individual are wasted when new hires don’t work out, regardless of the reason.

In November 2016 Career Builder sponsored a poll by Harris on the cost of poor hiring decisions. They surveyed 2,379 HR professionals and hiring managers across private sector companies and business of various sizes. 75% of the managers surveyed affirmed they had made a bad hire. On average, the reported cost of a bad hire was $17,000.

NOTE: 20% of those surveyed knew they had made a hiring mistake within the first week. 53% knew within the first three weeks!

The Challenge of Successful Recruiting

Successful recruiting requires that an organization have a clear description of the skills and attributes necessary to fill a position. They also need a way to compare individual candidates to see if they are a good fit for their positions. Many companies rely on interviews and “gut feelings” alone to determine which candidate they hire.

Most hiring managers admit that even with a good job description, interviewing requires skilled questions and observations. To make matters worse, poor interviewing skills and lack of time to conduct multiple interviews can result in a choice between several unqualified candidates. Picking the lesser of two evils is never the right way to select a new employee.

 An Innovative, Easy-to-Use Hiring Solution

Corexcel clients now have access to PXT Select, a new online hiring assessment that tests a candidate’s verbal and numerical skills, verbal and numerical reasoning, behavioral attributes and interests. A series of powerful reports compare the candidate’s results with multiple positions and with other candidates. Most helpful, managers also get a series of questions to ask the candidate and tips on “what to look for” and “what to listen for” during the interview.

An assessment is required for each candidate. Once a candidate logs on to the testing platform, the assessment takes 60-90 minutes to complete. Candidate results are measured against a Job Performance Model that describes the skills and attributes necessary to perform a specific job. Corexcel works with clients to select performance models that match their needs.

The price of an assessment includes 9 reports. We’ve highlighted four of them in our blog. We also have samples of all of the reports posted on Corexcel’s website.

The Comprehensive Selection Report provides insight into a candidate’s verbal skills, numerical aptitude, reasoning facilities, behavior style and interests. It also identifies potential areas of concern such as mathematical deficiency or behavior trait that might warrant further probing, depending on the skills and/or needed for the position. It gives recruiters suggestions on what questions to ask and what to look for in an interview.

The Multiple Positions Report summarizes a candidate’s fit across several positions within a business while elaborating on their behavior style’s personal interests and showing how their score could affect their success in any given position.

The Multiple Candidates Report measures several potential hires alongside one another. This report also compares the behavior traits and personal interests of multiple candidates along with numerical and verbal ability.

The Coaching Report is designed to offer insight into the mindset, capabilities and aptitude of an existing employee. This helps managers determine areas where a candidate or new employee could benefit from coaching related to the position that they have been hired to fill. 

Join the Recruiting Revolution

PXT Select is founded on the belief that people perform best when they are placed into positions that are most suited to their abilities and traits. It simplifies the process of identifying and placing individuals where they are most likely to succeed.

Contact us for a demonstration so that you can streamline your hiring process and save valuable man-hours and recruiting resources. Let us help you put the right people in the right positions.

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