Every business owner knows that hiring decisions are among the most crucial decisions they make. This is especially true for small to medium enterprises (SMEs). Making an incorrect choice could greatly impact the profitability and productivity of the entire company. Despite this, companies rely too heavily on traditional interviews to make hiring decisions. However, these decisions can be biased and leave room for missed red flags.
A simple solution to this problem is to combine interviews with tangible data that is fair and objective. Alison offers an LMS+ tool that is perfect for accessing such insights, thus helping recruiters and HR personnel to make informed decisions which save time and money in the future.
Why Are Interviews Limiting?
Interviews are necessary and should not be ruled out entirely. They assist employers in gauging whether a person is the right cultural fit, has good communication skills and good mannerisms.
But they are fallible and subjective. Two interviews with the same candidate could be worlds apart in their results. Things like first impressions, unconscious bias can overshadow key factors such as competence, and key areas of expertise. Not to mention that things can just go wrong on the day – especially in the world of online video interviews!
Even the most experienced HR personnel or hiring manager can, at times, go with their gut feeling, and while these decisions may feel right at the time, they can fall short in their validation of the candidate’s abilities.
The Importance of Objective Data
Objective data can be measured, and it also offers an unbiased view of what an employee is actually able to do. Assessments measure an employee’s aptitude and whether they are able to take on a specific role. They also measure their abilities and problem-solving skills.
When this type of information is used together with interviews, an employer is able to make a better-informed decision.
Here are a few ways to reduce hiring risk with assessment data:
- Validation of skills: This confirms whether or not a candidate can deliver what they stated on their resumé.
- Communication: This is especially true for global or remote teams. It is imperative that they have strong English skills for seamless collaboration and productivity.
- Culture fit: Here, you will be able to see if candidates have invested in upskilling and how they’ve handled structured learning environments.
Why Is This Important for SMEs
It must be made known that all companies will benefit from these tools and make smarter hiring decisions, but SMEs do have the most to lose when it comes to poor employee decisions. They have smaller teams, and each person plays an integral role.
When someone is underperforming, it will inevitably lead to a decline in business operations.
SMEs also do not have access to large HR teams that will be able to provide this type of insight. It is often the duty of a multitasking manager, and in times when the position needs to be filled urgently, it may be difficult to decide with clarity. Alison provides high-impact assessment tools which help with this decision-making.
Global Teams With Aligned Communication
If your company works remotely, as most do these days, English proficiency is of paramount importance. It is the lingua franca of most businesses, and gaps in communication may lead to misunderstanding and mistakes.
Alison’s English test offers a quick and reliable way to check whether or not candidates are ready to work in an English-based environment. Whether you are hiring personnel from the Philippines, India, China, Poland or Africa, it is important to have clear English standards in place.
It isn’t just about good grammar, it is about ensuring that your team can work together efficiently, write reports if necessary and engage with clients.
How Can Alison’s LMS+ Help With Hiring And Beyond?
One of the biggest challenges that HR and L&D teams face is simply not being able to access the right data. Without it, decision making is not complete and thorough which leads to slower onboarding and hiring risk.
Alison seeks to change this. Alison’s LMS+ includes a Psychometrics Assessment Suite and is more than a learning management system. It’s a talent intelligence platform which includes:
Aptitude Tests
These cover three major areas: numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning and abstract reasoning. These focus areas were designed to ensure that a person’s skills are fully evaluated: problem solving, comprehension and analytical skills.
Workplace Personality Assessments
Personality assessments make it easier to understand their behavioural traits, communication styles, and what motivates them to ensure your hiring choice will be a good cultural fit.
English Language Test
For companies wanting to hire remote staff from around the world, infiltrating new markets, or managing multicultural teams, English proficiency may be a key competency to look for and should be measured effectively.
With Alison LMS+, you can:
- Verify candidate skills objectively
- Get a true answer to the question “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”
- Measure verbal, numerical, and abstract reasoning
- Test English proficiency
- Track learning progress
- Find the high-potential individuals
- Onboard the best candidates with custom learning paths
All these features are available from one easy-to-use dashboard.
Whether you’re levelling up and growing your team or just want to make smarter decisions regarding who you hire, LMS+ reduces the time and guesswork. You don’t need expensive software to acquire these insights. Alison puts these tools in your hands and is accessible for businesses of every size.
Make The Smart Choice
Hiring will always have to include a human element, and that’s a good thing. But to make the best hiring decisions, it is best to have the subjective (interviews, gut instinct) coupled with the objective (tests, data, performance score).
Making a simple addition to your hiring process, such as assessments, you not only reduce risk but also raise the bar for your team.
Ready to use data to find the right candidates? Set up a quick demo to see how quickly you can adopt a data-led approach to hiring.
