Leveraging Assessment Centre for

Targeted Recruiter Development

Anis Baig

Agenda

Introduction
Why Assessment for Recruiters?
What is assessment and what it is not
Where do you start
Ground work
How to do it
Results
Follow up actions
Questions

2012 STRATEGIC TALENT MANAGEMENT FORUM

Why Assess Your Talent Acquisition Team?

Business drivers for assessing the team:
Best-in-class staffing organizations require a team of Recruiters with wellrounded skills aligned with the business needs
Complaints from the organization about Talent Acquisitions lack of speed,
quality or cost-effectiveness often link directly to the teams skill set
Identifying individual strengths and development needs allows you to drive
sustainable fixes
An assessment and development center itself is a tool to teach standards
and expectations

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Why Assess Your Talent Acquisition Team?

Purpose of assessment:
To develop the skills of each recruiter of the Talent Acquisition team
To provide honest feedback about their skills from an objective third party
To drive personalized development
To ensure team members are in the right roles

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Goals of Assessment Center

Apply a series of simulations to directly observe team

perform job related activities
Identify Recruiter professional strengths and
opportunities for development
Provide feedback on how to further leverage
professional strengths
Recommend professional growth opportunities through
improving specific skills and abilities
Facilitate staff development and training

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Recruiters Skills Determine the Effectiveness of the

Talent Acquisition Function
The Business Case for Developing Your Recruiters:

Knows how to leverage technology

Identifies and uses personal and professional networks
Is creative and able to adapt, innovate on the fly

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Recruiters Skills Determine the Effectiveness of the

Talent Acquisition Function
The Business Case for Developing Your Recruiters:

Drives for results

Takes initiative
Influences effectively at higher levels

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Recruiters Skills Determine the Effectiveness of the

Talent Acquisition Function
The Business Case for Developing Your Recruiters:

Identification of individual strengths to leverage

Identification of individual needs to improve
Group training intervention needs identified

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Recruiter Assessment
What it isnt:

What it is:

NOT a training program.

A Day in the Life simulation

NOT a test.

Focused on the critical skills

NOT a performance review.

One-on-one coaching

Personalized feedback and

development

Tailored for internal relevance

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Functional Recruiting Competencies

Assessed
Intake with
Hiring
Managers
Intake

45
Minutes
Meeting

Prioritizing
and
Managing
Stakeholde
rs
inbox
45 Minutes

Finding
Candidates

Research and
45
Minutes
Sourcing

Influencing
Hiring Managers

Debrief

45 Minutes

Engaging
Candidates

Assessing
Candidates

Cold Calling
60 Minutes

Closing
Candidates

Offer and Close

45 Minutes

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Interview

60 Minutes

Recruiting and General Competencies

Measured

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Assessment Exercises
Managing
Stakehold
ers

Finding
Candidat
es

Engaging
Candidat
es

In Basket
60 Minutes

Research
and
45 Minutes
Sourcing

Cold
Calling

Measures:

Measures:

Measures:

Understanding the
difference between passive
and active candidates

Effectively planning for

candidate interactions

Establishing positive
relationships
Communicating effectively in
writing

Building rapport quickly

Creating effective sourcing
plans

Linking issues and requests

to broader business needs

Finding the right candidate

for key roles

Demonstrating a bias for

action

Leveraging technology

Managing time and

prioritizing effectively

45 Minutes

Thinking creatively about

where to find talent

Ease of conversing
with new people
Seeking opportunities
to mine sources for
candidates
Persistence in pressing
forward despite
challenges

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Assessment Exercises
Assessing
Candidat
es

Influencin
g the Hire

Closing
Candidat
es

Interviewi
ng

Debrief
60 Minutes

Offer/Clos
e

Measures:

Measures:

60 Minutes

Identifying skills and

capabilities needed for a
position
Building a strong question
set
Ability to identify strengths
and gaps in candidates
Using thoughtful, probing
questions

Exhibiting sound judgment

Using facts and insights to
navigate conflict
Influencing others and
guiding decision-making
Objectively presenting
strengths and weaknesses of
leading candidates

Listening carefully and

challenging effectively

45 Minutes

Measures:
Effectively managing
interests of candidates and
the hiring manager
Tactfully negotiating
positions, listening to both
parties interests and needs
Creativity in problem solving
Influencing the candidate
and the hiring manager with
the goal of closing the
position
Driving for hiring decision
closure

Making good selection

decisions

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Recruiter Capabilities
Managin
g
Stakehol
ders (In
Basket)

COMPETENCY
Accurate assessment of candidate skills and
capabilities
Applicant needs assessment
Builds credibility and trust
Candidate care
Closing/selling the hiring manager
Collaboration/Teamwork
Consultative partner to hiring manager(s)
Customer focus
Effective Communication
Effective interviewing
Effective Negotiation
Effective use of technology
Engaging/Closing candidates
Hiring process management
Influencing others
Locating and identifying talent
Network and relationship building
Prioritization and time management
Problem analysis and decision making
Relating to others/building relationships
Relevant professional/technical and
marketplace knowledge
Strategic focus/planning
Understands the business

EXERCISE
Assessin
Finding
Engaging
g
Candidat
Candidat Candidat
es
es (Cold
es
(Sourcing
Calling)
(Intervie
)
w)

Influenci
ng the
Hire
(Debrief)

Closing
Candidat
es
(Offer/Clo
se)

X
X

X
X
X

X
X
X
X

X
X

X
X
X

X
X
X
X
X

X
X
X

X
X
X
X

X
X
X

X
X
X

X
X

X
X

X
X
X
X

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X
X

The Outcome
For Participants . . .

For Leaders . . .
Summary Results by Participant
ParticipantWorking Finding
Engaging Assessing Influencing
with Clients
CandidatesCandidatesCandidatesthe Hire
(Managing (Creative
Stakeholders)
Sourcing)

(Calling
(The
Candidates) Interview)

(Debrief
Meeting)

M. Johnson

Strongest skilled:
F. Davis
P. Tabor
Least skilled:
T. Watsville
I. Dunworth

F. Davis

Strongest set of disciplines:

1. Ability to lead a debrief
session
2. Basic interviewing

A.Junga
T. Watsille

Areas to Invest:
1. Teaching the team the
value of
hunting for
talent
and how to do
this well.
2. Modeling executive
recruiting practices,
including cold-calling and
talent assessment

P. Tabor
C. Lope
z
I.Dunworth

KEY:
Very Good
Good
Needs Development

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Linking the Assessment to Your Organization

Linking the Recruiter
Competencies
Review of literature,
benchmarking from where they
came
Validated competency model
Ensuring link to organizations TA
competencies and/or priorities

Tailoring the Development

Materials
Language for situations
Focus on relevant positions
Incorporating organizations
leadership competencies where
appropriate

Running the Program/Exercises

Participant and assessor
schedules
One-on-one feedback and
development sessions with
personalized reports
Management summary reports

Validating the Development

Review each exercise and
evaluation guide with key
leaders
External I/O validation

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Methodology

Exercises conducted by subject matter experts/assessors

Each competency and exercise was rated on a 5-point scale:
5 = Mastery
4 = Very Good
3 = Capable
2 = Needs Development
1 = Gap
Competency scores from exercises were average and placed onto a scale:

Professional Strength (3.50-5.00)

Effective (3.30-3.49)

Growth Opportunity (3.10-3.29)

Developmental Need (1.00-3.09)

Participants are given a report of results at one-on-one feedback sessions at

the conclusion of the Recruitment Assessment Center

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Sample Competency Scores

Accurate Assessment of Candidates
Applicant Needs Assessment
Builds Credibility and Trust
Candidate Care
Closing/Selling the Hiring Manager
Collaboration/Teamwork
Consultative Partner to Hiring Manager
Customer Focus
Effective Communication
Effective Interviewing
Effective Negotiation
Effective Use of Technology
Engaging/Closing Candidates
Hiring Process Management
Influencing Others
Locating and Identifying Talent
Network and Relationship Building
Prioritization and Time Management
Problem Analysis and Decision Making
Relating to others/building relationships
Relevant Knowledge
Strategic Focus/Planning
Understands the Business

3.31
3.63
3.78
3.78
3.88
3.94
3.94
3.96
3.85
3.25
3.42
3.00
3.58
4.00
3.29
2.88
3.38
3.25
3.34
4.00
3.13
3.71
3.44

Groupscoredhighlyandachievedprofessional
strengthratingsin12ofthe23competencies
Theyexhibitedrobustrelationshipbuildingskills
forcandidates,hiringmanagers,andorganizational
partners
Theirlowestscoreswereforlocatingand
identifyingtalentandeffectiveuseoftechnology,
whichshowanopportunitytoimprovesourcing
skills
Otherareasinwhichthisteamhadlower
performanceincluderelevantmarketplace
knowledge,prioritizationandtimemanagement,
effectiveinterviewing,andinfluencingothers
Thisgroupdemonstratedthemostselfconfidence
throughouttheday;logisticswerealsofarbetter,
whichcouldhaveimpactedscores.

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Recruiter Capability Results

Overall Professional Strengths:
Relating to others/building
relationships
Effective Communication
Customer Focus
Selling/Closing the Hiring
Manager

Most Consistent Professional

Development Needs:
Engaging and Closing
Candidates
Locating and identifying talent
Effective Negotiation
Influencing others
Prioritization and time
management
Strategic Planning and Focus
Effective Use of Technology
Relevant Technical and
Marketplace Knowledge

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Leveraging Professional Strengths

The highest rated competencies demonstrate Recruiters generally
have:
Excellent relational skills
Excellent communication skills
The skills which need to be leveraged :
Quickly establish meaningful rapport with stakeholders
Build relationships to deliver additional support and services
Better influence stakeholders
Drive effective talent decisions
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Key Developmental Observations

The lowest rated competencies demonstrate Recruiters opportunities to improve:
Locating and Identifying Recruiters showed limited ability to source, struggled
to leverage technology as a research vehicle
Influencing others Recruiters were managing processes without leveraging
their positions to influence decision-making
Prioritization and time management Determining what was most important and
fully addressing critical components of exercises was an area for improvement
Strategic planning and focus- Often, the teams would lose sight of the strategic
impact of their work and get lost in the transactional aspects instead
While there were overall strengths and weaknesses, individual teams exhibited
differing professional development needs
At the core, the two macro themes emerged: talent hunter/identifier/woo-er and
strategic talent advisor were gaps

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Follow-up actions
1. Competency model /success profile for recruiters
2. Custom 360 feedback tool against competency model as a follow
up measure to provide feedback on development progress
3. Leverage success profile for matching internal team to right job fit
4. Job aids and tools to support recruiters (core capability card
decks, motivational fit decks, etc. to influence and facilitate
Hiring Manager discussions )
5. Predictive selection tools for hiring recruiters (customized
structured interview guides)
6. Customized workshops and learning events
>
>
>

Accelerate good performance and close the gap on weak

performance
Consider grouping sessions by skills gaps and / or business units
Leverage strengths for peer training

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Feedback Survey

=ProfessionalStrength

=Effective

=GrowthOpportunity

=DevelopmentNeeded

Participants gave very high ratings to the value that they

received from the Recruiter Assessment Center
Exercises were seen as effective at measuring skills
Participants felt the exercises addresses areas important to
their job success
The feedback sessions were seen as relevant and useful to
improving their skills as talent acquisition professionals
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Feedback from participants

Overall it was very positive and the feedback I received was valuable and most importantly
I was given action items to start the improvement process walking out the door. Most people
don't know (or want to know) their strengths and weaknesses, for me this was enlightening.
The exercises were all relevant to our daily work activities. The instructors were excellent in
role playing; and provided a detailed, easy-to-understand assessment at the end of the
session.
I felt overall that the entire exercise was productive.
Fast paced exercise that certainly unveiled and/or verified my self-awareness. This is truly
an event I would strongly recommend to anyone and any company! Thank you for the
insightful, engaging and rigorous event.

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Outcomes

Individual Development plan

Alignment with role
Movement form transactional to consulting
Proactive stakeholder management
Higher customer satisfaction

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Questions

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