Corporate Executives, Directors, Managers, Physicians, ITs—these are all high level positions which are, more or less, difficult to fill. Not only do these positions require (a) higher salaries, (b) a great deal of experience and (c) specific skillsets; qualified applicants are scarce and to reel in such candidates requires extensive time and research. Furthermore, 75% of the demand to hire new employees arises from the simple need to replace workers who have left the company, according to an article by Greg Rokos titled “10 Important Statistics on Bad Hiring Decisions.” This shows just how difficult it is to maintain a high-level position, and to promote growth from within.
Applicants who do apply for such advanced positions are, for the most part, a hit-or-miss – some have impressive resumes with great achievements and remarkable experience, and some have the typical mediocre one-page list of their work history in average positions with perhaps one or two minor achievements. In essence, an applicant’s resume becomes a key tool for advancements in the job application process. But how can we assess a candidate’s ability to maintain this high-level position? Oftentimes, incompatible hires can occur; an unqualified applicant can provide a very impressive resume with all the necessary achievements and skillsets, ace the interview with flying colors, and ultimately be hired—and within a few weeks the new hire is fired, and the employer is back at step one. CEO of HootSuite, Ryan Holmes mentioned, “One subpar employee can throw an entire department into disarray. Team members end up investing their own time into training someone who has no future with the company.” And so we ask: how can we break this cycle?
A candidate’s score on a Cognitive Aptitude Assessment could be a crucial element to the hiring process. The Aptitude Assessment is a particular test which measures general intelligence. Critical thinking and problem solving are important qualities to possess when maintaining a vital role within a company. An applicant’s ability to resolve issues, understand and apply information, as well as learn new skills are all key elements which make up a good employee. Thus, in order to even consider an applicant for a high-level position, a high Aptitude score should be one of the major deciding factors in predicting the applicant’s fit for an advanced role. Furthermore, research has shown that cognitive aptitude tests are twice as predictive of job performance as interviews, and three times as effective as resumes; and thus are one of the most accurate predictors of job success for any position.
PainLess Hire℠, through the utilization of our Applicant Assessment & Analysis™ (AAA) Software, has come across an interesting trend. In most cases, applicants who scored the highest on their Aptitude Assessment desired a salary on the lower end of the spectrum, and produced resumes which were not necessarily exceptional. In conjunction with this, in many cases applicants with impressive resumes exhibited lower Aptitude scores and demanded higher salaries. This is an interesting find, given that applicants who do not exhibit high scores in regards to their general ability may at first glance appear to be a better fit due to their impressive resumes. Wouldn’t you want a candidate who scores higher on the Aptitude Assessment instead of an unreliable resume which may or may not contain legitimate facts?
Many applicants who exhibit high scores on their Aptitude Assessment are not given a chance for a higher level position, due to their plain resumes. Thanks to a unique element of our software, we are able to test all applicants before the interview process, versus the few chosen ones after the interview process (which is what most recruiting companies that implement testing do). This ensures that no one with an average resume or experience gets left behind – this is one of the methods that helps us discover hidden talents within the early stages of their career, all at a much lower cost. Without PainLess Hire’s software, we wonder if employers are able to even consider applicants whose resumes don’t shine, but these same applicants can offer the perfect fit and so much more.
We believe it would be much more beneficial and profitable for business owners to consider someone with a high Aptitude score, relevant experience, and whose personality fits the culture of the workplace versus an individual with a low Aptitude score, a notable resume, and higher salary requirements.