Using Assessments for Onboarding Insights

Posted May 18, 2016

The work of HR or the hiring manager doesn’t end when an offer is made.  Onboarding is the next step and an essential part of a successful human capital process.  How you communicate your company’s mission and values and how the new hire relates to the mission and values will set the course for his or her success in the organization.

SHRM’s research shows that new employees are almost 70% more likely to stay at a company for 3+ years if they have a well-structured onboarding process.  Research also indicates that 40% or more of executives fail or quit during the first 18 months in a new position.  An effective onboarding strategy and process can dramatically improve new hire integration and retention.

Many organizations use pre-hire assessment tools to help ensure a match between the job and the person.  There are a number of very good assessment tools on the market and the best are able to measure specific job-related competencies and organizational core values and how a candidate “fits” or matches those competencies/values.  Too often, the results of these assessments are used for interviewing and selection decisions but then filed away and not used. 

Using the assessment feedback during the onboarding phase of early employment, whether it is from a pre-hire tool or administered post-hire, can provide valuable insight for both the new hire and the manager.  Getting early feedback on strengths and weaknesses and having a structured discussion on how those may impact the new hire’s success in his or her role are key benefits.  Discussing communication and work styles is another key benefit.  Most effective pre-hire assessment tools have a development version of their reports.  Consider using this valuable information to positively impact the success of your onboarding process.

Many onboarding processes include an engagement survey to gauge new hire commitment and enthusiasm.  Engagement surveys can provide key data on program effectiveness but they don’t provide direct benefit to the new hire and shouldn’t be viewed as a substitute for individual assessment feedback.  Sharing self-insight assessment feedback in the context of organizational competencies, missions, and values provides a compass to help the new hire navigate his or her integration into a new organization, a new manager, and a new set of expectations he or she needs to meet and exceed to be successful.

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