How Pre-Hire Testing Data Impacts Post-Hire Developmental Opportunities

Becoming more common in recruitment, pre-hire assessments are no longer nice-to-haves – instead, they are a critical element of the hiring process, especially in today’s tight job market. According to a recent study, almost 60 percent of companies use some type of pre-hire assessment.

By using pre-hire testing early on in the recruiting process, employers can better pinpoint candidates who are the “right” candidates for the job, not just applicants who may have certain hard skills. Instead, these tests can measure beyond these hard skills, identifying critical thinking abilities, work preferences, and motivations.

However, pre-hire testing data can also reveal a job candidate’s passion for learning, initiative, and enthusiasm for the profession – all attributes that help unearth post-hire professional development opportunities.

Keep reading to learn more about how pre-hire testing data impacts post-hire developmental opportunities. 

Boost Your Professional Development Opportunities 

The 2022 LinkedIn Global Talent Trends Report found that professional development is the top way to improve an organization’s culture. However, the failure to provide sufficient professional education and development opportunities is staggering.  

According to the Guild’s American Worker Survey report, 41 percent of employees who quit their jobs between April 2021 and April 2022, did so because of a “lack of career development and advancement opportunities.”

From an oft-cited Deloitte study, companies with strong professional development and learning cultures are:

• 92 percent more likely to innovate with new products and processes
• 56 percent more likely to be first to market
• 52 percent more productive
• 30 – 50 percent higher retention rates
• 17 percent more profitable

Karin Kimbrough, the chief economist at LinkedIn, emphasizes that employers must “[c]ontinue to understand the skills your employees have and the skills your company needs. That understanding will help you weather economic highs and lows, and labor-market volatility.”

To attract and retain the “right” employees, companies must prioritize professional development, while making it personal to employees. And, how do employers make it personal?  One way is to start with the attributes identified in your pre-hire assessments.  This data gives you objective, unbiased information about what your employees are good at – and where they need to grow.

Create a Coaching Map for Managers

To continue taking advantage of professional development opportunities, organizations must lead from the top – from the C-suite to mid-level managers. 

Professional coaching has previously been reserved for the highest leaders of a company.  However, today, coaching and mentorship are some of the most requested employee benefits for employees at all levels. 

Harvard Business Review recently noted an impressive example of employers promoting coaching programs for managers.  At Betterment, an investment software company, director-level employees and above receive six coaching sessions annually whereas those below director-level receive three sessions.

According to Susan Justus, former Betterment VP/head of talent development, “Employees look to coaches when they’re trying to get promoted, wondering how to skillfully advocate for themselves in meetings, or struggling with a hard time managing a team member and not sure how to have this hard conversation.”

Coaching your leaders (and those hoping to become a leader) allow them to boost their professional development by leaps and bounds, especially when personalizing the growth process based on pre-hire testing data. 

With this holistic approach to developing your workforce, leaders are not only improving their future careers, but you’re also encouraging employees to stay – contributing to your organization along the way. 

At Cangrade, we get it. That’s why our technology is so powerful. We measure your employees’ unique skills and attributes and identify promising, customized directions for their professional development. The suggestions are powered by artificial intelligence, so they are constantly evolving to apply new information based on your employees’ performance.

So put employee professional development first in your organization, unlocking the potential capabilities of your workforce. Book a demo with Cangrade today.