The quantifiable costs of bad hiring decisions within the management and professional ranks are difficult to gauge. However, estimates generally range from 50 to 150 percent of base salary taking into account elements such as: recruiting costs, separation pay, hiring bonuses, outplacement support, training costs and lost productivity re both the employee break-in and disconnect periods. The intangible costs related to social-organizational disruptions are obviously impossible to capture with numbers, but are insidious and potentially of greater concern. The whole fabric of social interactions with other proximal members of the organization and customers is often thrown into a state of turmoil with accompanying reductions in organization performance.

On the other hand, finding the right manager or professional to fill a position can take a department, division, or the whole organization to new heights of performance. When an individual’s background, personality, interaction style, competencies, level of drive and initial engagement/attraction with the organization match the position profile and the organization’s culture, the probability of success in the position increases dramatically. Excellent organizations are staffed by excellent people who are congruent with what the organization expects of them. That means hiring the brightest and best candidates compatible with the organization’s needs, then developing and retaining them. Retention, of course, improves dramatically when the individual fits the organization and its needs, because compatibility drives mutual satisfaction and attraction.

Associates in Applied Psychology offers comprehensive services in testing and selection review for managers and professionals. We provide our clients with a detailed third party evaluation of the organization’s candidate(s) from the perspective of a psychologist with more than 25 years of broad-based organizational consulting experience. Our process entails a careful assessment of the position and organization requirements in the broadest sense of the terms. In advance of meeting with the candidate, we:

• Review the organization’s mission and values statement 
• Analyze the position description, including accountabilities, objectives and explicit or implicit competencies 
• Solicit information (via a brief structured interview of the human resources official or operational manager overseeing the selection process) regarding the culture, department/unit environment, and any unique circumstances or challenges attendant to the position.

The interviewing and testing process can be conducted at our offices or we can travel to the candidate’s location. In the course of our meeting with the candidate, we administer the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Cattell 16 PF, quite possibly the two most widely psychologist-utilized personality profiling instruments for examining normal personality characteristics and social interaction style. In tandem, these two instruments provide a very complete and cross validating picture of the candidate’s likely behavioral predispositions in work environments. Both the MBTI and the 16PF are test-taker friendly in that the questions are straightforward and totally non-offensive and can be completed in a reasonable amount of time. In fact, most candidates actually enjoy completing the instruments because of the self-exploration opportunity.

We also conduct a one and one-half hour to two-hour quasi-structured interview with candidate as part of the review process. The interview is built specifically around the information gathered in the pre-meeting stage from the organization’s representatives as outlined above. Wherever possible we prefer having the candidate complete the instruments in advance of the meeting because there is a modest advantage to having the candidate’s personality profiled prior to the interview. However, having the information in advance of the interview is in no way essential.

Following our session with the candidate, we prepare a detailed report outlining our findings, conclusions and recommendations. In addition to providing counsel on the employment decision, we offer recommendations regarding how to enhance supervision and communications with the individual should the organization elect to hire her or him.

Above and beyond the selection process itself, Associates in Applied Psychology has substantial experience in assessing executive and management candidate compensation arrangements. We can provide counsel to the organization in structuring a compelling and motivationally sound, yet cost-intelligent, package of salary and incentive for the prospective candidate in light of their current compensation arrangement.

Finally, Associates in Applied Psychology also provides counseling and coaching to current executives, managers and professionals who are seeking the benefit of a third-party perspective in optimizing their performance. Our coaching methods are based on principles of organizational and cognitive-behavioral psychology.

All employment testing, selection and coaching is handled by Charles F. Schanie, Ph.D. Dr. Schanie has more than a quarter century of experience in this consulting related to interviewing, testing, selection and advising. His clients in this consulting arena have included Asahi Glass Corporation, Brown & Williamson Tobacco, Meidinger, Inc. and Louisville Bedding.

We welcome all requests for proposals (RFP’s) for human resources services. And if for some reason you don’t need a full-blown project, but would like some over-the-shoulder support or hand-holding, we’re prepared to consult with you on an ad hoc basis at our daily consulting rates.

Call us today at 502-584-2112 for a free telephone consultation on your current needs in employment testing, selection and coaching.