The old way of talent assessment for the age of the Industrial Revolution is like fitting a square peg in a round hole in an organizational machine: with the use of cognitive ability tests, skill assessments, personality tests, and other tests, candidates are first identified if they have the required skills, and then selected for performing to the expectations of a predefined position.
For the most part, these tests only examine an individual’s skills or behavior relevant to the requirements of a single position.
What is often left out of these talent assessment tests are important factors such as a candidate’s intrinsic motivation, passion, individual propensities, unique talents, and if a candidate fits in a company culture or aligns with organizational goals.
We at TEP.Global, with our combined 100 years of experience in people strategies, talent assessment, and executive recruiting, firmly believe that it is high time to put the horse in front of the cart in this burgeoning human centered age: Organizations need to first discover, respect, and honor an individual’s innate talent, propensities, and passion, and fit talents into roles that are aligned with individuals’ own unique value propositions, experience, and passion. Great organizations can even go as far as creating roles for talents to thrive, and set them up for success.
We believe that tests are necessary tools for painting a preliminary picture of a candidate’s basic qualifications and maybe some background qualities, but tests are subject to constant improvement and revision, based on candidates’ feedback about the parts that may seem confusing to them.
As organizational hiring goals evolve, talent assessment tests also need to change. As imperfect tools, we mostly use tests to the extent that they serve as a step for asking more questions to get to know a candidate better during interviews.
TEP talent assessment experts also understand that skills can be acquired through training. Skill set alone should therefore not be the determining factor in creating the best fit between a talent and an organization. We comprehensively assess a talent’s mindset, soul set, and heart set, as well as the requisite IQ and EQ for upskilling and reskilling for the future of work.
Talent assessment is a balance between an organizational goal and an individual’s overall capability and potential. More than resumes, data, checklists, or AI, assessing humans is often more of an art than a science. It takes expertise and deep understanding about humanity, human potential, and what makes a person tick.
We understand that transitioning from the old way of pigeon-holing people into an organizational machine, in this age of AI, is not for the faint of heart. To assess, acquire, and motivate humans for a company’s and individuals’ mutual success in this post-Industrial Revolution age, requires more humanity and less automation.
To contact us for further consultation, please visit TEP.Global.
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