We found this enriching article on Inc.com
Do Your Employees Possess the Right Competencies?
Measuring soft skills in an objective manner helped a hospitality company find its perfect fit. Could it work for you?
The work environment at a major hospitality company had shifted dramatically. For the first time ever, the general managers would have to market and communicate the company’s services utilizing the Web and e-mail.
Historically, the company had hired based on hard skills and experience alone, but had seen too many people fail. Repeating the same mistake was not an option. It turned to me for assistance, as the company was about to embark on evaluating soft skills and interviewing candidates in a more thorough, focused and objective manner.
What the company was to discover surprised nearly everyone.
Step One: Define Soft Skill Competencies
We started with a basic understanding of what ingredients comprise soft skill competencies. Simply put, these ingredients resemble a good, hearty bowl of “goulash.” Alone they may not be enticing, but blended together, they make sense.
Soft skills are a combination of behaviors. They encompass attitudes and motivators that drive visible behavior. Beliefs are measured as they affect attitudes and behaviors alike. Hard skills are added, along with a dash of intellect.
The 23 soft skills measured are: leadership, employee development/coaching, teamwork, conflict management, interpersonal skills, analytical problem solving, creativity, written communications, customer service, flexibility, goal orientation, management, planning/organizing, diplomacy, personal effectiveness, presenting, negotiation, persuasion, empathy, continuous learning, futuristic thinking, decision making and self-management.
Step Two: Measure Soft Skills for a Specific Job
The next step was to decide whether to measure soft skills subjectively or objectively. In the subjective methodology, management sits down and debates each one of the competencies and ranks them in order of importance. But beware! On any given day, opinions may and do change. Opinions are swayed by current events, the loss of a key employee, a sale won or lost, and a host of other variables.
With this client, we opted for the objective methodology. We utilized a Web-based questionnaire, which reduces or eliminates personal filters and biases. A series of questions are answered online. All questions focus on the job, not a person or candidate in the job. The results are analyzed and a written report is generated using highly accurate computerized analysis.
Sometimes, the results can be reaffirming, or they can be surprising.
The hospitality company received a shocking dose of reality the same day it completed the questionnaire. The results revealed that Written Communications was the most important aspect to the job, while Customer Service ranked quite low.
“How could Written Communications be #1 and Customer Service not even rank in the top five?” the managers asked. A fairly heated discussion ensued. After listening to the client, I quietly reminded them of their new job requirements for the general manager. The new hire would be solely responsible for Web-based and e-mail inquiries for each resort.
Suddenly, it became apparent that their subjective, historical perspective of the job was no longer valid. Had they not incorporated this objective analysis as part of their hiring process, their personal filters and biases would have prevented them from seeing exactly what they needed.
As a result of this revelation, they began their interviewing process focusing their attention on the requisite soft skills required for success in the new role.
Step 3: Incorporate Soft Skill Interview Questions into the Hiring Process
Next, the managers received a narrative of their top seven competencies. They read a complete explanation of each competency. Below is a sampling of what they saw regarding Written Communications.
- Writes clearly, succinctly and understandably.
- Adjusts writing style to specific audiences as needed.
- Achieves communication objectives by organizing information in logical sequences that lead readers to natural conclusions.
As part of their process, the managers received specific interview questions that focused squarely on written communications and the other top six soft skills.
The following are specific examples of their Written Communications interview questions.
- Give me an example of something you wrote that was effective in achieving its objective. What were the challenges in writing it?
- Give me an example of when you adapted your writing to your reader(s). How did you adapt your writing?
- How do you know when something you’ve written has achieved its communication goal?
By asking these types of questions, it kept their eye on the ball and helped them determine the type, extent and depth of experience each job candidate possessed.
To ensure the managers covered only the essential skills, they focused on only the top seven competencies. The behaviorally based competency questions drove straight at the heart of the job requirements. It removed the interviewers’ personal biases and allowed the hiring team to get a clear and more complete picture of each candidate.
The Impact for Them and You
Getting a baseline of a clear understanding of the soft skills necessary simplifies your hiring decision. Every interviewer has a clear understanding of the traits necessary to be successful in the role, before an interview begins.
Furthermore, the directed interview questions are all job related and ensure you don’t go off target into “gray areas.” The questions help you probe deeply into each soft skill category.
Since all questions are open-ended, candidates must elaborate on their specific skill sets and how they deal with very specific criteria. If candidates have limited experience, it’s difficult for them to answer the questions. Additionally, it avoids candidates answering in only theoretical terms. Should they attempt to answer in theoretical terms, it tells you that the candidates don’t have the depth of skills you require.
What is the bottom-line impact? Companies have fewer mis-hires. Job fit improves; job satisfaction increases; and productivity is impacted. With decreased turnover, it’s bound to affect your margins and company profitability.
It’s no longer just about interviewing for skills and experience, it’s all about competencies in the workplace.
One final comment. The hospitality company did find the right candidate using this process. So have many other companies. Why not yours?
This article delivers some incredibly valuable information. In an age of degree and certain abstract quantitative metrics, it’s a pleasure to read where the author is suggesting practical examples of competence fashioned from realistic situations. Of course, at Corra we maintain that nothing is more important than reviewing a person’s actual history. And nothing is more thorough than a pre-employment background check.
Pre-employment screening checks will reveal someone’s criminal, civil and educational history as well as the way the handle money, drive and interface with the civilized world. You can run criminal checks, educational and employment verifications, credit history and civil background checks. These checks reflect character and reveal competence. They are cost effective and your greatest defense against costly liability issues.
So remember what Corra says; Check them out before you hire.
