Hightech Partners ITP 

Techniques and Tools involved in
Assessment of Human Capital
 
As our clients increasingly want to assess and benchmark their human capital, we get called in to deploy a variety of techniques. 
Here is a summary of the approaches in use.

   ▪        Interviews or Structured Interviews: A popular enough process, largely because interviews are informal and many executives are confident of their ability to glean the essential qualities of a person. Their very lack of formality can lead to inconsistency in questioning, and we advise on prepared avenues for question and answer for multiple interviewers so that a clear aggregation of reviewers opinions is possible, enabling a balanced decision on each individual. Structured interviews may cause a candidate whether by intention or subconsciously to orchestrate responses, leaving open the question of what his true personality would dictate.

  ▪             Ability tests: Mature organisations with a history of growing their own management resources internally have long used these. Every potential employee is tested using an Aptitude test pertinent to the relevant industry sector, andthroughout his or her career they are tested for evidence of ability to advance. These tests are highly predictive, but do not give any indication on the personality and management style of an individual in a business environment.

  ▪         Personality Questionnaires / Psychometric Tests: All of the above leads our Clients inevitably towards wanting a concise understanding of candidates' personality profiles. Traditional personality questionnaires, however, have largely grown as a tool to develop rather than accurately assess people. Traditional techniques ask normative questions about how the individual views himself versus (his idea of) the norm. Consequently, they are not predictive enough. More modern techniques use an ipsative approach: each time the respondent answers a question, he is forced to choose a response that characterises what he is most like and one that characterises what he is least like. The ability to manipulate or stage a personality is reduced. The norm to which an individual is compared is a substantial, objective database of similar respondents. Such tests can be performed interactively in one 45 minute interactive session on a secure website. Responses are used to characterise personality in some 32 dimensions or categories, broadly describing relationships with people, thinking style and feelings and emotions. The results can be used to predict leadership and reporting styles, and how they fit against a desired model. Psychometric test results need to be verified by trained interviewers.

  ▪     360-degree checks: The proof of how a professional actually behaves or is perceived is verified by confidential short, structured interviews with people who have managed him, been his peers, his juniors, or his business associates. These short interviews are documented in verbatim form. 360 checks can also be organised by asking referrers to fill appropriate questionnaires, which are subsequently computerised.

  ▪     Synthesis and Conclusions: A combination of the above techniques, the resultant reports and our conclusions, which include a benchmarking with the industry norm, provide our Clients with highly valuable information on their human capital. We are usually asked to assist in developing a plan to improve the overall performance of the organisation.

Our expert Consultants, with years of hands-on management experience in the technology sector, and the resources upon which they can draw, are geared to providing our Clients with the most advanced assessment tools, relevant analysis and useful recommendations.

For more information on our current capabilities and to discuss your own requirements contact us at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  or call us at our Headquarters +32 2 663 1600

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