News Release: 7 HORRIBLE PHRASES JOB APPLICANTS MAY SAY TO YOU:
Be Aware + Beware of These Warning Flags
First, pre-employment tests can tell you if a job applicant has qualities similar to your best employees.If the applicant’s pre-employment test results look good, then you can feel comfortable spending time interviewing the applicant. When you evaluate job applicants, you can learn a lot about them . . . if you listen to how they talk.
In my third book – “Hire the Best – and Avoid the Rest(tm)” – the most frequently quoted phrase I wrote goes something like this:“The behavior you see from a job applicant during your screening process is likely to be the very, very best behavior you ever will see from that person.” Isn’t that the truth?
For example, let’s say you want to hire a mannerly person.Well, if Applicant A is mannerly during your screening process, that person probably will act that mannerly or worse if you hire Applicant A.But, if Applicant B acts unmannerly during your screening process, then you may expect that person to act that unmannerly – or even worse – if you hire Applicant B.
PHRASES APPLICANTS USE TELL YOU A LOT ABOUT THEM
Imagine the atmosphere you want in your workplace.Most managers desire a professional and friendly atmosphere.That means your employees must act professional – so they represent you and your company well.Pre-employment tests will tell you is the applicant will ‘fit in’ your corporate culture in terms of interpersonal skills, personality, motivations, and intelligence.
Unfortunately, some job applicants talk at work the same way they do off-the-job.This often creates a monstrous problem – if you want your employees to convey a professional demeanor to your clients, prospects, and co-workers.Since pre-employment tests cannot hear how job applicants express themselves, you must conduct in-depth job interviews in which you observe how the applicants act and talk.
7 PHRASES APPLICANTS USE – THAT ARE BIG WARNING FLAGS FOR YOU
Give pre-employment tests and job interviews and reference check job applicants. And also, carefully listen.Hear if they talk in the professional manner you want your company to display.
Here are seven (7) phrases applicants may say that can give you an awful lot of useful insights into the person you might hire.
1 & 2 & 3 = “KNOW” PHRASES Examples include
-“… you know?”
-“I don’t know.”
-“Do you know what I’m saying?”
When someone makes a totally clear statement, but ends it with the question, “… you know?,” I always wonder why they are asking me.Doesn’t the person realize s/he made a perfectly clear statement?
Next, resourceful people do not say, “I don’t know.”Instead, they say, “I’ll find out” or “I’ll ask someone who knows, and then I’ll tell you.”Beware of job applicants who fantasizes you feel impressed when they utter, “I don’t know.”
Finally, “Do you know what I’m saying?” can feel unnerving.On the cartoon show “
South
Park ,” one of the characters – named Butters – starts a business.To speed up his learning curve, he attends a convention of people from across
North America who operate similar businesses.Those people end almost every sentence by asking, “Do you know what I’m saying?”At first, Butters politely answers, “Yes, I know what you are saying.”Finally, after he hears “Do you know what I’m saying?” for the umpteenth time, Butters replies, “Yes, I know what you are saying – so you don’t need to ask me again.”
Important = You do not want to hire an someone who sounds dim, because they uncontrollably keep spouting “know” phrases, such as “…you know?” or “I don’t know” or “Do you know what I’m saying?”
You crave to hire employees who are productive, dependable, and speak in a manner that represents your company well.Do you know what I’m saying?
4 = “NO PROBLEM”
Imagine a restaurant waitperson did something for you.You said, “Thank you.”Then, the waitperson said, “No problem.” “No problem” is not a simple, innocent phrase.It clearly tells you the employee provided the service which was “no problem” to provide.You reasonably can wonder:If it was a “problem” for that employee to do, would the employee have done it?
When one of your customers pays for something, your customer expects your company to provide the service or product.But, if your employee says, “No problem” to the customer that implies the employee did his or her job only because it was “no problem” to do their job. Is that the impression you want to give your customers?
Or, if an employee helps a co-worker, and then says providing the help was “no problem,” that co-worker reasonably could wonder, “If I asked my colleague to do something he considered a ‘problem,’ would he have done it?It sounds like that employee may prefer work that is ‘no problem’ to do.”
Result = Saying, “no problem” instantly makes the person seem lazy and uninterested in doing work s/he might consider a difficult or a “problem” to do.
I bet you want to hire job applicants who will do their job duties – even if it includes work they feel is a “problem” to do.
5 = “MY PLEASURE”
This is one of the most bizarre statements your employees might say to a customer.” Reason:Your customers do not care if your employees get any “pleasure” from serving them.
Important:Someone pointed out to me that when an employee does something for a customer and then says doing that deed was “My pleasure,” that could imply something highly inappropriate. [No, I will not explain this inappropriateness any further.Use your imagination.Do you know what I am saying?]
Also, what if the employee did not take “pleasure” in serving your company’s customers?Would the employee do his job if s/he did not experience “pleasure”?
Aspects of any job are not a “pleasure” to do.In fact, that often is why your customers pay your company to do it. Your customers do not care if your employees experience “pleasure” doing what they are paid to do.
So, watch out if a job applicant gets carried away spouting “My pleasure.”
6 = “OH, REALLY?”
When you say something, and the person you talked to does not believe you, that person might feel like saying, “I don’t believe what you just said” or “I question the accuracy of what you said.” But, rather than appear rude, some people will listen to you, and then say, “Oh, really?”
Everyone knows the person actually means to say, “I don’t believe you” or “You said something stupid.”
You need to hire job applicants who diplomatically respond to your customers and employees who say something the applicant does not believe is true or accurate.Really.
7 = “TRY”
You might seriously consider throwing any applicant out the door if the person says, “try” to you.Using the word “try” is a terribly bad sign.
For example, I handed a copy shop employee one of my brochures to make photocopies and staple.I stood next to the employee as he stapled one brochure without making sure all pages were neatly stacked.The horrible result:That brochure was unusable, because the page edges were uneven and sloppy.
I nicely said to that copy shop employee, “The brochure you made looks sloppy, and I cannot use it.Please staple every brochure so it looks neat and professional.That employee replied, “I’ll try.” I responded, “’Try’ is not good enough. You actually need to do it correctly.”
I suspect no one ever told him he never should “try.”Instead, he actually was hired to do quality work.
When someone says, “Try,” it is their sneaky way to weasel out of actually doing something. For instance, if you tell an employee to finish a project by a certain day and time, and the employee says, “I’ll try,” you should say to that employee, “I do not want you to ‘try’ to finish by the deadline I gave you.I want and expect you actually to finish by that deadline.”
Saying “try” is somewhat like saying someone is “a little bit pregnant.”Either you are or you are not pregnant.Likewise, either you actually do – or you do not do something.So, be aware and beware when applicants tell you they “try” to do their work assignments.Their “try” statement is a huge red warning flag waving in front of your face. Remember:Try not to hire applicants who proudly say they “try.”
SUMMARY = LISTEN FOR 7 PHRASES POPPING OUT OF APPLICANTS’ MOUTHS
Certain phrases uttered by job applicants speak volumes about how they will talk and act – if you hire them.After all, the way job applicants act during your screening process often shows you how they will act if they work for you.Pre-employment test results will reveal if an applicant possesses personality, people skills and motivations similar to your superstar employees.But you also need to listen carefully during job interviews.
So, be aware – and beware – when an applicant says:
1.“… you know?”
2.“I don’t know.”
3.“Do you know what I’m saying?”
4.“No problem”
5.“My pleasure”
6.“Oh, really?”
7.“Try”
Use pre-employment tests, reference and background checks, and other job applicant evaluation methods.Plus remember:You can learn a lot about job applicants . . . by listening to phrases they use, you know?So, try to listen for these horrible phrases, you know?.Do you know what I’m saying?And congratulations . . . take pleasure when you observe these warning flags.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTING EXPERT INTERVIEWED ON KGO’s GIL GROSS SHOW
Pre-employment test expert Michael Mercer will appear today on KGO’s Gil Gross radio show. Dr. Mercer is author of “Hire the Best & Avoid the Rest” (13th printing).
The pre-employment tests he researched and created are “Abilities Forecaster™ Test, Behavior Forecaster™ Test, and Dependability Forecaster™ Test. Companies use personality tests and cognitive abilities tests to help them hire good workers with a good work ethic.
KGO is
San Francisco ’s #1 radio station.It is 50,000 watts. Gil Gross is an award-winning radio journalist.His show broadcasts daily on KGO AM 810, from 2-4pm, P.T.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Mercer, Pre-Employment Testing Expert is quoted in National Federation of Independent Businesses. Please click on link to read article.
“Pre-employment tests plus two other techniques help reduce stealing and theft by employees,” explained Michael Mercer, Ph.D., a test researcher and author of Hire the Best – & Avoid the Rest.“This is important advice, given that The Wall Street Journal” and Fox News reported increases in employees stealing plus employee theft’s financial drain on companies.
“Stealing by employees drains a company’s finances and morale,” said Dr. Mercer, a corporate psychologist in Barrington, Illinois.The value of stolen items rose one-third in two years, according to PriceWaterhouseCooper’s survey of 5,400 companies.Also, 20% of employers find employee theft a moderate to big problem, found Institute for Corporate Productivity research.
“Stealing starts by hiring lousy humans,” claims Dr. Mercer.“Plus, employees know anything reducing profits impacts their job security.If a company loses money to theft or stealing, eventually employees may get laid-off to decrease losses.”
Fortunately, Dr. Mercer offered three tips to avoid hiring job applicants who are thieves and discover which employees steal.
”First, pre-employment tests that forecast dependability help companies hire non-thieves.” points out Dr. Mercer.“The fastest and cheapest way to avoid stealing by employees is to avoid hiring job applicants who will steal.”Dr. Mercer created a pre-employment test, “Dependability Forecaster™ Test,” that helps predict if an applicant might steal.Companies have job applicants take his test so they can hire applicants who are unlikely to be thieves.
Second, Dr. Mercer recommends doing background checks.Unfortunately, background checks typically only uncover if an applicant was convicted in the locale where you do the check, for example, your county.If an applicant was convicted elsewhere, then you may not find out.
A solution Dr. Mercer proposes is to “use both a dependability pre-employment test plus a background check, and then only hire applicants who come out great on both.”
Third, Dr. Mercer suggests managers “act like James Bond.It may not sound nice, but you need to spy on employees.Companies can install video cameras, tracking devices and other allowable spying instruments.He recounted how one of his clients used pre-employment tests to avoid hiring thieves and also installed tracking devices on its delivery vehicles.The result was the company hired non-thieves and also discovered and fired thieves on its payroll.
Finally, Dr. Mercer advises companies to “make sure employees realize you watch them.They will thank you for stopping workplace theft and increasing their job security.”
# # # #
Tags: Pre-Employment Tests, Pre-Employment Testing, assessing job applicants ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTING NEWS: 15-MINUTE METHOD TO DISCOVER WHICH APPLICANTS ARE WORTH TESTING
Companies using my pre-employment tests often ask how to decide which applicants should take the tests. I generally respond:
1.Do not give pre-employment tests to every applicant.
2.Most companies test the top 3 – 5 applicants for each job opening.
This article tells you about a quick, 15-minute method you can use to figure out which applicants you should have fill-out pre-employment tests.
RESEARCH THAT HELPS YOU HIRE THE BEST
Research shows pre-employment tests are the most accurate way to predict how a job applicant may perform on-the-job.In contrast, most interviewers make incorrect and subjective judgments about job applicants.And reference checks often prove unreliable and fail to help much.
Reasons pre-employment tests prove highly useful are tests are research-based, objective, and can be custom-tailored for each job in your company.In sharp contrast, interviews are not created from research, horribly subjective and, thus, interviewers usually inaccurate predictions.
With this pre-employment tests able to help you, you benefit from including tests as a prediction method if you crave to hire the best.
PROBLEM:HIRING MANAGERS OFTEN CREATE WASTEFUL MESS
Managers all-too-often waste immense time and energy on applicants they should not even consider.
If pre-employment tests are not given early in the selection process, managers often make this time-wasting, energy-draining, stupid mistake:
1.30 – 60 minutes – reviewing and thinking about applicant’s resume or application
2.30 – 60 minutes – discussing applicant with other managers
3.1 – 2 hours – interviewing applicant
3.1 hour – thinking about interview
4.1 – 2 hours – talking about interview with other managers
Total time used or wasted on one applicant = 4 – 7 hours After investing 4 – 7 hours of expensive management time on one applicant, then the manager might decide to give pre-employment tests to the applicant.
If pre-employment test scores indicate it is a great applicant, then the manager is happy.
But if pre-employment test scores indicate the applicant should not be hired, then the manager suddenly realizes s/he wasted 4 – 7 hours of time on an applicant who was not worth it.
At that point, some managers feel foolish they did not test the applicant earlier, rather than wasting 4 – 7 hours considering a loser.But other managers get emotionally committed to hiring anyone they spend 4 – 7 hours on, despite lousy pre-employment test scores.They fret, “I spent 4 – 7 hours on that applicant.Plus, I don’t want to find more applicants and then spend 4 – 7 hours on them.So, I think I’ll ‘shoot the messenger’ – that is, ignore test scores clearly indicating this applicant should not be hired.”
In either case, managers easily can avoid this quandary – plus avoid wasting 4 – 7 hours considering an applicant who is not worth considering.
How?By giving pre-employment tests early in the hiring process, rather than late in the process.
So, the question arises:How can a manager quickly determine which applicants they should have take pre-employment tests – before they invest 4 – 7 more hours on them?
SOLUTION:GIVE PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTS TO APPLICANTS WHO EXCELL ON BRIEF BIO-DATA INTERVIEWS
Pre-employment tests, at most companies, are given to the top 3 – 5 applicants for each opening. You can use a 15-minute brief initial job interview to decide which applicant is worth testing.
What should you ask in this 15-minute job interview?Ask bio-data questions.“Bio” does not refer to biology.Instead, bio in bio-data means biographical information.You want to ask applicants if they have bio-data similar to bio-data of your best employees.
EXAMPLE 1:
A janitorial company asked me how it might decide which applicants should fill-out the dependability pre-employment test.They explained the job is (A) very physical, (B) indoors, and (C) required teamwork.Also, they felt sick and tired of wasteful turnover and absences.
I suggested they start each brief bio-data interview with a polite warning, e.g., “If we hire you, but later discover you gave dishonest information in our hiring process, then your dishonesty may be used as a reason to fire you.Also, you need to tell me names of your boss and boss’ boss for each question I ask about your work history.I need their names, because we may contact them to verify what you tell us.”
Remember, as I repeatedly recommend in my “Hire the Best – & Avoid the Rest” book, that past behavior is a good predictor of future behavior.
I recommended the cleaning company ask these bio-data questions plus more:
1.“What were your previous jobs?” [to see if jobs were indoors, physical, and in teams]
2.“How long did you stay on your previous jobs?” [to look at turnover potential]
3.“Why did you leave each job?” [to gauge turnover reasons]
4.“How many absences did you have in your jobs?” [to check absence potential]
5.“How much pay did you earn in each job?”
The pay question helped them focus on considering only applicants who earned less that the company pays.Why?Because employees who earn more than their previous job are happy with their pay, but employees earning the same or less feel dissatisfied and may turnover.
Pre-employment tests were given only to applicants who had bio-data needed to succeed at that company.Then, if an applicant got wonderful test scores, the company proceeded to do time-consuming prediction methods, e.g., in-depth interview, background checks, job observation, and more.
EXAMPLE 2:
A company wanted to hire great sales reps.I helped managers there fill-out my detailed Bio-Data Questionnaire.I discovered the company’s best reps had bio-data in common, including (1) earned B.A.’s from state universities, (2) had only one or two full-time jobs before applying at this company, (3) those were sales jobs, (4) they stayed in each job over three years, (5) earned less at previous employer, (6) worked part-time in high school and college, and (7) other interesting bio-data.
From this information, I created a custom-tailored brief bio-data interview.It ascertained if an applicant had bio-data similar to the company’s best sales reps.
Pre-employment tests were given only to applicants whose bio-data was similar to the company’s best sales reps.
The pre-employment tests – to make hiring decisions even better – were custom-tailored so the company easily saw which applicants got the same test scores as its best sales reps.
Applicant’s with pre-employment test scores similar to the company’s best sales reps later went through a grilling in a two-hour interview, work observations, role-play, reference checks, and more.Those who did well on bio-data, pre-employment tests and all other prediction methods usually were offered jobs.The result is the company now has a highly productive sales force.
PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTING FOR APPLICANTS WITH ‘RIGHT’ BIO-DATA
Pre-employment tests should be given to your top 3 – 5 job applicants.
Determine who takes pre-employment tests by starting with a brief, 15-minute bio-data interview.Applicants who have bio-data similar to your best employees are the ones you have take pre-employment tests.
When pre-employment test scores of an applicant are the same as scores of your best employees, then invest hours of your valuable management time in lengthy interviews, job observations, role-plays, reference checks, and other prediction methods.
Pre-employment tests and a 15-minute bio-data interview saves many hours of expensive management time as they help you hire the best.
Pre-Employment Testing NEWS: “PUBLIC EXECUTIONS” + PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTS = Your Company Grows
Opportunity knocks.You want a workforce of only productive, responsible, dependable employees.Right?
Problem = You have some (A) unproductive or underachieving employees, (B) irresponsible employees, plus (C) employees you cannot depend on.
YOU HAVE FANTASTIC
OPPORTUNITY = HOLD “PUBLIC EXECUTIONS” NOW
Yes, you read that right.I recommend you hold “public executions” at your company.
I do not mean you “cancel” harm anyone physically.Do not hang anyone at dawn.
Instead, de-employ employees who are any of the following:
>unproductive or only average in productivity
>irresponsible
>undependable
>trouble-maker – who harms other employees’ productivity
And here is how to de-employ scumbags – oops, I mean lousy employees:Hold a “public execution.”By that, I mean make sure every employee in your company knows those lousy employees are being tossed out the door because they were (A) unproductive, (B) irresponsible, and (C) undependable.
You could hold an all-employee meeting after your de-employ underachievers. Clearly explain your company
A.values and adores employees who are productive, responsible, and dependable
B.will ‘throw out the door’ anyone who is unproductive, irresponsible, and undependable
End the meeting by saying all the survivors are appreciated – but do not give them any employment guarantees.Remaining at your company is based on being productive, responsible, and dependable.If any employees fall off the wagon, the management team will throw them off the wagon, that is, de-employ underachievers.
PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTS TO THE RESCUE
Pre-employment tests give you the quickest and most accurate way to hire applicants likely to perform on-the-job like your company’s high-achievers.
How do pre-employment tests do that?Two ways.
First, for “white-collar” jobs, you readily can custom-tailor behavior, personality and cognitive ability tests so you know benchmark scores of your best employees.Then, you may prefer applicants who get pre-employment test scores similar to your outstanding employees on behavior and mental ability pre-employment tests.
Second, use a dependability pre-employment test for “blue-collar” jobs.You can prefer applicants whose pre-employment test scores forecast (a) honesty on test, (b) strong work ethic, (c) low impulsiveness – related to accidents and also interpersonal clashes, (d) low theft/stealing concerns, and (e) low substance abuse concerns.
Also, do interviews, reference checks, and background checks.But, remember these common problems:(a) Research shows most interviewers are horribly bad at predicting job performance based on their interviews, (b) it is hard to obtain useful reference checks, and (c) background checks miss many problems.
Pre-employment tests, in contrast, are research-based and can be custom-tailored to help you hire applicants with qualities similar to your company’s “superstar” employees.
EXAMPLE FROM A COMPANY PRESIDENT
I recently received a phone call from a company president.He considers hiring the best so important to business growth that he must approve all hires.He refuses to approve hiring anyone who may not be outstandingly productive, responsible, and dependable.
Pre-employment tests, he told me, are the key tool he uses to hire the best.
He explained, “We have huge numbers of applicants.Most have nice work histories – and sound great in interviews.”
“I rely on your pre-employment tests to hire great employees – because the pre-employment tests tell me whether an applicant will be as good as our best employees,” he observed.
“The pre-employment tests help us hire wonderful employees – just like our very best employees,” that company president concluded.
“PUBLIC EXECUTIONS” + PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTS = WINNING FORMULA
Productive, responsible, and dependable employees help your company grow.So, you may bet your company and your career on a fairly safe formula.
Simply do these steps: 1.Make a list of your underachievers – employees you regret having on your payroll. 2.Hold “Public Executions” – de-employ those average and below-average employees 3.Tell remaining employees that you de-employ underachievers.You allow no place to hide. 4.Use pre-employment tests – to help you hire the best.
When using pre-employment tests, do the following:
First, for “white-collar” and skilled jobs, use pre-employment tests to predict – or forecast – both behaviors and mental abilities.Custom-tailor the two pre-employment tests to help you hire applicants who get test scores the same or similar to your super-productive employees.
Second, use dependability pre-employment test for “blue-collar,” hourly, and unskilled jobs.See if you can hire applicants whose test scores forecast they answered honestly, have great work ethic, are non-impulsive, and probably will not abuse substances nor steal.
Pre-employment tests and “public executions” will help you build a workforce of people who help your company grow – humans who are (A) productive, (B) responsible, and (C) dependable.
Michael Mercer, Ph.D., is a sought after expert on (a) pre-employment tests and (b) hiring the best.He wrote 5 books – including Hire the Best – & Avoid the Rest™.Dr. Mercer created three pre-employment tests that help companies select outstanding job applicants.The tests are Abilities Forecaster™, Behavior Forecaster™, and Dependability Forecaster™ tests.You can get – at no cost – Dr. Mercer’s 14-page report on “How to Hire Winners” plus a subscription to his Management Newsletter at www.MercerSystems.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pre-Employment Test News: 4 METHODS HELP YOU HIRE THE BEST SALES REPS
Pre-employment tests plus other applicant evaluation methods help you select salesperson job applicants who will turn into highly productive, super-profitable sales reps.These applicant evaluation methods include pre-employment tests, intriguing bio-data, vague job interview questions, plus colorful role-plays.
Hiring fantastic sales reps is crucial.As Henry Ford wisely observed, “Until someone sells something, no one else has a job.”A company with monstrously effective sales reps can grow and prosper.However, a company with wonderful products but lousy sales reps will wither away.
So, how can managers hire highly productive sales reps? Here are four great methods you can start using immediately.
Use two pre-employment tests to evaluate sales rep applicants:
1.Behavior or personality test
2.Mental abilities or intelligence-related test
The behavior or personality test needs to forecast the applicant’s behavior in three key areas:
a.Interpersonal Skills – e.g., friendliness, assertiveness, and teamwork
b.Personality Traits – e.g., poise under pressure, optimism, and action-orientation
c.Motivations – e.g., if the sales applicant feels driven to earn incentive pay
The mental abilities or intelligence tests forecast if the applicant has enough “brainpower” to
+learn – how to do your company’s sales job
+think correctly – to solve problems encountered while selling your company’s products
Importantly, before using personality and intelligence tests, you must conduct a benchmarking study.This custom-tailoring tells you specific test scores of your company’s best salespeople.
Then, when you test applicants, you quickly, easily and objectively can
>favor job applicants who got same test scores as your company’s best sales reps
>weed-out applicants whose test scores differed from your best sales reps’ scores
Hundreds of pre-employment test benchmarking studies I have done – for many companies – often result in this “benchmark” pattern of test scores gotten by the best, super-productive sales reps:
>high scores on Friendliness
>average scores on Assertiveness
>average scores on Following Rules & Procedures
>high scores on Poised Under Pressure
>high scores on Optimism
>Calm for inside sales reps – but Excitable for outside sales reps
>high scores on Money Motivation
>average scores on Intelligence or mental abilities
As such, pre-employment tests enable you to objectively – not subjectively – know if a sales rep applicant has crucial personality and intelligence qualities similar to your company’s best sales reps.That is the reason pre-employment tests tremendously help companies hire the best sales rep applicants.
Importantly, using pre-employment tests removes the tendency of managers to like applicants who con them through (a) charm in interviews or (b) semi-pseudo-relevant work histories.Pre-employment tests helps you avoid getting fooled again by a smooth talking sales applicant.
2ND METHOD = INTRIGUING BIO-DATA
Bio-data means biographical data, and yields loads of super-useful insights into which applicants you should seriously consider.
Suggestion:When you conduct your pre-employment test benchmarking study of your best sales reps, also have them fill-out a questionnaire on their bio-data from before they started working for your company.The bio-data questionnaire helps you gather specific details of your company’s best sales reps’ work experiences, education, training, compensation, and more.
For example, in bio-data questionnaires I created for many companies, I continually find successful sales reps worked during high school.That is only one example of useful bio-data.
Armed with exact bio-data of your best sales reps, you then can include relevant bio-data questions in your interviews.For instance, if all your best sales reps worked during high school in service-type jobs, then you definitely want to see if each applicant you interview had similar experiences.
Translation:See if each job applicant you might consider has bio-data similar to your best sales reps’ bio-data.
If the pre-employment test scores of an applicant are similar to scores of your best sales reps, then you probably want to make time to conduct an in-depth job interview.
Unfortunately, too many sales applicants come across exceedingly wonderful in typical job interviews.After all, salespeople know how to make a good impression and “knock your socks off.”
Secret Revealed = Here is a trick sales applicants use to make you “fall in love” with them:Immediately upon meeting you, the applicant gives you a nice handshake with good eye-contact and a smile.The applicant compliments something about you, your company, or your office.Then – and here is the cincher – the applicant makes you laugh within 120 seconds after meeting you.After that laugh, the applicant’s charm offensive has melted the heart of most interviewers – and the interviewer then incorrectly slobbers positive ratings on almost everything the sales applicant says.
Fortunately, you can avoid doing a typical interview, and getting conned by a salesperson.
First, only interview job applicants who got pre-employment test scores similar to scores of your company’s best salespeople.Second, make a list of the most important 6 – 9 job talents you must have in anyone you hire.These might include persuasiveness, friendliness, teamwork, handling obstacles, action-orientation, and desire to earn incentive pay.
Third, avoid telling the applicant you are looking for those job talents.Instead, ask vague questions.Then, listen to whether the applicant might have talents you need.For example, if teamwork is important, do not ask a question like “Do you like teamwork?”Any applicant with some brains would know to say, “Yes” to such an obvious question.
Instead, ask a vague question, such as, “What are examples of the work situations you enjoy most?”Then, notice if the applicant tells you examples of work situations involving (a) teamwork or (b) working alone.If teamwork is a key job talent, then you prefer an applicant who gives examples of enjoying teamwork – and not examples of enjoying working alone.
Warning:Never ask any interview question that gives clues to job talents you want the applicant to have.
Whenever I create custom-tailored “Interview Guide Forms” for a company to use, I always make sure none of the questions I create tell the applicant either (a) the specific talent is being evaluated nor (b) the desired “right” answer is. Unfortunately, most managers give hints to the answers they want to hear.Do not be one of those naïve managers.
4TH METHOD = ROLE-PLAY CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE SALES KIND
If an applicant’s pre-employment test scores are similar to your best sales reps’ test scores, plus the applicant’s bio-data is similar to your best reps, plus the applicant did well in your in-depth interview, then you really ought to use an ultra-useful but seldom used additional prediction method.It is a carefully crafted role-play.
To do the role-play, tell the applicant to try to sell something to you.It can be any product or service both you and the applicant are familiar with.The applicant plays the sales rep and you play the prospective customer.
During the role-play, you must evaluate the applicant’s skill on using six key selling steps:(a) Quickly developing comfort and rapport with prospective customer, (b) uncovering prospect’s needs, (c) probing important details, (d) presenting solutions, (e) overcoming objections and resistance, and (f) asking for the order.
If the job applicant excels on these key sales steps, that is a good sign.If not, then you must decide if the applicant is worth training in your company’s sales procedures.
FORMULA TO HELP YOU HIRE THE BEST SALES REPS
Only hire applicants who get all wonderful ratings in the following surefire hiring formula.
Pre-employment tests + bio-data + in-depth interview + role-play = fantastic odds you will hire a highly productive sales rep. Copyright 2009 Michael Mercer, Ph.D., www.MercerSystems.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pre-Employment Test News:
Pre-employment testing expert Dr. Michael Mercer has been appointed the Hiring Techniques Expert for AgentsOfAmerica.ORG (AOA). AOA is the premier association for insurance agencies and their agents and brokers.This large association is dedicated to finding the best experts to offer AOA members with highly useful methods to grow their businesses and provide spectacular customer service.
“Dr. Michael Mercer is the most widely respected, national expert on pre-employment testing – so it is a huge benefit for our members to have his expertise,” said Angelo Gioia, Executive Director of AgentsOfAmerica.ORG.
Pre-employment testing expert Dr. Michael Mercer has been appointed the Hiring Techniques Expert for AgentsOfAmerica.ORG (AOA).AOA is the premier association for insurance agencies and their agents and brokers.This large association is dedicated to finding the best experts to offer AOA members with highly useful methods to grow their businesses and provide spectacular customer service.“Dr. Michael Mercer is the most widely respected, national expert on pre-employment testing – so it is a huge benefit for our members to have his expertise,” said Angelo Gioia, Executive Director of AgentsOfAmerica.ORG.
Pre-employment testing expert Dr. Michael Mercer has been appointed the Hiring Techniques Expert for AgentsOfAmerica.ORG (AOA).AOA is the premier association for insurance agencies and their agents and brokers.This large association is dedicated to finding the best experts to offer AOA members with highly useful methods to grow their businesses and provide spectacular customer service.“Dr. Michael Mercer is the most widely respected, national expert on pre-employment testing – so it is a huge benefit for our members to have his expertise,” said Angelo Gioia, Executive Director of AgentsOfAmerica.ORG.
Pre-employment testing expert Dr. Michael Mercer has been appointed the Hiring Techniques Expert for AgentsOfAmerica.ORG (AOA).AOA is the premier association for insurance agencies and their agents and brokers.This large association is dedicated to finding the best experts to offer AOA members with highly useful methods to grow their businesses and provide spectacular customer service.“Dr. Michael Mercer is the most widely respected, national expert on pre-employment testing – so it is a huge benefit for our members to have his expertise,” said Angelo Gioia, Executive Director of AgentsOfAmerica.ORG.
Pre-employment testing expert Dr. Michael Mercer has been appointed the Hiring Techniques Expert for AgentsOfAmerica.ORG (AOA).AOA is the premier association for insurance agencies and their agents and brokers.This large association is dedicated to finding the best experts to offer AOA members with highly useful methods to grow their businesses and provide spectacular customer service.“Dr. Michael Mercer is the most widely respected, national expert on pre-employment testing – so it is a huge benefit for our members to have his expertise,” said Angelo Gioia, Executive Director of AgentsOfAmerica.ORG.
Pre-employment testing expert Dr. Michael Mercer has been appointed the Hiring Techniques Expert for AgentsOfAmerica.ORG (AOA).AOA is the premier association for insurance agencies and their agents and brokers.This large association is dedicated to finding the best experts to offer AOA members with highly useful methods to grow their businesses and provide spectacular customer service.“Dr. Michael Mercer is the most widely respected, national expert on pre-employment testing – so it is a huge benefit for our members to have his expertise,” said Angelo Gioia, Executive Director of AgentsOfAmerica.ORG.
Pre-employment testing expert Dr. Michael Mercer has been appointed the Hiring Techniques Expert for AgentsOfAmerica.ORG (AOA).AOA is the premier association for insurance agencies and their agents and brokers.This large association is dedicated to finding the best experts to offer AOA members with highly useful methods to grow their businesses and provide spectacular customer service.“Dr. Michael Mercer is the most widely respected, national expert on pre-employment testing – so it is a huge benefit for our members to have his expertise,” said Angelo Gioia, Executive Director of AgentsOfAmerica.ORG.
“AgentsOfAmerica.ORG is committed to offering our members the best and the brightest experts,” continued Mr. Gioia, “and Dr. Mercer certainly fit that bill.”
As AOA’s Hiring Techniques Expert, Dr. Mercer will provide a number of valuable services for AOA members, such as
> Pre-employment Tests – to help members evaluate applicants and hire productive employees
> Training seminars – teaching AOA members how to interview and test job applicants
> Articles – that all AOA members will receive – featuring tips on hiring
Dr. Mercer is president of Mercer Systems, Inc., and
+ Book Author – of 5 books – including “Hire the Best – & Avoid the Rest™”
+ Ph.D. – business psychologist – expertise = hiring and pre-employment tests
+ Creator & Researcher – of 3 pre-employment tests – the “Forecaster™ Tests”
+ Speaker – delivering many speeches at conferences and seminars at companies
“When AOA looked for the nation’s leading expert on how to hire great employees, everything pointed to Dr. Mercer,” commented Mr. Gioia.“After numerous discussions, we feel delighted Dr. Mercer agreed to share his spectacular expertise with members of AgentsOfAmerica.ORG.”
“AgentsOfAmerica.ORG is a very special association serving insurance agencies and insurance companies,” remarked Dr. Mercer.“I feel honored and thrilled AOA asked me to help AOA members on their business goal to hire productive, dependable employees.”
About Mercer Systems Michael W. Mercer, Ph.D., delivers keynotes, workshops & speeches on Management, Hiring, Human Resources, Leadership, and Organizational Change topics. Dr. Mercer is a business psychologist and author of 5 business and motivational books. Dr. Mercer developed 3 pre-employment tests used by companies across North Americato help them select top-notch employees. Contact Us: Phone = (847) 382-0690 or Email = drmercer@mercersystems.com
About AgentsofAmerica.ORG AgentsofAmerica.ORG is an on-line Insurance Agent's Association and indispensable resource for news, products, services, education, and industry information throughout .The organization’s Missionis to deliver the BEST people, products, information, and services to Agents on a daily basis all designed to help them manage and grow their business and provide ongoing value to their clients. Their motto is "Bringing the BEST Together”. AgentsofAmerica.ORG is offering a 2-month free trial period for those interested in learning about the valuable benefits the new organization offers.Anyone joining as a paid member during the 2-month trial period receives a 25% discount on their initial membership plus a complimentary extra month membership, for a total of 15 months. All paid members are eligible for additional discounts and access to an extensive array of other membership programs.Visit www.AgentsofAmerica.ORG for more information.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pre-Employment Test News: PRE-EMPLOYMENT TEST & 3 OTHER METHODS HELP YOU PREDICT IF JOB APPLICANT IS SUBSTANCE ABUSER
One kind of pre-employment personality test gives hiring managers a quick, easy-to-use way to avoid hiring substance abusers – e.g., alcoholics and drug abusers – and other bad characters.Plus, you also have few more methods you can use in your quest to avoid hiring substance abusers.
FACTS:SUBSTANCE ABUSING EMPLOYEES WASTE YOUR COMPANY’S MONEY
Fact #1 = No manager I ever spoke with wants to hire a drug abuser or alcoholic.
Fact #2 = Substance abusing employees waste huge amounts of a company’s money.
According to U.S. Department of Labor estimates, drug abusing employees waste $75 - $100 billion/year in (a) lost time, (b) accidents, (c) healthcare, and (d) workers’ compensation.In fact, substance abusers force horribly expensive problems onto their employers: -65% of on-the-job accidents are by substance abusers -3 times more absences than non-substance abusers -16 times more healthcare benefits than non-abusers -16 times more likely than non-substance abusers to file worker’s compensation claim
Fact #3 = If you send drug abusing employee for treatment, it costs you big bucks.
Your company pays money for alcoholism or drug abuse problem you did not cause.Translation:You pay to treat a substance abusing employee you never should have hired in the first place!
Conclusion = Managers need to use pre-employment tests and other steps to avoid hiring alcoholics, drug addicts, and substance abusers.
Here are four methods to help you avoid putting drug addicts or alcoholics on your payroll.
1st METHOD = PRE-EMPLOYMENT TEST PREDICTING SUBSTANCE ABUSER PERSONALITY
One type of personality test helps you quickly predict – or forecast – if a job applicant may be a substance abuser.You do, after all, want dependable employees – including employees who are not possibly alcoholics or drug abusers.
I call such a pre-employment test a “Bad Apple Test.”Why?This test helps you avoid hiring an applicant who is a “bad apple” – someone with flaws that harm productivity and waste your company’s money.
A good pre-employment test that helps you avoid substance abusers predicts up to five crucial factors that impact applicants’ job performance: a.Substance Abuse concerns b.Theft / Stealing concerns c.Honesty d.Impulsiveness [e.g., safety, accidents, etc.] e.Work Ethic
Hiring managers, of course, crave to hire applicants whose pre-employment test scores indicate low concern for possible Substance Abuse.You also want applicants who are (1) unlikely to steal, (2) honest, (3) not Impulsive, plus (4) have good work ethic.
In sum, a pre-employment test predicting substance abuse personalities helps hiring managers achieve their goals to
+screen-in “good apples”
-screen-out “bad apples”
2ND METHOD – AVOID HIRING SMOKERS
You reduce your odds of hiring alcohol or drug abusers, if you can avoid hiring smokers.After all, most substance abusers are smokers.
Question:How often have you met an alcoholic or drug addict who did not smoke?
Answer:Probably never.
So, if you avoid hiring smokers, then it will be harder to hire a substance abuser.
Note:Not all smokers are substance abusers, but most substance abusers are smokers.
More than 67% of drug abusers are tobacco smokers, according to research published in the scientific journal “Experimental & Clinical Psychopharmacology.”
Amount of drug consumption correlates to the amount of smoking, according to research conducted at Integrated Substance Abuse Program of UCLA:
-More smoking = more drug-taking
-Less smoking = less drug-taking
Point:The more a substance abuser smokes, the more drugs the person is likely to take.
Check to see if your state has laws about not hiring people who smoke.Some states allow it, and others do not.
With this substance abuse and smoking information, you need to decide what to do if you
A.smell smoke on a job applicant
B.see cigarette pack on applicant
C.notice applicant’s car ashtray has cigarette butts
D.discover other signs applicant is a smoker
3RD METHOD – WARN APPLICANTS YOU MAY GIVE DRUG TESTS
Many companies tell applicants they must take a drug test – if the company might hire them.
Receiving this warning scares away some applicants who are substance abusers.
4TH METHOD = ACTUALLY GIVE DRUG TESTS BEFORE HIRING
Unfortunately, problems with drug tests are very big problems:Drug tests are
-expensive
-cheated or faked – very easily
-inaccurate in their results – many times
Caution:An “underground” industry exists that helps job applicants avoid having alcohol or drug use uncovered in a drug test!So, many applicants know they can “fake-out” a drug test.
STOP HIRING SUBSTANCE ABUSERS – DRUG ABUSERS & ALCOHOLICS
Certain pre-employment personality tests plus other methods help you avoid hiring substance abusers who rob your company of productivity and profits – plus waste your valuable management time.
Stop hiring substance abusers using four methods:
1.Have applicants take pre-employment personality test that predicts substance abuse
2.Don’t hire smokers
3.‘Threaten’ to give applicants drug test
4.Give costly drug tests just before putting applicant on your payroll
It is best for you to use all four methods.Doing all four saves you time and money. Make sure you hire the best – and don’t hire a substance abusing alcoholic or drug addict!
Pre-employment tests plus two other techniques help reduce stealing and theft by your employees.
“Wall Street Journal” and Fox News reported (a) increases in employees stealing plus (b) employee theft’s financial drain on companies.
How financially draining is employee stealing and theft?(A) The value of stolen items rose one-third in just two years, according to PriceWaterhouseCoopers’s survey of 5,400 companies.(B) 20% of employers consider employee theft a moderate to very big problem, found Institute for Corporate Productivity research.
And how does employee theft impact your non-stealing employees?First, your honest employees feel dismayed when co-workers steal.It proves you hired lousy humans.Second, employees know anything reducing profits impacts job security.If a company loses too much to theft or stealing, eventually employees may get “de-employed” to decrease losses.
Fortunately, managers can use pre-employment tests and other methods to (a) avoid hiring job applicants who are thieves and (b) discover which employees steal.
1st WEAPON = PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTS to HELP HIRE NON-THIEVES
Pre-employment tests that specifically predict or forecast dependability can help you hire Non-Thieves. After all, the fastest, easiest and cheapest way to avoid stealing by employees is obvious:Avoid hiring job applicants who will steal.
For example, in my pre-employment test research to create the Theft/Stealing prediction on the “Dependability Forecaster(tm) Test,” I used a two-step method to find out which test questions predict if someone may steal.First, two groups of people answered my extensive list of research questions:(1) One group was Thieves – hundreds of prisoners locked-up in jails for stealing and theft crimes.(2) The second group was hundreds of Non-Thieves.Then, I did statistics to find out which specific questions the Thieves answered significantly differently than the Non-Thieves.
Those questions became the pre-employment test’s section that helps predict if a job applicant may steal.
When applicants take the pre-employment test, companies immediately see if a job applicant scored like the Thieves or the Non-Thieves.Of course, managers prefer hiring applicants who get the test scores of the Non-Thieves.
2ND WEAPON = BACKGROUND CHECKS
In addition to pre-employment tests that help predict Theft/Stealing, a company also might conduct a criminal background check to see if the applicant was convicted of stealing crimes.
Problem:Unfortunately, a background check only will tell you if the applicant was convicted in the locale where you do the check, for example, your county.Warning:If an applicant was convicted in another locale, then you will not find out.
Solution:First, administer a pre-employment test to help predict Theft/Stealing – before you spend your time and budget on background checks.Then, if employment test scores show an applicant scored like Thieves, then you probably will not bother to waste budget doing a theft or criminal background check.
3RD WEAPON = ACT LIKE JAMES BOND
After you use pre-employment tests to hire the best, you still need to watch your employees to make sure they do not steal.It may not sound nice, but you need to “spy” on employees.You can install video cameras, tracking devices and other spying instruments that are allowed.
For example, an executive at one company called me for help to stop employee theft and stealing that harmed the company’s finances.
First, I helped the executive start using the pre-employment test that predicts possible Theft/Stealing concerns – so the company could avoid hiring thieves.Second, I recommended the company “spy” on current employees by installing location-tracking devices on its delivery trucks.
Results = The pre-employment test helped the company hire Non-Thieves.Among employees, the company discovered delivery drivers were (a) driving away from their most direct routes and then (b) selling company goods during their off-route driving.The company’s stealing by employees came to a screeching halt.And new employees were Non-Thieves.
Suggestion:Make 100% certain employees realize you watch them.Some may complain about “Big Brother” for awhile, but they will know your rules.Your rules include no stealing is tolerated.Plus, employees realize you use multiple tools to catch employees who steal.Also, point out that stealing by employees creates less job security for everyone.That will make them thank you for “spying.”
PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTS, CRIMINAL CHECKS, & SPYING HELP YOU STOP EMPLOYEE STEALING
Employee stealing drains a company’s financial resources.It also creates a lousy workplace for employees.Research and news reports indicate employee stealing is a big, growing and expensive problem.So, managers need to take three steps to stop theft by employees.
First, give pre-employment tests to job applicants to help you avoid hiring possible Thieves or people who may steal.Second, conduct criminal background checks on job applicants who did well on the pre-employment test.Third, monitoring devices catch employees who try to steal your company’s possessions.
Pre-employment tests, criminal theft background checks and “spying” give you a fantastic 1-2-3 punch to knock-out employee stealing in your company.
All of us at Mercer Systems Inc. tremendously look forward to helping you use DEPENDABILITY FORECASTER™ Test – to help you on your goal to . . . Phone = 847-382-0690
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- NEWS RELEASE: COULD PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTS HAVE SAVED LEHMAN AND MERRILL LYNCH?
Pre-employment tests plus corporate culture convulsions could have saved Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch, according to industrial psychologist Dr. Michael Mercer.
CORPORATE CULTURES OF CIRCULAR FIRING SQUADS
“The corporate cultures of Lehman and Merrill were like circular firing squads,” observes Dr. Mercer, of
Barrington, Illinois.
“Their bizarrely wild risky behavior naturally led to blowing themselves up,” says Dr. Mercer, author of “Hire the Best and Avoid the Rest.”“It is like someone acting crazy at a rowdy party, and then committing suicide to cap off the night.”
Interestingly, Dr. Mercer had close encounters of the Lehman kind.He was a member of the board of directors at a publicly-traded company that received unsolicited calls from Lehman.At board meetings, he heard about pushy “Lehman bankers calling to peddle other companies to us, or trying to sway us to sell our company.”
“Those antics made Lehman seem like obnoxious children throwing frequent tantrums – hoping they eventually might get their way if they harassed us enough,” commented Dr. Mercer.
Corporate culture trickles down from the top brass, just like children copy some of their parents’ behaviors.“Now,” observes Dr. Mercer, “the whole world sees the horrible result of what trickled down from the top of two huge investment banks.”
PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTS HELP AVOID HIRING KAMIKAZES.
If corporate culture changed, then pre-employment tests and other hiring methods could have helped Lehman and Merrill Lynch hire ambitious but cooler heads.“Apparently, Lehman and Merrill hired many sensation seekers who felt thrilled executing a suicidal strategy.”
“Pre-employment tests could have helped Merrill and Lehman avoid hiring kamikazes,” quips Dr. Mercer.
“The pre-employment testing at Lehman and Merrill should have focused on helping hire investment bankers with healthier ambitions,” Dr. Mercer remarked.“For instance, the pre-employment tests could have helped them hire bankers who were less aggressive, keenly followed rules, and focused on service rather than unquenchable greed.”
Of course, now it is too late to alter the harm and mischief Lehman and Merrill did to themselves, hoards of investors, and the financial markets.
Nevertheless, Dr. Mercer feels optimistic:“Some people need to learn the hard way.Lehman and Merrill gifted millions of people with useful lessons about pushiness, sensation seeking, risky behavior, and immediate gratification.I’m sure this debacle taught many people to act wiser.” # # # # Tags: Lehman Brothers, Pre-Employment Tests, Pre-Employment Testing, assessing job applicants ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
News Release: JOHN EDWARDS, PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTS, AND LYING
Pre-employment tests may have caught John Edwards, former presidential candidate, as a person who may lie or not be fully honest.
John Edwards denied “National Enquirer” magazine reports he had an affair and baby with a woman his presidential campaign paid to produce videos.Recently, John Edwards admitted having an affair with the woman.He denied being the father of the baby.
Companies should not hire job applicants who lie.Also, the American public and the world should not have a leader who lies. Also, imagine if John Edwards was not caught before the election, was elected president, and then an unfriendly nation found proof of this affair.As President, he would have been ripe for manipulation by an unfriendly nation that threatened to expose his lies unless he caved in to its demands.
So, I recommend pre-employment testing of all candidates for U.S. President. A personality-based pre-employment test can catch a job applicant lying on the hiring evaluation.
Would not it be wonderful to have all Presidential candidates take a personality-based pre-employment test?Then, everyone would know what each presidential candidate really is like, rather than the slick persona they present to the American electorate.
In fact, John Edwards’ pre-employment test results may have warned the public that what he says he does may not match what he really does.
John Edwards actions and lies probably hurt his spouse.The American public never will know the pain and suffering this caused Mrs. Edwards.
Pre-employment personality tests could have saved the John Edwards’ family and supporters a lot of grief.Also, think of all the people who donated to his campaign who now discover he never could have been elected if the truth had been known.
So, using employment tests and assessments also can save the American electorate a lot of time considering a Presidential candidate that should not be viewed as a serious contender.
Tags: John Edwards, Pre-Employment Tests, Pre-Employment Testing, assessing job applicants --------------------------------------------------- Dr. Mercer In The News: Please click on the link below to view The Wall Street Journal quoting Dr. Mercer: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121450349462607765.html?mod=CarJMain_middled
Research proves pre-employment tests are the most accurate method to predict or forecast how an applicant may perform on-the-job.Plus, this is borne out in my 20+ years of research in developing and helping companies hire the best using pre-employment tests.I also research and helping managers evaluate job applicants using customize-designed interviews, bio-data, and other prediction methods.
From this extensive experience I also created nine unique – and amazingly useful – ways to evaluate job applicants.You can add these uncommon, ultra-useful job applicant prediction methods to your arsenal to help you hire the best.
1.POLITELY THREATEN THE JOB APPLICANT
Start job interviews with a polite warning:Tell the applicant you insist on getting honest answers.You might say something like this:“You need to hear something very important:If we hire you, and later discover anything you said in interviews or wrote on our forms is not honest, then we have may use your dishonesty as a reason to fire you.”
This warning is important, because many applicants ‘embellish’ the truth by claiming they are more wonderful than they truly are.Your polite threat as you start the job interview sets the tone that the applicant had better give you honest answers.
2. ZAP THE JOB APPLICANT WITH SURPRISE VERIFICATION
During the job interview, the applicant probably regales you with tales of wonderful accomplishments.When you hear this, ask the applicant for the name of the person who can verify the wonderful accomplishment truly occurred.This is yet another warning to the applicant to be totally honest with you.
3.DID THE JOB APPLICANT WORK DURING HIGH SCHOOL?
In my extensive bio-data (biographical data) research – to custom-design job interviews for companies – I often conduct a bio-data survey of the company’s best employees.My research repeatedly uncovers that the huge majority of the best employees worked while in high school.It shows the applicant’s preference to work which often extends into adulthood.
If the applicant worked during high school, ask what the jobs entailed.This gives you clues into the type of work the applicant might like.For example, one company had me custom-design interviews for its delivery drivers.Lo-and-behold, its best drivers held high school jobs that entailed mechanics and physical labor, which shows a preference for actions a delivery driver must do.Another company had me custom-design its interviews for sales reps.My bio-data research found its best sales reps’ high school jobs entailed working with customers, such as being a restaurant waitperson or providing customer-service.
4.PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
A job applicant’s exterior tells an astute job interviewer a lot about the job applicant’s interior.You should examine three ingredients of physical appearance:
>Neatness
Did the applicant have the brains to show up for the interview looking as neat as you expects of your employees?
>Appropriate Attire
Did the job applicant show up wearing suitable clothing?For example, did a white-collar applicant for a white-collar job wear a suit and tie for a man or a business outfit for a woman?Did a blue-collar applicant come to the interview dressed o.k. for your company?
>Does the Applicant Look Like “Death Warmed Over?”
O.K.It is not nice and maybe not appropriate to make predictions about an applicant’s health.However, rising healthcare and insurance costs are due to some employees ringing up a lot of expensive medical bills.Fact:Healthy employees cost a company less for health insurance (plus time-off for illnesses) than unhealthy employees.Everyone knows this.But, managers may hesitate to see if an applicant looks like a walking, talking whopping healthcare bill.
Research supports this.In fact, “The Wall Street Journal” (5/14/08, page A-17) quoted the chief medical officer of Medco, which handles 20% of Americans’ prescription benefits, clearly describing physical appearance that predicts expensive illnesses, high prescription charges, and high healthcare bills.Wow!Apparently, a secret to lowering healthcare costs no longer is a secret.
5.SNIFF THE JOB APPLICANT
Yes, I realize this sounds funny, but it really helps you.Sniff for three inappropriate aromas:
>Smoke
Smokers waste time taking smoking-breaks.Smokers smell like smoke.Plus, while not all smokers are substance abusers, most substance abusers are smokers.So, if you do not hire smokers, you reduce your risk of hiring substance abusers.Also, pre-employment tests can help you predict if a job applicant may be a substance abuser.
>B.O.
If the job applicant exudes yucky body odor, that shows the person is “out to lunch.”Do you really want to hire someone who lacks basic personal awareness?
>
Cologne or Perfume
Nowadays, it is 100% inappropriate to wear scents, such as cologne or perfume, in the workplace.Anyone who wears scents harms other employees and customers.Medical research proves that many people get headaches, horrible migraines, or allergic reactions when they are forced to smell someone else’s cologne and perfume.Answer this question:Would you let any employee play a loud radio, and force employees or customers to listen to their radio?Of course, you never would allow that.Well, perfume- or cologne-wearing employees rudely force other people to smell their scents at your company.How distasteful!So, sniff job applicants to discover if the person is aware of basic manners to show up scent-free.
6.EXAMINE THE JOB APPLICANT’S CASH
This nifty job applicant evaluation method that tells you a lot about the person’s organization and neatness, or lack thereof.How?Ask the applicant to see the cash in his or her wallet.When they pull out their cash, see if all the bills face in the same direction.You will find organized people make all their cash face in one direction.Disorganized people have some bills face one way and other bills face another way.Note:You cannot ask for samples (ha-ha).
7.APPLICANT NOT CURRENTLY WORKING THEIR FAMILY’S BUSINESS
Currently, is the applicant working in a business owned by their own family?My research uncovered frequent problems when companies hire job applicants who are leaving their own family’s business to get a job elsewhere.First, many people working in their family’s business are used to huge leeway in work hours, days off, and doing personal chores during the workday.They often expect to get away with such stunts, yet still keep their job.When you hire a person who has gotten away with such actions, that may be someone who wants you to give leeway in terms of work hours, days off, and doing personal chores at work.Also, you must wonder about someone who cannot stay and help grow a business owned by their own flesh-and-blood.
8. DOES THE JOB APPLICANT HAVE 1 KEY PAYCHECK AMOUNT?
You can benefit from learning three ways applicants view pay.First, applicants feel thrilled by a job that will pay them more than they previously earned.Second, applicants will feel so-so, yawn, big-deal, and who-cares if a new job pays them the same as their previous job.Third, applicants hate and feel little loyalty to a company that pays them less than they earned before.Lesson:Focus on filling the job with a good applicant who will earn more from you than he or she previously earned.Additional problem and solution:Job applicants often lie about their earnings.So, politely warn the applicant that dishonesty about earnings may result in de-employment if the applicant is hired and, later, the dishonesty is uncovered.
9.LOOK IN & AT THE JOB APPLICANT’S CAR
Imagine an applicant drove to the job interview, and you like the person.Recommendation:After the interview, walk the applicant back to his or her car.The job applicant’s car gives you astounding insights into how the person may act, if hired.You simply ask yourself three questions:Is the applicant’s car (a) neat or messy, (b) organized or disorganized, and (c) clean or dirty?
HIRE THE BEST USING UNIQUE + ULTRA-USEFUL PREDICTION METHODS
You know research proves pre-employment tests give you the most accurate predictions – or forecasts – of how an applicant may behave on-the-job.You also know most interviewers do lousy at predicting if an applicant will succeed or fail on-the-job.So, improve your odds of hiring the best by doing the following three actions:
1st = Give the applicant pre-employment tests.
2nd = If the applicant does well on the pre-employment tests, then interview the job applicant.
3rd = Use these unique and amazingly insightful applicant evaluation methods.
You will feel delighted using these creative, quick, and easy-to-do prediction methods.You acquire astonishing insights into the person.Plus, you will have fun using these unique job applicant evaluation methods.
So, you have fun as you hire the best. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- PRESS RELEASE: 3 GAMES MANAGERS PLAY – THAT RESULT IN HIRING LOSERS
DID YOU EVER HIRE A “SQUARE PEG FOR A ROUND HOLE?” You can use pre-employment tests, certain astute insights, less laziness plus a shocking realization about betting to help you avoid a huge hiring mistake – avoid hiring ‘a square peg for a round hole.’
I’VE RECEIVED A “DEJA VU” PHONE CALL HUNDREDS OF TIMES
You will benefit from hearing a phone call I received hundreds of times from managers at a big variety of companies.I call it a deja vu phone call, because I have gotten the same phone call so many times that, as Yogi Berra quipped, “It’s like déjà vu all over again.”
In this phone call I receive, a manager who uses my pre-employment tests calls me, and says, “I want to hire an applicant, but the applicant got horrible scores on your pre-employment tests.But, I loved the applicant in the interview.What should I do?”
I always respond, “Well, that’s up to you.” To which the manager always asks me, “O.K. but, Dr. Mercer, what should I do?”
Invariably, the problem boils down to this:A company using the pre-employment tests has customized “Benchmark Scores.” Those are scores its superstars or best employees typically earn on the tests.To help hire the best, the company obviously should prefer applicants who get pre-employment test scores similar to its best employees’ “Benchmark” test scores.
However, the manager making the “Deja Vu” phone call has an applicant who scored very different than the company’s superstars’ “Benchmark” test scores.
So, I explain, “The pre-employment test and its benchmark scores are the only customized and accurate prediction method you use.In contrast, interviews and reference checks are subjective, and typically rather inaccurate.The benchmark scores on the pre-employment tests are customized to tell you if an applicant has key qualities similar to your company’s best employees in each job.”
Then, I continue, “So, you want to hire applicants who get test scores similar to your superstar employees, plus also do well in all other prediction methods, such as interviews, reference and background checks, and realistic job observations.”
Suddenly, the truth comes out.The manager played hiring ‘games’ could have resulted in a whopper mistake:Hiring a ‘square peg for a round hole,’ specifically, hiring a lousy applicant.
Here are three games managers play – that can result is the blunder of ‘hiring a square peg for a round hole.”
GAME #1 = SEMI-PSEUDO-RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE The manager hopes – or hallucinates – the applicant’s seemingly relevant work experience is transferable to success in the manager’s company.This often is an incorrect assumption.Just because an applicant did similar work does not mean the applicant will be productive in the new job.
GAME #2 = FALLING IN LOVE – WITH THE APPLICANT This is a shockingly common mistake managers make.Why?First, research proves most managers do not know how to interview applicants nor make correct judgments based on interviews.Second, job hunters know interviewing tricks that knock-your-socks-off.
Here are three actions a well-rehearsed applicant uses to make a manager ‘fall in love’ with him or her.The applicant uses charm tricks of 1.entering room with big smile, looks manager in eye, and gives nice handshake 2.complimenting the manager’s office or a photo or momento in the manager’s office 3.making the manager laugh or smile in the first 120 seconds
After ‘falling in love’ with and hiring the super-charmer, a manager frequently feels foolish, like lyrics of Dierk Smedley’s song:“I knew what I was feeling.But, what was I thinking?”
GAME #3 = TOO LAZY – TO FIND A BETTER APPLICANT
After a manager admits to being seduced by semi-pseudo-relevant work experience and ‘falling in love’ with a charming applicant, then the truth comes out:The manager feels too lazy to find more applicants.
But here is the bottom line:A manager will spend less time finding a superb applicant than the manager wastes while managing an average or below-average applicant – and applicant who never should have been hired.Plus, a productive employee proves vastly more profitable.
So, I always assure the manager by saying, “I know it’s a hassle to find more applicants, but I’m sure you can find applicants who will turn into top-notch employees.”
SHOCKING REALIZATION = EACH TIME YOU HIRE SOMEONE, YOU ARE BETTING YOUR JOB & COMPANY
After discussing Games 1, 2 and 3, I say this to the hiring manager to convince them it is worthwhile to find better applicants:“Hiring is like betting.Every time you hire a person you are betting your job, career, and company.Do you feel confident betting on an applicant whose pre-employment test scores were different than benchmark test scores of your best employees?”
There always is silence on the phone.Then, the manager slowly speaks up and says, “You’re right – I am betting my career and the company each time I hire someone.Now, I realize I need to find a better applicant.It’s worth my time and energy.”
5 LESSONS from DEJA VU PHONE CALLS
1.Pre-employment tests – customized for jobs in your company – are most accurate way to predict if an applicant may succeed in your company.Don’t bet against test results. 2.Don’t hallucinate past work experience translates into productivity at your company. 3.Never ‘fall in love’ with a charming, well-rehearsed job applicant. 4.Laziness in hiring squanders money and time when you fail to hire the best.
4.Laziness in hiring squanders money and time when you fail to hire the best.
5.Hiring is betting.Is an applicant worth betting your job, career, and company?
RECOMMENDATION Bet on job applicants who (a) get scores like your best employees’ scores on pre-employment tests, and also (b) rate well on all other prediction methods you use.That makes a good bet for your job, career, and company.
COPYRIGHT 2008 MICHAEL MERCER, PH.D.All rights reserved.
Michael Mercer, Ph.D., is a nationally-recognized expert on pre-employment tests and hiring the best.Dr. Mercer created the widely used “FORECASTER TESTS.”His 5 books include “Hire the Best -- & Avoid the Rest.”You can get – at no charge – 14-page report on “How to Hire Winners” – plus subscribe to “Dr. Mercer’s Management Newsletter” at http://www.Pre-EmploymentTests.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Please click on the link belw to view The Wall Street Journal quoting Dr. Mercer on pre-employment tests and intervewing job candidates. http://www.careerjournal.com/columnists/qanda/obstacles/20070424-qandaobstacles.html
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