The other week I had the pleasure of attending the Human Resources Professionals of Newfoundland & Labrador’s Annual General Meeting.

Don Stevens, General Manager of Vale’s Long Harbour Processing Plant was presenting on Vale’s leading high performance work system.  One of the things that Don emphasized was how Vale uses assessments at the front end of its employee selection process.

For its Long Harbour Project, Vale currently administers assessments that measure verbal reasoning, mathematical aptitude, and mechanical aptitude. This enables Vale to pre-screen candidates based on the competencies they need to be successful; and only perform face-to-face interviews with candidates that score highly on their selected assessments.

Finding the ‘right employee’ for the ‘right role’ at the ‘right time’ can be a challenging task.  One way to increase the probability of success involves administering assessments to your preferred job candidate.

The right assessment depends on the position you are filling, what competencies are required, and the behaviours and attributes common to an individual who succeeds in this role. For example, if you are hiring an accountant, it is important that the individual have a strong attention to detail, work well under stress, be honest, have sound professional judgement, etc.

Employee assessments are also an excellent tool for employee learning and development.  Often the reports outline specific behaviours that plays to strengths and weaknesses; and serve to increase awareness among employees of why they behave and communicate in the style that they do; and how others with ‘different’ preferences may act and think differently based on their preferences.

Assessments Can Measure…

  • Personality Dimensions
  • Leadership Attributes
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Sales Potential
  • Customer Service Excellence
  • Management Skills
  • Cognitive Ability
  • Conflict Resolution Preferences
  • Occupation Specific Aptitude
  • MS Office Skills
  • Data Entry Skills
  • Attitude Preferences
  • Mechanical Aptitude

Contact Higher Talent for more information on Assessments.