COMMENTS
Great article and very helpful for our Express Screen clients. My experience has taught me that #2 is the most common when we called applicants to ask them to take the test. Now we just send one email reminder to ensure that they received the request, then we let it drop.
1. Resume evaluation
2. OMG Assessment
3. Interview.
This is the effective way of evaluating sales candidates. The Assessment provides the much-needed missing step between resume and interview that gets hiring managers past the reliance on "gut feeling" or likeability factors that traditionally lead to hiring decisions.
I've taken this Assessment. So why would only a third of eligible candidates take it? Fear is probably the most prevalent reason why a candidate would put off or ignore taking the test...they think that they know their stuff, so why would they put the results of some test that they can't control in the way of the outcome?
Are the hiring managers explaining the Assessment and its purpose to candidates? If not, then they're as guilty of manifesting this fear as the salesperson who doesn't explain to his or her prospect what's going to happen next in the process.
The quickest and most painless way of encouraging candidates to take the Assessment that I can think of is:
* explain its purpose and that you can't "fool" it--trying to "figure it out" will only skew the results and send up red flags about reliability of the results
* ask the candidate if they really do want the opportunity to work for this organization...and make it clear that in order to have that opportunity, they must take the Assessment
* explain that the results will be shared with the candidate if they are chosen for interviewing, and that they will learn a lot about the robustness of their consultative skill set. That knowledge can be very valuable.
If an employer is using the Assessment as a secret razor to separate suitable candidates from poor ones, without explaining to candidates why and what is going to happen, then it wouldn't be surprising to me that candidates are shying away from taking it. They would react by deciding that this company's management style isn't open or friendly, and move on to other opportunities--even in this economy.
Just some feedback, Dave, to contrast against your long list of potential candidate failings. Sometimes it could be the employer's fault as well.
Dave, your points are right on and I think there is two more which should be included to make it a dozen.
Sales leadership: (or not) is important. If sales people feelmit is ok to not take the assessment, what else do they consider as "optional priorities"?
Communication: crisp and positive from leaders sets the right tone for the assess,net, bad or no communication means folks will make their own judgements, which usually not accurate of the intent
@Jason - thanks for your comprehensive comment.
I agree with most of what you wrote with two exceptions:
1. The sequence - it's a waste of time to review resumes until you know who the final pool of candidates will be. So the proper sequence is Assessment, Phone Interview, Resume, Face to Face Interviews.
2. Small companies don't have the bandwidth to speak and explain the process to very candidate that sends a resume so this must be communicated through auto reply letters.
@Jim - nice to hear from you!!
Thanks for adding Sales Leadership and Communication to the list. Your two are crucial for the evaluation of the existing sales force where there cannot be an option to opt-out of the assessment.
Thanks for the added info, Dave.
I have one question, because I'm confused about the process you've stated:
How does the company attract candidates without asking for resumes? Do they just put an ad up and say "If you're interested, don't send us your resume yet but take this assessment?"
I'll have to revise my blog entry from last year about this!
@Jason - resumes arrive first but aren't reviewed until the candidate meets the subsequent criteria.
I totally agree in terms of Dave's sequence of events. I am doing a lot of phone screening and interviews for clients and I never bother looking at resumes until after the screen results are in. (I do review them briefly before the phone screen and then use them as the primary focus of the face-to face interview.) It's also interesting how many "recommended" and even "Ideal Ramp-up" candidates fail the 10 minute phone interview, making resume reviewing out of Dave's sequence an even bigger waste of time
Thanks Dave!
I see how doing it in this order would stop you from "falling in love" with certain candidates--and then ignoring the assessment results.
I figured assessing in a blanket fashion like this could get pricey, especially for a small business, so that's how I arrived at my original process.
Anyone interested in learning more about the assessment could check this page out: http://www.objectivemanagement.com/assessments-compared.htm
Dave has a good video explaining how it works.