©2004. All Rights Reserved

������������������� � �

� �����������������Little David Lee loved his new pegboard. He particularlyloved forcing that square peg into the round hole. Sure itwas difficult, but with a little effort (and the help of Dad’sshoe) he eventually got that thing to “cooperate.” The onlyproblem was by the time he finished, the square peg wasbent out of shape, the round hole didn’t look too good, andlet’s not even mention Dad’s shoe! In the end, the toy wasnot very effective for teaching David Lee his shapes.

To adults, the right solution is obvious—put the square peginto the square hole. Or, sift through the legos and tinkertoys and find the round peg. There’s no reason to destroythe toy. Yet, in the real world it seems that many peoplehave not really learned this lesson.

Take hiring for example. Companies continue to “force”people into positions they just weren’t cut out for. Theresult: employees get all bent out of shape, and yourcompany isn’t as effective as it could be. And when itcomes to hiring, the solution is nearly as simple. Put theright person in the right position.

Savvy companies employ a technique to help them betterensure the right fit. It’s called “behavioral hiring.” It’s aprocess that assists hiring managers select people who arebehaviorally suited for a particular position by analyzingboth the position and the individual. Unlike traditionalinterviews which tend to rely far too much on a simple jobdescription, behavioral hiring offers a more objectivemeans to determine if a person has the right skills andpersonality traits to succeed in a certain job.

�������������������������

������ �������������������������Never start hiring unless you clearly understand thedemands of the job opening. And this means knowingmore than just the major duties. Typically, jobdescriptions include the “hard skills”—things such asexperience, education, training, and a list of

responsibilities. However, when using behavioral hiring,defining the hard skills is just the beginning.A complete job description must also include a list of thebehavioral traits necessary to succeed in the position.After all, many people may have the physical ability toperform a job, but lack the proper personality style andtraits to do it, do it well, and be happy doing it.

People are their behaviors, and no amount of training willchange this. Unfortunately, however, many companieswaste precious time, money, and energy trying to “make”their employees fit positions they are simply notbehaviorally suited for. Instead, companies should bedetermining how to put the skills and traits of eachemployee to use, and maximizing their full potential.

To determine the traits required for a position, trybenchmarking. Examine your top employees in theposition (or a similar one), and rank the observed traits inorder of importance—some will be essential for successwhile others will just be desired.

���������������Most commonly, managers focus on locating candidateswith the right skills and experience. However, thistechnique ignores the most powerful (and overlooked)determinant of on the job success—behaviors. It is criticalto consider what traits the job requires, not necessarily thetraits you, as a hiring manager, enjoy. Many managers fallvictim to the “Halo Effect”—hiring people they like, orthose who have similar characteristics and interests. Usingthis method, you may find a “buddy,” but you’re notminimizing the risk involved with hiring.

In a behavioral hiring process, special testing andinterviewing techniques are used to uncover personalitycharacteristics and behaviors. Each candidate’s traits arethen compared against the desired profile. Rarely will youfind a perfect match, but by understanding the relativeimportance of each trait, you can find the person whooffers the best fit.

www.protocallgroup.com The Protocall Group 856-667-7500

We are all asked to “stretch” in our jobs from time totime—perform responsibilities we are not well suited for.However, if an employee is constantly stretching, andinfrequently participating in tasks that suit his or hercharacteristics, that employee will eventually break.Simply put, behavioral incompatibility is the mostoverlooked reason for job dissatisfaction and employeeturnover.

So where do you start? Assess the hard skills first. Then,once qualified candidates are identified, soft skills arestudied to validate the person’s willingness to do the job.Here are some of the techniques used for traits analysis:

!������"#���������The moment candidates walk in your door, they’reexhibiting their personality. Ask co-workers for feedback,and note their observations. Is the candidate outgoing orshy? Does she appear to be organized? How well doesshe relate to those with whom she comes into contact? Ifthe characteristics your co-workers’ observed contradictsthose that the candidate claims to possess, “yellow flag”the candidate. And don’t forget to ask your receptionistabout the candidate. Sometimes the receptionist sees awhole different side of a person.

����������$�%����Many good personality tests have been developed toevaluate behavioral traits. But be aware, personality testsdon't produce answers; they produce a profile of leadingindicators about someone. Once you’ve tested anindividual, use the profile to supplement or confirm whatyou learned through your personal observations.

Also, it’s not a bad idea to have a candidate fill out an"interest analysis." Discovering the types of activitiessomeone partakes in off-the-job is a window into how theymight perform on-the-job.

�������������������& ��Develop a structured set of interview questions that askpeople about past behaviors. Ask candidates to describe,in detail, specific situations which exhibit the traits you’reseeking. Watch out for the “professional interviewers”—people who can expertly discuss theories, but can’t point to

specific, personal examples. If the interviewee is unable tothink of an example for a certain trait, it probably indicatesthat he or she does not possess it. Be sure to probe fordetails—ask the interviewee how he or she felt and reactedin the given situation. If someone naturally possesses aparticular trait, they’ll easily and clearly describe pastsituations.

%�������������������������������Organizations often develop skills tests for candidates, sowhy not for personality traits? For example, if a positionrequires that someone be organized and have the ability tohandle multiple functions, create an “in-box” test thatrequires the candidate to sift through a “days work” ofmaterial and determine which tasks should be tackled first.Similarly, if the position requires the employee to beassertive, yet relate well to others, put them in a situationwhere they can only accomplish a task by gaining thecooperation of others.

������������'���(��)�� �$�#�����*Many hiring managers wrongly assume that training,incentives, and disciplinary action will change people whoare not doing the job right. With time, many people canchange their behavior, but quite simply, most won't.Behavioral hiring says “let’s not concern ourselves withteaching an old dog a new trick. Let’s find a ‘dog’ whosincerely likes to do the tricks we need.” If you start withthe right person, management is infinitely easier.

Remember, there is no such thing as a good or badbehavioral style, but there are a lot of people in the wrongjob. Companies must find employees who fit all aspects ofthe position—skills and behavioral traits. And, the bestway to predict future behavior is to look at past behavior.By incorporating behavioral based questions and tests inthe screening process, companies can greatly lessen thelikelihood of a bad hire and put themselves in a morecompetitive position.

So, stop pounding those square pegs into round holes!

www.protocallgroup.com The Protocall Group 856-667-7500