The power of right decisions: talent assessment tests and instruments

As a strategic HR partner of companies and talents in Bulgaria, Manpower’s focus follows the current needs of the market and our partners. At the beginning of 2021, this naturally led to the expansion of our portfolio with three new service segments - Labour Market Research, Talent Assessment, Training, and Workforce Development.

Rozaliya Stoilova, HR Solutions Partners Assert, a certified consultant on Harrison Assessments methodology for Debriefing and Coaching and Employee Development, will tell us more about the role of assessments of future and current employees for the success of the company and what services are included in Assert Assessment.

One of the new pillars in Manpower's portfolio is Assert Assessment. What exactly do these new services cover?

Assert Assessment adds several internationally recognized talent assessment tools and methodologies such as Harrison Assessments, Great People Inside, and Revelian to the evaluation and selection services we have long offered at Manpower. The portfolio is built around these three main tools so that it can offer something for everyone. 

Harrison Assessment has more than 30 years of research and validation history, with numerous awards and more than 2.5 million people tested worldwide. It is a tool that offers in-depth analysis of 175 factors, including behavior, personality traits, motivation, interests, preferred tasks, leadership potential, and more. We recommend such assessment analysis in the selection and development of leaders, for example.

Great People Inside offers a fully digital platform with automatic benchmarking, great customization options, and over 120 dimensions. The tests in this group are suitable for entry-level positions and low-skilled workers, and with one of our partners, we even discuss including them in the selection process for their internship program.

Our portfolio allows us to measure over 300 personal factors - from motivation for excellence, stress management, communication style, cooperativeness, and personal values, to specialized modules such as Trade Approach, Strategic Leadership Approach to Change (VUCA Leadership), and Customer Service Support).

Why is it important to evaluate talents in the selection or internal promotion processes?

The evaluation of talents, candidates, or colleagues is not a novelty on the market and its value and advantages have long been widely recognized. For anyone, even a beginner in the subject, it is clear that they help us build a comprehensive image of a person and contribute to greater objectivity when making HR decisions.

When including such tools in the selection process, the important thing is to measure the key factors for the position and the specific company situation. Companies often work on the "One size fits all" principle and use the same test, without adaptation, to assess financial analysts and business development managers, for example.

Our focus is on the specific case:

• If a position requires primarily analytical skills like data analysis, working with numbers, and developing solutions based on statistical forecasts, then we would recommend an assessment that measures that ability such as Great People Inside Working with Numbers +
• If an employee is about to be promoted to a manager position for the first time, we recommend a more in-depth personal analysis of their strengths and development areas, for example through Harrison Assessments, supported by individual coaching sessions.

This way, we do not just conduct an evaluation test, but we offer a targeted analysis depending on the needs of the company, the candidates, or the employees.

How are the assessment tests perceived by the candidates?

Including such tests in the selection process is an industry-wide best practice that many companies already apply in their HR operations. That is why fewer and fewer candidates are surprised or have concerns about assessment tests.

From personal experience, I can say that an assessment allows you to see yourself through a different perspective, clearly indicating your strengths and areas in which you have the potential for further development. The results are not only interesting but also shine a light on aspects that you may not have thought about before in a structured way.

What is important to consider when choosing an evaluation tool?

A wide range of factors is important when deciding which tool to use - the goals and expected results, the parameters of the tool itself, cost efficiency, etc.

The goals we want to achieve with the tool can range from supporting the selection process with additional information to identifying potential talents in our organization and improving group dynamics in a team.

Defining a specific goal is the starting point when selecting an evaluation tool. Depending on your goals, a professional consultant can propose specific methodologies suitable for the case.

Different methodologies can measure a different set of factors. Again, based on the objectives of the evaluation, we can decide if we need a comprehensive, in-depth analysis or a focused approach on a limited number of assessment factors would be sufficient to achieve the desired result.

Some tools place the results in general categories, such as "introvert" or "extrovert". Others measure a wide range of aspects (such as willingness to communicate, openness, diplomacy, etc.) to provide information on the balance of characteristics associated with effective communication.

Even when it comes to assessing Excel's skills, we recommend that our partners invest in a tailor-made solution to test specific skillset, as we are aware that a Financial Controller, for example, would need a very different set of Excel skills, compared to a Market Research Analyst or an Office Manager, for example.

For further question get in touch directly with our Assert Assessment expert - Rozalia Stoilova ([email protected])