Security company validates new hires through wonderlic hire results program

Choosing the best candidates, especially for key positions, is one of the most important decisions a business can make, but few recruiters have the training or experience to know what makes a great hire.

“Identifying good job candidates can be a difficult process,” says Michael Callans, made more challenging by the fact that a bad decision can cost a company hundreds of thousands of dollars in wasted training, lost productivity, and unhappy clientele. Those costs can further skyrocket if the selection process is unsubstantiated and a bias lawsuit is brought against the company for unfair hiring practices. Recognizing the financial impact of ineffective or invalid hiring practices, many companies are adding pre-employment testing to their selection process to verify that applicants have the skills and abilities to succeed.

Pre-employment testing is a proven method for reducing turnover and improving overall productivity, but if the testing is not set up correctly or the criteria for cut scores are not backed up with scientific data, Callans warns that companies may not be making the most of their investment. “When companies don’t fully understand the nature or value of their testing tools, they often let poor quality candidates through because their cut scores were set too low, or they use several tests to identify the same data,” Callans points out. “It’s an ineffective use of time and money.”

Recruiters also make the natural mistake of believing that a good candidate is right for any job; that the smarter candidates are more successful; or that any hiring test will tell them whether a candidate is a good choice. These beliefs lead to a one size fits all attitude about testing that can result in a significant waste of time and money; and an inappropriate hiring decision.

“We believe you have to fit the skills, knowledge and abilities to the specific job in a systematic scientific approach,” says Callans. “Hire Results is the progam we offer to do just that.”

Wonderlic doesn’t just sell new clients a box of tests and send them on their way. It helps every client identify the best tests and test scores through a quick but rigorous three phase evaluation process, called Hire Results. The program helps recruiters customize the selection process to meet the specific needs of the company and the position, and it delivers legal evidence to back up the decision-making process.

Getting Hire Results
In the first phase of the Hire Results program, a thorough job analysis is conducted. Consultants work with management, Subject Matter Experts, and/or representatives from key hiring divisions, to discuss each position in detail. During this step they complete a comprehensive 102-page questionnaire about the job to identify the key job competencies, based on research that defines the top 50 competencies for any job. Wonderlic then defines which skills or competencies are necessary to do the job; evaluates previous employees in the position to identify the elements that determined success or failure; and discuss the personality profile that fits that particular position (for example does it require leadership skills, communication skills or a willingness to be a team player?) Wonderlic also evaluates the criteria currently being used for candidate selection, to underscore where that process may be falling short.

With the information collected in this step Wonderlic creates a job description and profile for an ideal candidate. “This profile drives the test selection decision,” says Jennifer Garrow, Senior Consultant at Wonderlic, Inc. “You need to have a clearly defined job description and profile to know what competencies are critical to success.”

Once this data is collected they compare the candidate profile to the test offerings. Wonderlic has a vast selection of tools to measure cognitive ability, basic skills, and the personality traits directly related to job performance. Each test delivers a unique set of information about a candidate.

Consultants will narrow down the best test choice depending on the needs of the job. For example, if basic math and language skills are critical to performance, the Wonderlic Basic Skills Test, which measures number and verbal skills, will be the best choice. If the position calls for someone who must be conscientious and detail_oriented they may choose the Personality Characteristics Inventory, which measures critical traits related to job success. “This process can also help identify which tests deliver all the information you need in a single format, in order to avoid test redundancies and over-burdening potential candidates,” Garrow says.

Once the test selection is made, the tests are customized with appropriate score ranges for each position based on extensive research into the competencies and personality profiles needed to succeed in those roles. Recruiters are then trained in the proper administration and interpretation of each test and the testing program is rolled out with ongoing implementation support from Wonderlic consultants.

“The Hire Results process gives companies a course of action for testing, backed up by expertise and research,” says Callans. “It gives credibility and defensibility to their decision making process.”

It also just makes good financial sense to get guidance from experts on how to make the most of an employment testing program, says Jennifer Garrow, Senior Consultant for Wonderlic. “Hire Results enables companies to create valid testing programs, even if they don’t have the expertise on staff. It takes the guess work out of test selection, and gives recruiters documented proof to support the validity of a testing program. This is especially important if you are eliminating people from further consideration based upon test scores.”

Selecting Security Guards with Confidence
Ross Taylor, Chief of Operations for Anderson Security, a Phoenix, Arizona-based security services firm, understands the value of using a customized, validated approach to hiring. He hires security guards and he knows that every candidate he selects will be charged with guarding the lives and property of important clients. These employees represent the firm to clients in a highly critical capacity, which means there is little room for error. “Candidates must be completely trustworthy, as well as confident, reliable, and good at dealing with people,” says Taylor. Committed to providing professional services to all of its clientele, Anderson Security puts a great deal of thought and preparation into each new-hire decision. The company provides more training than is required by the state through its Anderson Security Academy, and it makes sure that every candidate accepted into the program is well qualified for the job.

Anderson Security has long relied on cognitive ability and personality testing as part of its rigorous applicant-screening process, but when Taylor joined the company in December 2003, after retiring from the Phoenix Police Department, he took a hard look at how the testing tools were working for Anderson to evaluate whether or not the testing process could be improved upon. He wanted to be sure the tools met his specific hiring needs, which is why he took advantage of Wonderlic’s Hire Results consulting program.

With the help of his Hire Results consultant, Anderson selected the Wonderlic Productivity Index (WPI), which is a measure of an individual's willingness to perform productively and cooperatively on the job, and avoid engaging in counterproductive behavior. “The WPI is great,” Taylor says. “It looks for longevity, responsibility, and courtesy, and it tells us if someone’s a job jumper or has a propensity to be a high risk person.”

To make the test even more valuable to Anderson’s recruiters, his Hire Results consultant helped Taylor create an ideal WPI test score range (customized profile) for security guards by identifying the critical job competencies for the position; measuring the level of expertise and importance of each competency; then linking those competency needs to specific scale scores on the WPI. This customized profile also alerts recruiters to potential concerns when candidates’ answers fall well outside the indicated range for a successful security guard. “Our WPI score profile very accurately reflects our needs,” he says. “We are pretty confident that if someone falls into that range they are qualified for the job.”

Taylor also implemented Wonderlic’s WebApp prescreening tool as part of the company’s recruiting process. WebApp is an automated online prescreening tool that allows candidates to learn more about the job and company and answer job-critical questions about their skills, experience and availability, before they meet with a recruiter. The first few questions in Anderson’s customized WebApp questionnaire collect general information about the applicant, such as age, driving status and criminal background. “If their answers on these questions are unacceptable they are automatically, but politely disqualified,” Taylor says. The rest of the questions are designed to help Anderson’s recruiters identify the most reliable candidates. They ask how candidates would react to a stranger entering the premises, or ask them to follow map directions.

“Sometimes the screening questions can be awkward to respond to,” Taylor says. “WebApp provides candidates with anonymity until they have successfully completed the questions, at which time they are asked for their contact information. It also saves the candidate’s time and offers flexibility because they can do it online at a convenient time for them.” If a candidate passes the WebApp screening they are invited in for an interview where they will also complete the WPI.

Since implementing the Wonderlic tests in 2004, Anderson has installed two screening cubicles in its lobby where applicants can complete the WebApp questionnaire and the WPI, and have their scores delivered immediately to HR personnel who then decide whether to interview them on the spot. “It’s all a big time savings,” Taylor says. Scores are immediately tallied so that recruiters can use results during interviews.

Wonderlic also assists Taylor with his selection, tracking and evaluation. The Wonderlic online reporting site gives Taylor instant access to the company’s Equal Opportunity Employer Company (EEOC) reports. Before implementing the Wonderlic tests, Taylor had to manually collect data on the census status of all applicants and hirees, such as their age, nationality and zip code. Now the group data is available whenever he needs it. Taylor receives monthly EEOC reports from Wonderlic and can request additional reports any time he needs group data broken down by category. “That’s a huge advantage to using Wonderlic.”

Along with saving time, Anderson can also boast of an improved turnover rate that is 1/3 of the industry average. It’s too soon to say exactly how much of their improved turnover can be attributed to the tests, but Taylor definitely sees a connection. “The Wonderlic tests are helping us hire the right people. They make the hiring decision easier for staff and they add objective support to back up their reasoning.” That’s especially valuable for new recruiters who may not have experience hiring security officers. “We are passing on the experience of the knowledgeable people in our organization who helped develop the WPI ideal profile by giving it to new recruiters,” he adds. “It will give them a roadmap for identifying the best people.”

Anderson’s low turnover rate is not uncommon for Hire Results clients. “With a targeted testing program using the right tools and scores, many Wonderlic clients have cut turnover in half, and improved the performance of the existing staff,” Garrow points out. “It’s a powerful process that delivers consistent valid results.”