Mr. Walner

Human Resources, Recruitment & Training

Attitude Can Predict Who will Remain On the Job

By Doug Walner, President & CEO, Psychological Services, Inc.

In the hotel industry, customer service positions require exceptional interpersonal skills. The ability to deal with a wide range of personalities--he flexibility to adapt quickly to changing situations and patience are key.

When hiring for these positions, it can be difficult to get a clear sense of a candidate's true fit for the position at hand - most people put their best foot forward during job interviews, but do they really have the capabilities and characteristics needed to be successful on the job? And, if you do hire whom you consider to be the right candidate, can you have any assurance that he or she will remain on the job?

According to a survey reported in the Wall Street Journal, 34% of all application forms contain outright lies about experience, education, and ability to perform essential functions on the job. As many as 30% of jobseekers exaggerate their accomplishments, and about 10% "seriously misrepresent" their background(1). Another survey noted that nearly one-third of job applicants listed dates of employment that were inaccurate by more than three months.(2)

As these statistics suggest, sometimes traditional hiring methods are not enough to "hire for keeps"-- that is, identifying and employing the candidate who is the best fit for the job. Interviews and reference/background checks are useful forms of recruitment. However, a more comprehensive approach to hiring - using, for example, pre-employment testing and assessment tools --can help reduce the risk of employee turnover and increase retention of quality employees, which could end up saving you money and time in the long run.

Why 'Hire For Keeps'?

For management positions, identifying the people who have the most potential and right attitudes is especially important. An impressive resume and the ability to interview well doesn't necessarily mean the candidate possesses all of the qualities necessary to be successful -which is one of the reasons for going beyond traditional interview processes to ensure you're investing in the right people, especially those in management positions. Investing time and financial resources into really knowing whom it is you are hiring can provide long-term results through increased employee retention and overall customer/employee satisfaction. For example, many surveys say that the number one issue facing business is finding and keeping good employees. Nationally, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports an average annual employee turnover rate for all companies is 23.2 percent.

Employee turnover costs can be extremely high. The estimated cost of losing an employee is equivalent to the employee's salary multiplied by 1.5 (including costs of recruiting, relocating, and retraining a replacement). Mis-hiring a manger making $60,000 a year, for example, could cost a company $90,000. These are expenses, however, that can be avoided with the right planning and hiring techniques.

At Your Service

Investing in tools to find quality candidates can help avoid costly employee turnover and unsatisfied hotel guests. For positions in administrative support and service occupations, tools that assess personality traits play an important role. Customer-service orientation, interpersonal communication, and the ability to get along with people in stressful situations are examples of key traits that are important to assess. These traits can be more important than formal training or secondary education.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, customer service positions have the highest average turnover rate-a reported 52.2% for the Leisure and Hospitality sector, and 56.4% in the Accommodations and Food Services sector(3). In efforts to attract and retain workers, the hotel and other accommodation industries are placing more emphasis on hiring by utilizing objective assessment tools. Assessments for guest service positions typically focus on fundamental skills such as quick problem solving, but, they can also reveal a person's "people skills" and whether that person is courteous, cooperative, attentive and helpful.

For these types of positions, an effective assessment solution is the Viewpoint Series published by PSI. This series was designed to help employers find high quality, conscientious, service-oriented employees, using a brief survey instrument that can be administered in just 20 to 30 minutes. The Viewpoint series covers four major areas - work, service, sales and tenure, allowing employers to tailor the assessment to measure competencies that are most critical to their organizations; for example, the likelihood that a candidate will be reliable and dependable, their trust worthiness, and if they tend to thrive in fast-paced/demanding work environments. One assessment tool in that series, PSI's TenureView, measures a candidate's work ethic or commitment to the job as reflected by stated intentions and attitudes toward the value of hard work and responsibility, as well as his/her understanding of the position and its relevance to career goals-- all factors that are important for working with people in guest service positions.

Executive, Management and Key Contributors - High-Stakes Hiring

While the Viewpoint series has been proven effective in providing a concise snapshot of candidate potential, a more in-depth assessment is available for professional, managerial, and executive positions. These are the roles in your organization that are critical to its success, and where hiring decisions could potentially "make or break" your business. In these situations, an in-depth assessment is not only helpful--it's critical.

A valuable resource for in-depth candidate assessment is the individual assessment service provided by PSI. Unlike "off the shelf" assessments, PSI's individual assessment service offers a powerful combination of professional staff, assessment tools and technology delivery. These assessments provide a comprehensive profile of a candidate's personality, motivation, interests, and intellectual resources - all analyzed by a psychologist.

For professional positions we recommend the JobFit Appraisal System, which provides concise feedback on the candidate's suitability for the particular job. JobFit is typically used with jobs having considerable independent decision making responsibilities, roles with significant customer contact, and influence.

Another recommendation for those in managerial roles is the Management Assessment Profile or "MAP" which can be used at a later stage in recruitment or before a promotion. The MAP is often used when recruiting candidates for management and critical professional roles, and is especially well suited to the hospitality industry. One of our clients, a major southern California resort company, for example, has employed the MAP in their recruitment for Senior Manager and Marketing positions in the company.

Finding Those 'Keepers' - It's good for business

Identifying and retaining high quality employees not only increases the return on investment in training and development - it adds to the stability of your business and the quality of your guests' experience which will directly impact customer satisfaction.

Gathering as much information about the candidate as possible to support a hiring decision is worth the investment. Assessment testing can help supplement the hiring process, providing a more comprehensive approach that allows you to make better-informed decisions on which candidates to hire - A staff full of 'keepers' will have lasting effects on overall customer satisfaction and ultimately, your bottom line.

Doug Walner drives the goals and day-to-day operations of PSI. With nearly fifteen years of experience and expertise in the technology sector, Walner was appointed President in 2002 and CEO of PSI in 2005. Under his leadership, PSI has developed and introduced ATLAS™, a technology platform which provides comprehensive examination administration services, and web-based pre-employment selection products and management assessment tools. PSI has experienced revenue and profitability growth during his tenure. Walner received his Bachelor or Arts degree in History from Tulane University. Mr. Walner can be contacted at 818-847-6180 or doug@psionline.com Extended Bio...

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