HR Tips - May 01, 2005

Ann Bauer

Measuring the Quality of Good Hires

What about job performance? In some jobs, such as production or piece-work or even sales, it may be much easier to evaluate performance than in managerial and professional jobs. In managerial and professional positions there may be more noticeable lag-times between what people do and noteworthy results.

Economic conditions, budgets, and staffing problems may all contribute to an individual’s job performance. These factors provide many more opportunities for measurement error. Evaluating employee quality under these conditions requires a different tool, such as knowing how to evaluate both results and the behaviors that lead to the results.

A third important factor to consider when evaluating quality of hire begins with the question, did the job description provide an accurate job target? Many job requisitions come from manager discussions and basic job descriptions. How often does this data provide the comprehensive information a recruiter needs to define job requirements? Managers usually know more about results than they do about performance. So, in addition to talking with managers, you must interview jobholders to learn what the job really requires. With this knowledge you can then make a trustworthy evaluation of what the Client’s position truly involves.

In order to honestly measure Quality-of Hire you must come full circle with the entire recruiter/client relationship. The mutual respect of the recruiter and client depends on their ability to make strategic people contributions and making contributions requires measuring quality of hire. Measuring Quality of Hire depends on having accurate job targets and solid candidate evaluation tools.

About Granite Solutions Groupe

Granite Solutions Groupe (Granite) is a San Francisco based recruiting firm that specializes in recruiting and placing highly-skilled senior-level Project Managers, Business Analysts and IT Managers at global firms throughout the financial services and IT Market. Contact them online at www.granitesolutionsgroupe.com.