Keys to Assessment Success
June 2009
Ken Lahti, Ph.D.

Frontline Leadership Crucial to Employee Trust and Productivity

As the nation and the world faces a crisis of faith in organizational leadership and jobs are being slashed daily, assessing those who manage and lead becomes critically important. After all, frontline leaders work directly with customer-facing employees, and they're responsible for keeping the workforce engaged — and rebuilding eroded trust.

With this kind of pressure, it can be difficult for talent managers to have confidence they are choosing the most effective leaders. What kinds of processes and tools consistently give the best information? Can we really predict who can, and will, step up and become a good leader?

Surprisingly, yes. It is possible for talent managers to get a complete and immediate picture of employees being hired for or moving into frontline leadership roles, and this can be done efficiently and cost effectively through smart science and advanced technology.

Utilize Innovative New Solutions
There are many tools available for talent measurement, and they keep getting better. A March study by Aberdeen Group, "Assessments in Talent Management," reported the following use of assessment tools by best in class organizations:

• 78 percent for skills and knowledge.
• 69 percent for behaviors and attributes.
• 56 percent for cognitive/critical thinking.
• 51 percent used a whole-person approach — bundled tests for specific jobs that combine behavioral, cognitive, skills and experience.

The most recent and advanced leadership assessments are administered online and are built to evaluate multiple leadership competencies including coaching skills, prioritizing and decision making, thoroughness and sense of duty. The best assessments include multiple testing technologies, combining cognitive ability and personality tests, predictive "biodata" or experience measures, and even simulations. These factors combine to provide a holistic and highly predictive view of candidates' leadership potential.

Innovative technology, such as the latest in computer adaptive testing (CAT), makes the tests even more accurate and secure by tailoring questions to a candidate's personality trait and ability levels. The incorporation of online simulations provides a cost effective measurement of key interpersonal traits.