Business Plan Sample 123

Employee Benchmarking

COVER PAGE

 

 

Authors:

 

 

1.     Mr.SachinKumar.N.N, serves as Faculty in Management, MIM-MBA, Koppal, Karnataka State and India.

 

Email sachin_naravani@yahoo.co.in

 

 

2.     Dr.M.M.Bagali, PhD, – Dean and Professor in

          Management in Indian Academy School of Management

          Studies at Bangalore, Karnataka State and India.

 

Email sanbag@rediffmail.com

 

Subject – Management and Related area – Human Resources.

 

 

Employee Benchmarking: A Strategic Tool for tracking Core Competency

 

 

 

Abstract

 

 

Employee and staff benchmarking will enable you to ’clone’ your best people by identifying the behavioral qualities and capabilities of those who perform well.  Using Thomas behavioral assessment and aptitude and ability test are able to paint a clear picture of what makes their top people just that. This not only identifies the best people to be on the job, but it also helps to track the person’s contributions for the company.

 

Introduction

 

 

Poor recruitment decisions and the poor methodology have huge cost implications on the bottom line of a business, in terms of both money and other less tangible factors such as morale and motivation.

 

A benchmark is effectively a continuous improvement process that uses systematic standards to raise and maintain high performance standards, against which new employees can be assessed and selected.  Business benchmarking can identify the behaviors and aptitudes that make a top performer just that performance to reach at.

 

 

Staff and employee benchmarking can:

• Help your managers identify and select your top performers
• Assess what makes your top performers the best and why others struggle
• Reduce costly recruitment errors
• Reduce staff turnover, and retention issues.
• Achieve sales objectives
• Encourage higher standards
• Develop a better understanding between team workers
• The morale level to be high
• The engagement of employees is high

Employee benchmarking: A way to implement

 

A benchmark can be used to assess a sample group of people doing a similar job. The process involves a behavioral assessment and aptitude and ability tests of each person within the sample. The results are compared to actual performance.

 

As part of this process the company needs to assess its organizational performance. It is up to the individual company to decide how it should do this but it should use areas with measured performance levels. These could include:

• Ability to achieve budget and plans
• Ability to achieve sales budgets
• Ability to provide customer service, care and advice
• Communication skills
• Leadership skills

The performance of each person in the sample is then ranked, based on the company’s agreed parameters for organizational performance. This agreed parameters are identified, developed and put in practice over a period of assessment, per se. Typically 25 per cent of the sample should be from top performers, 50 per cent from fully acceptable performers and 25 per cent from poor performers.

 

Aptitude Testing

 

An aptitude assessment measures a person’s fluid intelligence – how quickly they can learn and retain new skills and procedures. Aptitude tests are an accurate and reliable predictor of a person’s development potential.

 

Academic achievement whilst undoubtedly playing a large part in selection decisions is not a truly effective measure of a person’s mental ability and potential. Aptitude testing offers a more objective way to assess a candidate’s abilities.

 

Aptitude tests can provide the answers to question such as:

• Can this person think on their feet?
• Can they cope with the mental demands of the job?
• Is he/she a Out of Box thinking
• Can he/she do a break through outcome
• Could this person be a high flyer?
• Is this person a problem solver?

 

 

Assessments that evaluate aptitude, personality tests and ability measurements will arm you with the information needed to make objective and balanced recruitment and development decisions.

 

Using an aptitude assessment, test or measurement can have a radical impact on your business success. 

Where can you use an aptitude assessment?

 

Aptitude assessments can be used in succession planning and development as well as recruitment. It can assist in the resolution of issues across the organization such as: high staff turnover, poor performance, ineffective management, succession planning, poor communication, selection and development.

 

What do aptitude tests measure?

 

These tests are designed to measure your potential rather than your knowledge. Infact, it measures the aptitude, i.e. the core interest of the person. They commonly include verbal, numerical and reasoning tests. For example numerical tests are designed to measure how quickly and deftly your mind can manipulate numbers – not how accurately you can do algebra or quadratic equations.

 

An individual’s aptitude profile can tell you if that person is likely to be able to think on their feet and cope with the mental demands of the job.

 

The results are used to give employers an objective assessment of a candidate’s abilities, and to enable fair comparisons between candidates.

 

One of the best aptitude test can be from Thomas Test a famous HR consultant of UK

 

Thomas General Intelligence Test (GIA) / Test for Selection and Training (TST)

 

Thomas has developed two aptitude and ability assessment tools that can be used to measure a person’s fluid intelligence: Thomas GIA, an online aptitude test that can be completed online, in real time, under invigilation and Thomas TST, a pencil and paper based ability test.

 

 

 

Online aptitude testing and ability testing are an accurate and reliable way to predict a person’s development potential – how quickly they can learn and retain new skills and procedures.

 

Academic achievement whilst undoubtedly playing a large part in selection decisions is not a truly effective measure of a person’s mental ability and potential. GIA and TST are a series of ‘ability’ rather than ‘intelligence’ tests and include: reasoning, perceptual speed, number speed and accuracy, spatial visualization and word meaning.

 

 

Aptitude and ability assessment can provide answers to questions such as:

• Can this person think on their feet?
• Can they cope with the mental demands of the job?
• Could this person be a high flyer?
• Is this person a problem solver?
• To what degree can this person respond to training?

 

The overall percentile is a weighted combination of Perceptual Speed, Number Speed & Accuracy, Reasoning, Word Meaning and Spatial Visualization. The overall percentile is an estimate of the candidate’s general intelligence, reflecting both fluid and crystallized intelligence. Its accent is on response to training, mental

Processing speed, concentration and fast track potential.

 

The results of Tom Thomas are in the middle of the norm range. This suggests a standard ability to pick up new skills and abilities. He will be able to absorb new information and the time taken to respond to changing environments will be typical. The ability to process new information is likely to be average.

 

The Reasoning Test assesses the ability to make inferences, to reason from information provided and to draw correct conclusions. This test assesses the ability of an individual to hold information in his short-term memory and solve problems after receiving either verbal or written instructions. A high score would suggest fluent verbal reasoning skills.

 

The Perceptual Speed Test assesses the capacity to recognize details in the environment, incorporating the perception of inaccuracies in written material, numbers and diagrams, the ability to ignore irrelevant information, to identify similarities and differences in visual configurations. This test assesses how quickly and accurately an individual can check and report for error/accuracy. It is a test of semantic encoding and perception. A high score would suggest the ability to: mentally match the features of letters and the meaning of symbols. It would also indicate the ability to detect misfits.

 

Spatial Visualization Test:

 

The Spatial Visualization Test assesses the ability to create and manipulate mental images of objects. This test correlates well with tests of mechanical reasoning and assesses an individual’s ability to use mental visualization skills to compare shapes. It relates to the ability to work in environments where visualization skills are prerequisites for understanding and executing tasks. It assesses the suitability of an individual for tasks such as design work, where the individual must visualize how shapes and patterns fit together to form a whole.

 

INTERVIEWER NOTES

 

 

The following notes are given as a specific reminder to interviewers of some of the principle factors relating to GIA testing as detailed at Thomas GIA training seminars. These points are vital.

 

1. Chance Levels – are indicated by a warning on the screen. It is essential to ask questions to find out reasons for any poor test performance, especially if the other test scores are high. If there are doubts about whether the person has had an adequate understanding of test instructions, then a complete re-test is a possibility provided that such a decision does not give an unfair advantage to someone who is initially a low scorer for other reasons. Alternatively it may be best to assess the candidate on evidence other than that provided by the test programmed. In all such cases great care is needed in interpreting the overall percentile.

 

2. Pronounced Highs and Lows – When the profile of test scores shows one or more pronounced highs or lows, and then some inconsistency in performance is evident. A skillfully conducted interview should try to find out the reason for discrepancies, without upsetting the candidate by inadvertently suggesting that a “low” score is a failure. In many cases it is not. Where a low score is probed to find out if it can be explained satisfactorily, the interview must be tactfully handled to avoid giving the impression that a single test has been sufficient to disqualify the person for a job or impair his development potential. In most instances such should not be the case. When evaluating pronounced highs and lows, the individual tests should be looked at carefully and employers should decide whether slow, careful unsupervised work is preferable to faster more error-laden task completion.

 

3. General Recommendations on Fair Practice

 

a) Explain procedures and practices before administering the GIA and ensure that the candidate understands.

b) Never offer test results as the reason for non-acceptance. c) In the event of any person declaring a cultural/linguistic and/or specific disability disadvantage, use the GIA as a screen without prejudice to the rest of the process. d) Tests and inventories should never be used in isolation to justify redundancy decisions. Such use could be construed as unfair.

 

 

To Summarize the GIA AND TST test’s

 

What is GIA/TST?

 

GIA and TST are normed aptitude and ability assessments that provide an objective and fair way to measure response to learning, fluid intelligence, fast track potential, rate of learning and the ability to hit the ground running.

 

How are they administered?

 

GIA is an online aptitude test and can be administered remotely or under invigilation via the internet. TST is a pencil and paper based test.

 

What does an ability test measure?

 

It measures fluid intelligence. This is pure intellectual speed, reflecting the efficiency of the flow of information through the brain and is assessed by the ability to solve novel problems efficiently. Does the person have the core competency, which match the job requirements is what ability test measure.

 

What will the assessments tell me?

Ability testing can assess:

• Fluid intelligence
• Response to learning
• Mental processing speed
• Fast track potential
• Mental horsepower
• Rate of learning and style of learning
• Concentration
• Ability to hit the ground running

What is the organizational challenges ability assessment and online aptitude testing can help me with?

• High turnover
• Poor performance
• Un-cohesive teams
• Ineffective training
• Ineffective management
• Succession planning
• Poor communication
• Screening
• Creating a talent pool
• Personal development plans

Thomas Personal Profile Analysis (PPA) – Psychometric Test

 

Personal Profile Analysis

 

Thomas International has been providing businesses with work personality profiling for nearly 30 years. Personal Profile Analysis (PPA) provides an insight into how people behave at work answering questions such as – what are their strengths and limitations. Are they self starters? How do they communicate? What motivates them?

 

Self Image

 

A consistent worker who prefers to be a member of a team, he is capable of applying himself to most tasks once he knows what is required. He is able to do detailed work, but does not necessarily enjoy it. Mr. Sample has good communication skills and the drive to achieve. His overall approach is personable, friendly and patient. He dislikes loose ends, preferring to see each task through to its logical conclusion before moving on to the next one. It is unlikely that this person will rush in, preferring to organize himself and obtain a thorough understanding of the job before starting. Mr. Sample is a self-starter, although not necessarily a quick one and it may be necessary to provide short-cut methods to enable him to get started. However, once he starts, he applies himself with great tenacity. Loyalty and sincerity are natural attributes, valued by this person in others. He has strong opinions and is difficult to persuade when his mind is made up. He can often frustrate others who are of a more flexible nature by his reluctance to change course or adapt quickly. Mr. Sample wants to know what is expected of him. Basically kind and appreciative, his feelings can be hurt despite his rather independent attitude. He is good at servicing and displays a lot of follow-through. He is team/group oriented and has a strong need to belong.

 

 

Self Motivation

 

Mr. Sample is driven to organize. He likes to know where he is going and what he is doing. He needs to be able to identify with the organization and has an inherent need to feel secure.

 

Job Emphasis

 

Organizing and leading

 

The job should provide some form of security, as well as a chance to lead and apply him to a task. There should be responsibility to see a job through and to get on with it. The working environment should be structured. The tasks can be routine but not low level. Change should be discussed and not “come out of the blue”.

 

How do personality profiles work?

 

Thomas’ Personal Profile Analysis is a series of 24 forced choice questions, taking no more than 7-8 minutes to complete.  The individual taking the personality profile/test selects one adjective most like them and one least like them.

 

How valid is a personal profile?

 

Personal Profile Analysis has received a Certification of Registration from the British Psychological Society (BPS) to confirm it meets all requirements for use as a psychological tool. 

 

Seven to eight minutes, is it thorough?

 

Very. The results are an extremely accurate and in-depth reflection of an individual’s work style providing over 20 different report options.

 

Does it show ‘good’ and ‘bad’ qualities?

 

No. It provides an understanding of how a person prefers to behave at work and the characteristics they will demonstrate.  There are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer or ‘good’ or ‘bad’ qualities.

 

 

 

 

 Why would you use personality profiling?

 

It is a tool the enables you to confirm and back up the informed decision making process.

 

Can personality profiling solve HR issues?

 

PPA can provide objective and accurate behavioral based data so that more informed decisions can be made. With a choice of over 20 different reports, our personality profiles provide extensive and diverse information specific to the issue at hand.

 

 

PPA has received a Certificate of Registration from the British Psychological Society (BPS) to confirm it meets all psychometric requirements for use as a psychological tool.  Thomas is also a founder member of the Business Test Publishers Association (BTPA) dedicated to improving the quality of published assessments.

 

Why do you need personality profiles?

 

• Provide an accurate overview of your work behavioral preferences.
• They give you the self awareness to consolidate your working strengths and compensate for your limitations.
• Can be used to modify your communication style for greater effect.
• Used to understand the impact your behavioral preferences have on your work colleagues.

How will personality profiling help my business?

 

Whilst people remain the heart of a business it is their interaction with one another that can impede the flow of work and productivity.  Personality clashes are a major cause of breakdown in team communication and good will.

 

Thomas’ Personal Profile Analysis enables people to become more aware of their work style. Only by improving their self awareness will they have the means to consolidate their working strengths and compensate for their behavioral limitations.

 

 

Benefits of the Personal Profile Analysis

 

• Fast, accurate and cost effective
• Takes only 7-8 minutes
• Eliminates the need for guesswork
• Enables more effective people management

 

Conclusion: Employee benchmarking is a tool which will help the organization to look at apt employee, select the right person for the right job, and helps the organization to for the core competent person. While, the standards of benchmarking have to be high, the organization needs to be careful when applying the parameters for the levels of employees it wants to put.

 

References

 

 

1.     Thomasinternationalarena.net

 

 

2.     123.jobs.com

 

   

3.     Jobsinfo.com

 

 

4.     Human resources development by Garry Dessler

 

 

5.     ExpertHumanresources.com

 

 

6.     Jobshr.com

 

 

     7. Abouthr.com

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