(from the Biddle Consulting Group Storify account)
Hire for Skills or Attitude?
January 26, 2012 By
This interesting Forbes article poses the question:
“Should you hire for skills or attitude?”
http://www.forbes.com/sites/billfischer/2012/01/25/want-innovation-hire-for-skills-not-attitude
Our answer: “Why not hire for both?”
With a holistic pre-employment testing approach you can test the whole person including their job related hard skills, soft skills (interpersonal competence) and personality.
As organizations begin to look at their job applicants in a more “holistic” manner, they realize that these applicants are really much more than the mere sum of their abilities. They are, in fact, a combination of skill, ability, knowledge, desire, attitude, personality, and much more. The key to selecting the right ones is to be able to tap into the applicant and gain a “holistic” view of who they are and how hiring them may potentially affect the organization.
If you’re interested in reading more about this, take a look at these two links:
- http://www.opac.com/testing-key-aspects
- http://www.ournexthire.com/skills-ability-testing/nursing-assessments-a-holistic-approach
Upcoming Trade Shows – Meet the Team!
January 20, 2012 By
If you are attending either of these shows, we’d love to meet you! Stop by and say “hello!”
California School Personnel Commissioners Association (CSPCA) Conference
January 27-28, 2012
San Diego, CA
Western and California Business Education Association (WBEA/CBEA) Joint Conference
February 18, 2012
Newport Beach, CA
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
January 14, 2012 By
“I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” the last speech given by Martin Luther King, was shared in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 3, 1968. The next day King was assassinated. Here’s an excerpt:
Something is happening in Memphis; something is happening in our world. And you know, if I were standing at the beginning of time, with the possibility of taking a kind of general and panoramic view of the whole of human history up to now, and the Almighty said to me, “Martin Luther King, which age would you like to live in?” I would take my mental flight by Egypt…Greece…Roman Empire…the Renaissance…I would come on up even to 1863, and watch a vacillating President by the name of Abraham Lincoln finally come to the conclusion that he had to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. But I wouldn’t stop there…Strangely enough, I would turn to the Almighty, and say, “If you allow me to live just a few years in the second half of the 20th century, I will be happy.” from “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” by Martin Luther King, Jr.
“I Have a Dream”, perhaps King’s most well known speech, was delivered in Washington, DC, August 28, 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. King was there participating in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The March and “I Have a Dream” were instrumental in the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Here’s a portion of his inspirational words:
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today! from “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King, Jr.
[Audio and Full Text of "I Have a Dream"]
In observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, our office will be closed on Monday, January 16.
Happy Holidays!
December 23, 2011 By
Our office will be closed on Monday, December 26th and January 2nd.
We hope you have a wonderful holiday season and a truly happy New Year!
Adam Agard, Proud Dad!
October 28, 2011 By
Adam, OPAC senior account executive, is one proud dad. Not only is his 5 year old son brilliant and very cute but he’s also one heck of a runner. Recently, little Andrew participated in a jog-a-thon to raise money to buy computers and other technology for his elementary school. Andrew is in Kindergarten and everything is fun and exciting – even running laps.
Running is fun!
“Every time Andrew ran past me, he would give me & his mom a ‘thumbs up’.
It was very cute, ” commented Adam.
Several of us were pleased to participate in the school’s jog-a-thon, too. No…we didn’t run, but we gave pledges on behalf of Andrew. We were happy to support both Andrew and a local elementary school.
By the way, Andrew finished with 8 laps – we figure that’s close to 2 miles! Way to go, Andrew!
3 Online Resources for Business, Technology & Vocational Teachers
October 11, 2011 By
Educators, this one’s for you. Here are 3 great resources for teaching your students.
www.MoneyInstructor.com
“Teach and learn basic money skills, personal finance, money management, business education, career, life skills and more with lesson plans, worksheets, and interactive lessons including counting money, coins and bills, spending, saving, investing, check writing and checking, budgeting, basic economics and finance lessons. Tools and information to help educators teach money and money management, business, the economy, and investing.”
-from MoneyInstructor.com
Microsoft in Education -Teacher Resources
“Find lesson plans, free tools, training, and other information for teachers to make the best use of technology in the classroom.”
-from Microsoft in Education
“Free self-directed and paid online courses on writing, grammar, journalism, multimedia storytelling, and more.”
What online resource would you add to the list?
Choosing a Pre-employment Testing Solution
September 14, 2011 By
Over at Forbes.com, Lisa Quast posted an informative article titled “Pre-employment testing: A helpful way for companies to screen applicants”.
Along with defining what a pre-employment test is, how to use pre-employment assessments and discussing the key issues of test validity and reliability, Ms. Quast also gives the following helpful tips on using pre-employment testing:
- “Choose the right tests and certify validity and reliability
- Ensure tests meet all EEO laws
- Conduct thorough research if purchasing tests from outside companies
- Avoid test questions of an overly personal nature or that are considered offensive
- Do not rely solely on test results to choose candidates”
With Ms. Quast’s tips in mind, and after considering the needs of your company, ask your pre-employment testing sales representative these questions:
EEO HR Software & Consulting Since 1974
- What tests do you offer? Is your testing solution reliable and valid? How were the assessments developed and tested?
- Does your company have a thorough knowledge of the EEO laws? Was your pre-employment testing solution created with the EEO laws in mind?
- Do you have a fully functional demo that I can use? Will you walk through the software with me?
- Do you have a test writer function? Does your company have the resources and consulting expertise to assist us in developing our own questions and tests if we need to?
- What type of customer service support do you offer?
Employers can increase the likelihood of hiring high-quality candidates by using pre-employment tests to help screen and select the best candidates for jobs. Administered correctly, pre-employment testing can help companies save time and cost in the selection process, decrease turnover, increase productivity, and improve morale. Even though screening tests are occasionally challenged in court, companies can reduce their legal risk by ensuring test validity and reliability, by making sure tests do not cause disparate impact on minorities or protected groups, and by consistently applying tests to all candidates.
Lisa Quast, Pre-employment testing: A helpful way for companies to screen applicants
