New Report Discusses the Role of Assessments in
Predicting Exceptional Employee Performance and Retention

Harrison Assessments™ produces key measures leading to better employee performance and retention, says Impact Achievement Group

SEATTLE – April 9, 2008 – Superior employee performance and retention depends on hiring the right employees. It is often stated that employees are hired for eligibility and fired for suitability. Companies measuring suitability at the point of hire will reap the benefits of employee productivity and commitment.

According to a new positioning paper from Impact Achievement Group, companies can measure levels of candidates’ suitability, rather than just traditional eligibility factors, using tools like the Harrison Assessment™ at the point of hire.

Most companies set minimum requirements for open positions, but they only rule out those who don’t meet the criteria. What’s left open is how to quantify the level of eligibility of the remaining candidates.

Compounding this lack of information, most organizations pay little attention to determining a critical factor – the suitability of remaining candidates.

In his positioning paper "Best Practices in Assessment Drive Performance, Development and Retention," Dr. Dan Harrison documents the most critical criteria to consider in applying assessments to talent management best practices. Download for free.

"Most hiring processes examine components of eligibility (education, previous experience, skills, abilities or certifications) and occasionally try to assess suitability. Suitability is very difficult to assess with interview questions, so having an instrument specifically designed for this purpose is key," said Lee Klepinger, president of Impact Achievement Group, which exclusively uses the Harrison Assessment® with clients. "We know of no similar instrument that compares candidates’ suitability for a position in the comprehensive and predictive way that Harrison’s instrument does."

While personality assessments are often considered in recruitment scenarios, the Harrison Assessment is a predictive "job behavior" assessment. It provides valuable data for measuring suitability levels such as attitude, motivation, integrity, interests, work preferences, fit with the company culture, as well as fit with the manager.

Once an employee is hired, the Harrison Assessment data becomes an integral part of further development and engagement.

"The Harrison Assessment is a great tool in helping people understand the importance of balance and how what they say and do ultimately impacts others and the organization," said Lillian Bynum, vice president of human resources, Delicato Family Vineyards. "The Harrison helps participants understand how others operate and builds unity around that understanding instead of opposition."

Bynum added that the Harrison provides participants a plan to leverage strengths and build up weaknesses to increase their personal effectiveness (inward reward), and the effectiveness of the leadership and management team (outward reward) to achieve company goals. The Harrison is also a great tool for Delicato managers to use when coaching their direct reports. It lessens the emphasis of what the manager thinks about the person and places more emphasis on how the person’s preferences are viewed by others—a much easier discussion.

More detailed information on the Harrison Assessment Profile is available as a complementary download.

About Impact Achievement Group

Impact Achievement Group provides assessment, coaching, customer loyalty and leadership development training that focuses on employee selection, retention, employee engagement and customer engagement. By integrating and blending the world's best assessment and recruiting processes, workshops and eLearning training, coaching and measurement programs, Impact Achievement Group helps organizations improve human performance to achieve bottom line results.