Aptitude diagnostics with the competency-based interview- accurate personnel selection for you!

What makes the difference?

What is important to you in practice is just how accurate personnel selection differs from less accurate selection procedures.

The answer lies in more than 100 years of successful research into so-called aptitude diagnostics: to make a precise selection, the decision maker requires a clear structure within the selection process as well as a distinct description of the requirements directly related to the position. All instruments in the selection process, especially the interview, must directly refer to these requirements.

General questions (“your strengths, your weaknesses?”) are nothing to go by because the answers cannot be compared to the requirements.

For accurate selection, it is still imperative that the role description does not only include the specific competencies required for the position itself. Personal, social and entrepreneurial competencies play a central role so that the new employee can meet these requirements later. The competencies are, however, described more specifically by certain behavior patterns that the person in this position needs in order to be successful.

A precise role description can be drawn up quite simply by using the support of the personnel selection tool. You will receive all essential competencies and the corresponding behavior patterns. Requirements can hardly be more precise. Even the applicant benefits, as what is and is not expected of him is clearly defined.

Does that not work with artificial intelligence these days?!

We offer competency-based personnel selection processes and instruments based on aptitude diagnostics, and work according to the Arbeitskreis Assessment Center (2016). The transfer of scientific knowledge in practice is especially important as well as communication with researchers.

In the world of HR start-ups, solutions for the selection of personnel, often matching the candidate and the company, are booming. Quite often, AI (artificial intelligence) technologies are used in such solutions which promise outstanding success in the matching process.

However, all solutions without exception have to meet the scientific quality criteria of aptitude diagnostics, and this is often not the case. Recently, the renowned Professor of Business Psychology, Professor Uwe P. Kanning, wrote in his article on artificial intelligence in personnel selection in business psychology 4/2017(Journal “Wirtschaftspsychologie aktuell). His razor-sharp analysis demonstrates that some hyped-up solutions for “job matching” cannot meet the quality criteria of aptitude diagnostics in any way, shape or form.

Our quality standards for decision maker and applicant

We are far from any kind of pseudo solution. The personnel selection tool and any other solution which we develop must conform to aptitude-diagnostic quality criteria. Only then can you make a confident decision based on clearly defined criteria and achieve optimal accuracy by combining your head, classification and gut feeling. This puts recruiting efficiency under pressure for decision makers.

But we don’t stop there. The applicant benefits too. He uses the competency-based interview to talk about real experiences from his professional life, triggered by your precise questions. You, the decision maker, conduct a professional interview instead of asking standard questions about strengths and weaknesses.

Why does the personnel selection tool not work with personality traits?

Some might be a bit surprised but it is actually clear: personality traits hardly say much about a person’s suitability in terms of requirements; but competencies do. Very different personalities can be successful in a role if they all contain the essential competencies for the position. Whether, for example, a pilot has a more introvert or extrovert personality is not relevant to his or her success in their job whatsoever. The fact that he or she can work well with the crew, is cooperative, and can work under pressure is the deciding factor when it really comes down to it. The willingness to cooperate and being able to work under pressure are two clearly defined competencies.

To quote Professor Uwe P. Kanning once more as a professional who evaluates new personnel selection tools, he writes in his article “Computer technology in the selection of personnel” at the end of 2017, “The error the provider makes, or perhaps it’s the trick: they don’t examine the deciding criteria for success in professional performance, merely the personality traits.

For you, that means that the expensive decision proposals for such solutions are not worth the money – they are built on sand. It is not important whether the applicant has the “right personality” but whether he has the central competencies for the position. And you can judge that exactly in the competency-based interview with the help of the target competencies.

Summa Summarum: “One size fits all” doesn’t work – the necessary competencies are the deciding factor

If you want to select personnel accurately, use personal, social and entrepreneurial competencies described precisely in behavior patterns. The competencies critical to success are different for every position, a general role description does not lead to a suitable candidate as requirements are often so very different. If they weren’t, any position could be filled by anybody, and this is not the case.

Using the personnel selection tool, you receive qualified suggestions for the specific competencies for your position, and the role description can then be drawn up with these competencies. The personnel selection tool generates the competency-based interview tailored exactly to your position.