In the ongoing “war” for talent, a critical question emerges when we want to choose the right people for the right job: which criteria truly matter, and how do we combine them for the most precise evaluation of an individual's performance capacity?

Our team at Bryq has developed a framework to enhance the prediction of future success, specifically aimed at improving your hiring criteria. Drawing on well-researched steps from the Industrial-Organizational (I-O) Psychology field, this framework is grounded in empirical research and data-driven insights. It is designed to help you identify the most relevant predictors of success, refine your hiring processes, and ensure you select the best candidates for your organization.

This article presents the framework in detail, offering valuable guidance for your hiring strategies.

Selecting the Right Hiring Criteria for Success

Research on what best predicts job performance is continually evolving. Studies and meta-analyses in the field indicate that multi-measure tests (= assessments that incorporate multiple evaluation methods) are the strongest predictors of future employee performance¹. Specifically, research has identified key predictors such as soft skills, which include personality traits and behavioral competencies valued in the workplace², as well as cognitive ability³, as particularly influential factors. However, at the core of effective talent assessment and recruitment strategies lies the understanding that soft skills, mental ability, as well as hard skills should seamlessly complement each other. Hence, the significance of hard skills cannot be overlooked.

Let's delve into these critical factors that holistically assess individuals’ strengths and guide your next hiring steps toward success! 

Soft Skills: The Primary Key to Unlocking Success in Your Hiring Process

In today's fast-changing business world, soft skills have shifted from being a secondary consideration to a key factor for success⁴. As Josh Bersin puts it, "Hard skills are soft and soft skills are hard," highlighting the growing importance of interpersonal abilities in professional settings.

Ranging from personality traits and behavioral attributes to interpersonal and social competencies, soft skills have demonstrated their crucial role in both individual personal development and professional performance⁵. 

Building Strong Foundation: The Pivotal Role of Personality 

In recent decades, personality has emerged as a focal point in organizational research, leadership development, and particularly employee selection, owing to the development of unified and comprehensive models such as the 16 Personality Factors and the Five Factor Model of Personality. Within the realms of industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology and educational psychology, personality traits have demonstrated predictive power concerning individuals' motivation, performance, advancement, and attitudes.

Because of this, using objective personality assessments is crucial for understanding how individuals might behave at work and matching their natural tendencies with job requirements. The importance of keeping these assessments objective is vital. They should be based on solid theoretical frameworks and use measures with strong psychometric properties. Ensuring reliability and validity is essential to maintain assessment accuracy and consistency, which ultimately leads to more effective hiring decisions.

Beyond Personality: Elevating Hiring Criteria via Work-Related Competencies 

However, it's important to recognize that personality assessments aren't a one-size-fits-all solution for evaluating one’s fit. While personality evaluation is extremely valuable, it should be supplemented with consideration of other essential predictive factors to accurately assess an individual's suitability. Imagine job performance as a cherry pie; personality is just one slice alongside work-related competencies, skills, and abilities.

Considering the above, the importance of assessing candidates' competencies is vital in this context. This sentiment is not only supported by research findings but also evident in practical observations. As job roles evolve and diversify, attributes such as adaptability and resilience have become increasingly indispensable. In the pursuit of gaining a competitive edge, individuals must demonstrate the capacity to innovate, generate fresh ideas, and navigate challenges adeptly. With businesses operating on a global scale, effective communication with diverse team members has become paramount, necessitating qualities like open-mindedness, agility, and empathy. A recent report from SAP Success Factors focusing on People Managers highlights competencies such as communicating and influencing, building a positive team culture, and demonstrating concern and care as crucial, with a projected increase in importance in the future.

Integrating Hard Skills into Hiring Criteria

At the core of effective talent assessment and recruitment strategies lies the understanding that soft and hard skills should seamlessly complement each other. Hence, in the realm of talent assessment and recruitment, the significance of hard skills cannot be overlooked.

These technical competencies form the bedrock of an individual's ability to perform specific tasks and duties within a given role or industry. Whether it's proficiency in programming languages, expertise in data analysis tools, or mastery of engineering principles, hard skills serve as tangible indicators of a candidate's capability to execute job responsibilities effectively.

Furthermore, as industries adapt to technological advancements and market demands, the demand for individuals with up-to-date hard skills remains consistently high. Assessing hard skills alongside soft skills provides a comprehensive understanding of a candidate's suitability for a role. By evaluating both skill sets, organizations can identify areas for improvement and tailor reskilling and upskilling initiatives accordingly, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and fostering long-term success.

Cognitive Ability in Hiring Criteria: A Key Yet Complex Element

In multi-measure tests, individuals are commonly assessed across several dimensions including cognitive ability, personality traits, work-related competencies, and hard skills to provide a comprehensive evaluation of their suitability for specific workplace roles. Although cognitive ability is acknowledged as influential, research underscores the importance of implementing controls to mitigate potential negative effects associated with its measurements. It emphasizes the need for careful weighting to prevent biased outcomes.

Bryq is deeply committed to ensuring equitable processes and has undertaken a designated Bias Audit in compliance with recent legislation, such as NYC Local Law 144, to validate the fairness and impartiality of our assessments and eliminate any disparate impact on protected groups by controlling for cognitive ability impact. 

A 7-Step Guide for Implementing the Right Hiring Criteria

1) Understanding the Landscape:

Acknowledge the dynamic nature of talent assessment and the evolving research in the field. Recognize that multi-measure tests, drawing from various predictors, offer robust evaluations of future employee performance.

2) Soft Skills as a Foundation:

Emphasize the importance of soft skills in today's fast-paced environment. From personality to interpersonal competencies and behavioral attributes, soft skills play a pivotal role in personal development and professional success. Utilize validated assessments to evaluate the candidate's soft skills and ensure that assessments are based on robust theoretical frameworks and have strong psychometric properties.

3) Synergy of Soft and Hard Skills:

Acknowledge the complementary nature of soft and hard skills. While soft skills navigate interpersonal dynamics, hard skills form the tangible capabilities for task execution. Assess both skill sets for comprehensive evaluation.

4) Assessing Cognitive Ability with Awareness:

Recognize cognitive ability's significance while being mindful of biases and use assessments that ensure fair practices, adhering to legal regulations and undertaking bias audits for fairness and impartiality. Lastly, use cognitive ability measures as one component of the overall assessment process.

5) Deep Dive into the Results:

Evaluate assessment results and conduct behavioral interviews to gain a well-rounded understanding of one’s suitability for the role of interest. 

6) Synthesize Findings and Make Informed Decisions:

Compile all assessment results, interview responses, and observations to create a holistic overview of the candidate's capabilities. Evaluate how the candidate's skills and abilities align with the job's requirements and the organization's objectives. Utilize the synthesized findings to make an informed decision regarding the candidate's suitability for the role, considering their overall profile, including qualifications, cultural fit, and potential for contribution to the organization's success.

7) Provide Feedback:

Offer constructive feedback to the candidate, highlighting areas of strength and areas for improvement identified during the assessment process. Communicate the decision to the candidate in a timely and respectful manner, regardless of the outcome.

By following these steps, informed by empirical research and data-driven insights, organizations can effectively select predictors of success, streamline hiring processes, and build high-performing teams tailored to meet organizational objectives.

Conclusion

In the competitive landscape of talent acquisition, selecting the right hiring criteria is pivotal for ensuring long-term success. By integrating a balanced approach—assessing soft skills, hard skills, cognitive ability, and work-related competencies—organizations can make more precise, data-driven hiring decisions. The framework outlined here provides a structured methodology to enhance prediction accuracy, reduce biases, and foster more equitable hiring practices. By implementing these strategies, businesses can build resilient, high-performing teams that align with their objectives and drive sustained growth.

References

1. Sackett, P. R., Zhang, C., Berry, C. M., & Lievens, F. (2022). Revisiting meta-analytic estimates of validity in personnel selection: Addressing systematic overcorrection for range restriction. Journal of Applied Psychology, 107(11), 2040.

2. Barrick, M. R., & Mount, M. K. (1991). The Big Five Personality Dimensions and job performance: a meta‐analysis. Personnel Psychology, 44(1), 1-26.

3. Schmidt, F. L., Oh, I. S., & Shaffer, J. A. (2016). The validity and utility of selection methods in personnel psychology: Practical and theoretical implications of 100 years. Fox School of Business Research Paper, 1-74.

4. Akla, S., & Indradewa, R. (2022). The effect of soft skill, motivation and job satisfaction on employee performance through organizational commitment. BIRCI Journal, 5(1), 6070-6083.

5. Ibrahim, R., Boerhannoeddin, A., and Bakare, K. K. 2017. The Effect of Soft Skill and Training Methodology on Employee Performance.