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Assessment & Evaluation

Published October 2008

Role-Based Assessment: Thinking Inside the Box

Lindsay Edmonds Wickman

When organizations look to hire, the decision is not just about the right skills for the job anymore; it's also about the right corporate fit. But can an hour-long interview determine whether someone is a good fit? Role-based assessments can reduce guesswork and help minimize the risk associated with hiring by assessing a candidates' softer side.

"I find the traditional recruitment process limiting," said Meena Pak, director of Feme Ltd, one of Europe's leading importers and wholesalers of hair and beauty products. "I mean, how much can we learn in a few hours of meeting a person?

"Despite the best effort made, [it's] difficult to gain an accurate portrayal of an individual in interviews. [Role-based assessment] is unique because it gives a 'whole-istic' approach and assesses not only the individual, but also the context of where they will work and how they can develop."

This type of assessment can be used for more than just talent acquisition. It's also an apt tool for creating effective teams and identifying high-potential employees. Though they can unveil key personality traits, role-based assessments should be employed with other practices to make sure employees are not pigeonholed, thereby limiting their potential development.

At Allstate, It's All About the Right Fit

While role-based assessments could be utilized for every position, that means a hefty investment if talent managers use industrial/organizational psychologists to implement them like Allstate Insurance Co. does. With some 38,000 employees on the books, it's unrealistic to do this type of assessment for every single position.

That's why Allstate researched which roles were most pivotal to its success so the organization could target its investment. After working with Peter Ramstad, formerly of Personnel Decisions International and co-author of Beyond HR: The New Science of Human Capital, Allstate pinpointed two key sales leadership positions as critical to organizational success.

"We were looking at their ability to drive growth," said Marsha Love Morrow, director of human resources. "Do they have a direct enough connection to our customers through our agencies? Can this particular role have a major impact on our ability to grow? We arrived at the answer, 'yes.' Because of [sales leaders'] ability to lead within a region, they determine whether we are a top player in a particular market."

To ensure the right candidates are placed into these jobs, Allstate utilizes role-based assessments. The organization's assessment center is based on leadership competencies and uses scenario-based questions in interviews, cognitive tests and work-style inventories. At the end of the assessment, the consultant who manages the process will review the results and furnish a summary report that provides information about the candidate's ability to perform in a given role.

"By doing [this] assessment, you're obtaining observable information about a particular candidate because you're actually seeing how they would perform within a sample scenario or a sample setting," Morrow said. "In an interview, I can ask you the question, and you're going to respond, 'Here's how I think I would perform.' But you're not actually seeing them in a real-time scenario doing a job while faced with interruptions, issues and changing conditions."