applicant screening benchmark study - roth staffing · results of other analyses have shown this...

Company Confidential A Business Line of Roth Staffing Companies, L.P.

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Applicant Screening Benchmark Study A Methodology for Ensuring Ideal Applicant Placement

Committed to being the ultimate in customer,

Ambassador, and coworker satisfaction … and nothing less.

Ultimate Staffing Services Vision Statement

Introduction

At Ultimate Staffing Services, our commitment to providing quality talent is not just rhetoric but a proven, systematic approach. Through the use of Process Adapt™, our formalized Needs Analysis process, we partner with our clients to understand their unique perceptions of quality in all facets of the workforce procurement lifecycle, and continually adapt to their dynamic needs over time.

Our Applicant Screening Benchmark Study is just one of the many tools that we use during Process Adapt to assess our clients’ perceptions of an ideal applicant to ensure that every Ambassador (our term for temporary worker) placed on assignment meets or exceeds those expectations. The following provides an overview of how we have utilized this methodology for Company ABC, a telesales marketing company in the Midwest.

Benchmark Study Process

The Ultimate Staffing service team collaborated with Company ABC’s hiring managers to select top performing internal employees currently working at Company ABC to participate in our study.

We asked participants to complete skill and behavioral assessments as part of the study.

We analyzed the results to understand similarities and trends in participant capabilities and strengths.

We established benchmarks, or minimum requirements, based on the analysis.

Our recruitment team will use these benchmarks during the recruitment and screening process to distinguish between good and great applicants for Company ABC.

Benchmark Study for Company ABC Ultimate Staffing has provided temporary workers for call center environments since our founding in 1994. Over the years, we have come to understand that each client’s call center environment is unique. For example, one call center may rely heavily on team work and collaboration, while another may require their representatives to work independently. As a company that is responsible for placing people seamlessly within our clients’ workplaces, we have found a direct link between an Ambassador’s behavioral traits and their success within the call center environment.

As a consultative partner to Company ABC, Ultimate Staffing initiated a skills and behavioral benchmark study for their call center operation to develop an understanding of the unique strengths and traits applicants should possess to succeed at their organization and within this environment. We asked Company ABC to select highly-regarded internal employees for our study. These employees completed three Kenexa Prove It! skill and behavioral assessments that are designed to simulate everyday challenges they experience in their current work environment.


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Skills Assessment: Sales Concepts

The Sales Concepts assessment was created to assess the skill level of a sales representative. It can be used in any sales industry as it covers the basic skills needed to be successful in sales. This test includes such topical areas as; Rapport Building, Opening, Probing, Supporting, Objections and Closing. This test includes 38 questions.

Behavioral Assessment: Service Associate

In addition to predicting overall job success, this test provides an individual profile of each applicant's likely strengths and "soft spots" in terms of the following competencies:

Experience: Quantity of work experience, the quality of work history, and educational experience.

Confidence: Preference for leadership opportunities and challenging work situations; life satisfaction, assertiveness and self-confidence.

Stability: Emotional stability, stress tolerance, temper-control and general well-being.

Agreeableness: Trust, tact, flexibility and faith in others.

Conscientiousness: Planning skills, values, accountability and rule compliance.

Results of other analyses have shown this test to be an unbiased predictor of performance while also having the validity to be applicable across organizations. This test contains 75 questions.

Behavioral Assessment: Telesales and Service

In addition to predicting overall job success, this test also provides an individual profile of each applicant's likely strengths and "soft spots" in terms of the following seven competencies:

Conscientiousness: Self-disciplined, respectful of authority, willing to follow procedures, accountable, self-determining and dependable.

Stability: Even-tempered, mild-mannered, positive, optimistic and well-adjusted.

Past Performance: Record of achievement at work and school, good attendance, persistence, a leader, customer service and sales experience.

Education: Achieved good grades in school. Was active in school activities.

Experience: Work history, including tenure in customer service and sales positions.

Situational Savvy: Evidence of good judgment and problem-solving skills in customer service, sales and other situations.

Thinking Ability: General cognitive reasoning skills, mathematical ability and verbal skills.

This test contains 135 questions.


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Benchmark Study Results

Upon completion of the tests, our team utilized the Pairwise Methodology (which applies the Statistical Linear Correlation and Regression calculation) to create our skills and behavioral benchmark for the company. These benchmarks will now serve as the “minimum requirements” each applicant must meet before being placed on assignment with Company ABC.

For the Service Concepts Skill Assessment, we concluded that:

Applicants must achieve an 82% or better score

Applicants must have the ability to pass a majority of the basic (15), intermediate (5) and advanced (5) level questions

As for question types, applicants should have strong objections and closing scores

Applicants should complete the text within 24 minutes

For the Service Associate Behavioral Assessment, we concluded that:

Applicants should achieve 74% or better for this assessment

Applicants should rank highly on Agreeableness, Experience and Leadership

Applicants should complete the test within 24 minutes

For the Telesales and Service Behavioral Assessment, we concluded that:

Applicant should achieve 73% or better for this assessment

Applicants should rank above highly on Past Performance, Conscientiousness and Stability

Applicants should complete this test within 73 minutes

Cumulative Data Results The following pages provide comprehensive overviews and graphs detailing the scores Top Performers

received for each assessment.


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Comprehensive Assessment Results

First Name Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Last Name 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Sales Concept

Elapsed Time (Minutes) 26 60 28 12 24 21 8

Total Accurate (Max 38) 31 30 35 11 31 21 35

Score % 82% 79% 92% 29% 82% 55% 92%

Global Average % 78% 78% 78% 78% 78% 78% 78%

Service Associate


Agreeableness 7% 74% 80% 60% 12% 38% 0%

Conscientiousness 6% 62% 1% 41% 10% 71% 10%

Experience 71% 41% 78% 57% 71% 8% 71%

Leadership 19% 32% 7% 32% 3% 62% 86%

Stability 1% 3% 0% 17% 3% 32% 2%

Average % 21% 42% 33% 41% 20% 42% 34%

Telesales and Service


Education 15% 8% 8% 8% 92% 36% 4%

Past Performance 98% 98% 98% 63% 74% 26% 91%

Experience 55% 64% 90% 90% 45% 2% 28%

Thinking Ability 97% 50% 95% 22% 89% 38% 92%

Conscientiousness 81% 64% 36% 99% 9% 79% 2%

Stability 73% 81% 46% 81% 69% 92% 27%

Situational Judgment 28% 9% 83% 99% 47% 47% 14%

Average % 64% 53% 65% 66% 73% 46% 37%

First Name Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee

Last Name 8 9 10 11 12 13

Sales Concept

Elapsed Time (Minutes) 16 20 22 30 16 17

Total Accurate (Max 38) 35 33 31 29 35 35

Score % 92% 87% 82% 76% 92% 92%

Global Average % 78% 78% 78% 78% 78% 78%

Service Associate

Elapsed Time 16 15 22 18 13 23

Agreeableness 80% 80% 28% 80% 87% 60%

Conscientiousness 51% 41% 71% 71% 91% 62%

Experience 92% 84% 49% 92% 84% 94%

Leadership 90% 86% 39% 75% 93% 81%

Stability 41% 76% 60% 60% 83% 2%

Average % 71% 73% 49% 76% 88% 60%

Telesales and Service

Elapsed Time (Minutes) 52 44 46 194 46 70

Education 15% 15% 8% 50% 64% 64%

Past Performance 98% 95% 74% 99% 91% 98%

Experience 90% 85% 64% 90% 55% 72%

Thinking Ability 78% 97% 14% 73% 50% 94%

Conscientiousness 90% 81% 97% 60% 100% 91%

Stability 99% 95% 75% 93% 99% 27%

Situational Judgment 88% 57% 75% 75% 67% 67%

Average % 80% 75% 58% 77% 75% 73%


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Sales Concepts Benchmark Data

Elapsed Time

(Minutes)

Total Accurate

(Max 38)Score %

Global

Average %Basic (Max 22)

Intermediate

(Max 7)

Advanced

(Max 9)

Closing

(Max 3)

Objections

(Max 8)

Opening

(Max 6)

Probing

(Max 5)

Rapport

(Max 10)

Supporting

(Max 6)

Employee 1 26 31 82 78 18 6 7 2 8 4 5 8 4

Employee 2 60 30 79 78 17 6 7 2 7 5 5 8 3

Employee 3 28 35 92 78 21 7 7 3 7 6 5 8 6

Employee 4 12 11 29 78 8 1 2 0 0 3 4 4 0

Employee 5 24 31 82 78 18 5 7 3 6 4 5 9 4

Employee 6 21 21 55 78 11 5 5 1 7 2 5 4 2

Employee 7 8 35 92 78 20 7 8 3 8 5 5 9 5

Employee 8 16 35 92 78 22 7 6 3 7 6 5 9 5

Employee 9 20 33 87 78 19 7 7 3 7 4 5 8 6

Employee 10 22 31 82 78 16 7 8 2 8 4 4 8 5

Employee 11 30 29 76 78 19 5 5 2 6 5 3 8 5

Employee 12 16 35 92 78 19 7 9 2 8 6 5 8 6

Employee 13 17 35 92 78 20 7 8 3 8 5 5 8 6

Average 23 30 79 78 18 6 7 2 7 5 5 8 4

Above Average <19 >30 >82% >82% >18 >6 >6 3 >6 >5 >4 >8 >4

Average 19-24 27-30 76%-82% 76%-82% 15-18 5-6 5-6 2 5-6 4-5 3-4 7-8 3-4

Below Average >24 <27 <76% <76% <15 <5 <5 1 <5 <4 <3 <7 <3

Benchmark

Question Level Statistics Question Type Statistics

Employee Name

Sales Concept


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Example of Sales Concepts Results for One Top Performer

Test Results for: Employee 8

Company Name: Roth Staffing

Test Administrator/Recruiter's Email: [email protected]

Test Name: Sales Concepts

Test Date: 3/20/2013

Elapsed Time: 00:15:30

Questions Correct: 35 out of 38

Percent Correct: 92%

Percentile Ranking: 80

Global Average: 78%

Detail Score Report

Q# Status Topic Type Level Time

1 Correct Customer Relations - Time Management Rapport Basic 00:00:29

2 Correct Customer Relations - Comfort Rapport Basic 00:00:20

3 Correct Customer Relations Rapport Basic 00:00:12


5 Correct Customer Focus Opening Basic 00:00:14

6 Correct Customer Relations - Comfort Opening Basic 00:00:17

7 Correct Customer Focus - Preparation Opening Basic 00:00:17

8 Correct Customer Relations - Time Management Opening Basic 00:00:15

9 Correct Customer Finance - Why Buy Opening Advanced 00:00:26

10 Correct Customer Focus Probing Basic 00:00:18

11 Correct Customer Focus - Understanding the

Company

Probing Basic 00:00:19


13 Incorrect Customer Focus Rapport Advanced 00:00:29

14 Correct Selling the Product - Product

Demonstration

Opening Basic 00:00:28

15 Correct Customer Focus Probing Advanced 00:00:50

16 Correct Selling the Product Probing Basic 00:00:40

17 Correct Customer Relations Rapport Intermediate 00:00:13

18 Correct Customer Focus - Information Gathering Probing Basic 00:00:22

19 Correct Selling the Product Supporting Basic 00:00:19


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20 Correct Selling the Product - Recommendation Supporting Basic 00:00:29

21 Correct Selling the Product Supporting Intermediate 00:00:38

22 Incorrect Selling the Product - During the Sale Supporting Advanced 00:01:07

23 Correct Overcoming Customer Objections Objections Basic 00:00:23

24 Correct Overcoming Customer Objections Objections Intermediate 00:00:19




28 Correct Overcoming Customer Objections Objections Advanced 00:00:36

29 Correct Overcoming Customer Objections Objections Advanced 00:00:19

30 Correct Selling the Product - Closing the Sale Closing Basic 00:00:18

31 Correct Selling the Product - Closing the Sale Closing Basic 00:00:11

32 Correct Selling the Product - Closing the Sale Closing Intermediate 00:00:27

33 Incorrect Overcoming Customer Objections Objections Advanced 00:00:15

34 Correct Customer Focus - Group Rapport Basic 00:00:16

35 Correct Customer Relations - Meetings Rapport Advanced 00:00:17

36 Correct Customer Relations - Meetings Supporting Advanced 00:00:15

37 Correct Selling the Product - Closing the Sale Rapport Basic 00:01:13

38 Correct Customer Focus - Preparation Supporting Basic 00:00:42

Question Level Statistics

Number of Questions Number Correct Total Percentage

Basic 22 22 100%

Intermediate 7 7 100%

Advanced 9 6 67%

Total 38 35 92%

Question Type Statistics

Number of Questions Number Correct Total Percentage

Closing 3 3 100%

Objections 8 7 88%

Opening 6 6 100%

Probing 5 5 100%

Rapport 10 9 90%

Supporting 6 5 83%

Total 38 35 92%


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Service Associate Benchmark Data

Elapsed Time Agreeableness Conscientiousness Experience Leadership Stability Average %

Employee 1 28 7% 6% 71% 19% 1% 21%

Employee 2 60 74% 62% 41% 32% 3% 42%

Employee 3 13 80% 1% 78% 7% 0% 33%

Employee 4 49 60% 41% 57% 32% 17% 41%

Employee 5 12 12% 10% 71% 3% 3% 20%

Employee 6 17 38% 71% 8% 62% 32% 42%

Employee 7 15 0% 10% 71% 86% 2% 34%

Employee 8 16 80% 51% 92% 90% 41% 71%

Employee 9 15 80% 41% 84% 86% 76% 73%

Employee 10 22 28% 71% 49% 39% 60% 49%

Employee 11 18 80% 71% 92% 75% 60% 76%

Employee 12 13 87% 91% 84% 93% 83% 88%

Employee 13 23 60% 62% 94% 81% 2% 60%

Average 23 52 45 69 54 29 50

Above Average <18 Min >81% >68% >84% >81% >56% >74%

Average 18 - 24 Min 50 - 81% 41% - 68% 67% - 84% 51% - 81% 25% - 56% 47% - 74%

Below Average >24 Min <50% <41% <67% <51% <25% <47%

Benchmark

Employee NameService Associate


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Manager Feedback Report Service Associate

The following provides an overview of manager feedback for test takers that fall within Company ABC’s

highest ranked employees.

Agreeableness: Above Average

Very cooperative; will easily agree with another's opinion just to keep matters positive and diplomatic.

Extremely positive and trustworthy; likes to give others the "benefit of the doubt."

Is honest, tactful, and considerate when dealing with others.

Conscientiousness: Average

Good planner - will tend to work off a task list.

Tends to have a need for organization and structure in their day/week.

Because they are aware of their priorities, they can anticipate problems and maintain consistent

progress.

Experience: Above Average

May be widely recognized as knowledgeable.

Will be sought out by others for their technical expertise.

Makes relatively few mistakes in judgment.

Leadership: Above Average

Tends to use very direct speech and may even be perceived as forceful.

Thrives in situations where obstacles or resistance is common; this is when they are at their best.

Has the need to take over a meeting or a project and bring things to completion.

Stability: Average

Can take constructive criticism and manage it effectively.

Is willing to own up to mistakes and will not dwell on failure.

Adapts well to changing situations and maintain an even temper during hectic situations.


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Trait Definitions for Service Associate

Agreeableness

Agreeableness refers to the degree to which one is trusting in others, aware of the feelings of others and

sensitive to the impact of their own behavior on others. It includes being cooperative, team oriented, and

supportive. Agreeableness also includes the degree to which one is pleasant, tactful, and well-mannered.

Conscientiousness

Conscientiousness refers to the degree to which one is a planner, detail-oriented, conscientious,

achievement-oriented, deliberate, thorough, and responsible. It refers to the ability to logically order work

tasks, to allot time and other resources efficiently, to coordinate between competing demands, to stay focused

on what needs to be done next, and to execute directions diligently.

Experience

Experience refers to the quality and quantity of one’s experience. Although it includes tenure (the amount of

experience) within the industry, it also refers to the degree of success attained over that period of time and

the breadth of experience.

Leadership

Leadership refers to the degree to which one is ambitious, energetic, assertive, decisive, enthusiastic, and

leader-like. It refers to the ability to commit to a course of action, to take the initiative to get things done, to

inspire others to action, and to pursue goals with vigor and urgency. When Leadership is strength, a person is

willing to make decisions and take on leadership roles. Often others see leaders as ones to go to with

problems and/or to look to for advice.

Stability

Stability refers to the presence of self-esteem and personal integrity. It refers to the ability to remain calm

under pressure, to be generally stress-resistant, to be even-tempered under even the most chaotic conditions,

to be consistent and dependable in dealing with others, and to be willing to be held accountable, even for

poor results.


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Telesales and Service Benchmark Data

Elapsed Time Education Past Performance Experience Thinking AbilityConscientiousnes

sStability

Situational

JudgementAverage %

Brock Johnson 232 15% 98% 55% 97% 81% 73% 28% 64%

Christy Ross 95 8% 98% 64% 50% 64% 81% 9% 53%

Darrell McGill 106 8% 98% 90% 95% 36% 46% 83% 65%

Dustin Houston 129 8% 63% 90% 22% 99% 81% 99% 66%

George Hoehne 47 92% 74% 45% 89% 92% 69% 47% 73%

Jonathan Hakim 51 36% 26% 2% 38% 79% 92% 47% 46%

Kevin Duffy 39 4% 91% 28% 92% 2% 27% 14% 37%

Pam MacCarthy 52 15% 98% 90% 78% 90% 99% 88% 80%

Renee D'Angelo 44 15% 95% 85% 97% 81% 95% 57% 75%

Robin Moller 46 8% 74% 64% 14% 97% 75% 75% 58%

Sandra Jackson 194 50% 99% 90% 73% 60% 93% 75% 77%

Keah Garner 46 64% 91% 55% 50% 100% 99% 67% 75%

Shawn MacCarthy 70 64% 98% 72% 94% 91% 27% 67% 73%

Average 89 30 84 64 68 75 74 58 65

Above Average <52 >50% >91% >74% >77% >88% >81% >67% >73%

Average 52-73 Min 27%-50% 78%-91% 62%-74% 68%-77% 70-88% 69%-81% 47%-67% 58%-73%

Below Average >73 <27% <78% <62% <68% <70% <69% <47% <58%

TeleSales and Service

Candidate Name

Benchmark


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Manager Feedback Report for Telesales and Service

Education: Below Average

Weak academic credentials.

Unlikely to have any advanced degree.

Low grade point average

Past Performance: Above Average

There is not a description available at this time.

Experience: Above Average

May be widely recognized as knowledgeable.

Will be sought out by others for their technical expertise.

Makes relatively few mistakes in judgment.

Thinking Ability: Above Average

Can easily understand percentages, ratios, and other various numerical orders of operation.

Analytical. They can easily and effectively breakdown complex situations and develop solutions.

Devises creative solutions to old problems.

Conscientiousness: Above Average

Strong attention to detail and organization.

Strong planning skills. Will be suited for creating timelines and critical dates for projects.

List maker. Tends to write things down and to know where they are.

Possesses the ability to maintain a consistent direction with both short and long-term goals.

Stability: Above Average

Will stay calm under pressure and stress, as well as being able to handle conflict and confrontation.

Has a good level of self-esteem so will defend their beliefs and principles.

Tends to be patient with their coworkers and will share credit with them when appropriate.

Situational Judgment: Above Average

Can quickly figure out what needs to be done.

Will handle the day-to-day problems without extensive thought being required.

Possesses good common sense that aids in developing solutions which are effective.


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Trait Definitions for Telesales and Service

Conscientiousness

Conscientiousness refers to the degree to which one is a planner, detail-oriented, conscientious,

achievement-oriented, deliberate, thorough, and responsible. It refers to the ability to logically order work

tasks, to allot time and other resources efficiently, to coordinate between competing demands, to stay focused

on what needs to be done next, and to execute directions diligently.

Education

Education refers to the tendency to achieve good grades in school and to do well in the particularly difficult

subjects. Education also assesses participation in a variety of school activities.

Experience

Experience refers to the quality and quantity of one’s experience. Although it includes tenure (the amount of

experience) within the industry, it also refers to the degree of success attained over that period of time and

the breadth of experience.

Past Performance

There is not a definition available for this trait.

Situational Judgment

Situational Judgment refers to the degree to which one is able to analyze typical business problems and

determine appropriate courses of action. It refers to “street smarts,” or what is often called “common sense,”

and to the ability to differentiate between effective and ineffective solutions to common problems.

Stability

Stability refers to the presence of self-esteem and personal integrity. It refers to the ability to remain calm

under pressure, to be generally stress-resistant, to be even-tempered under even the most chaotic conditions,

to be consistent and dependable in dealing with others, and to be willing to be held accountable, even for

poor results.

Thinking Ability

Thinking Ability refers to the degree to which one is imaginative, innovative, intellectual, and analytical versus

down-to-earth and literal-minded. It refers to the ability to analyze complex problems and devise innovative

solutions, to integrate information from a variety of sources, and to think problems through critically, looking at

all possibilities.

applicant screening benchmark study - roth staffing · results of other analyses have shown this...

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