Maximising on Talent during a Recruitment Freeze

‘As part of it’s plan to deliver £6bn of savings in the current financial year, the Government has announced an immediate freeze on external recruitment to the Civil

Service’

Dusty Amroliwala, Director Civil Service Workforce, 25 May 2010

‘Know the type of talent you need. Then work out how to recruit and develop it. Access to and retention of the right staff is crucial to your ability to meet the

challenges ahead’

‘Leading the NHS Workforce through to recovery’, November 2009

How well do you know what talent you have and might need for the

future?

What is assessment?

AssessmentNOUN

• 1 [COUNTABLE] an opinion or a judgement about somebody/something that has been thought about very carefully

• 2 [UNCOUNTABLE] the act of judging or forming an opinion about somebody/something.

Source: Oxford English dictionary

A few assessment myths

• Assessment is a process that happens as part of a recruitment campaign

• Assessment is all about testing somebody• Assessments must happen in an assessment centre• Some people are naturally better at being assessed than

others• Chartered Psychologists are qualified assessors• Assessment is all about ‘the higher the better’

What is an expert assessment?

An accurate and precise description of an individual’s work skills, style, aspirations and behaviours reported in a way that will enable the employer to confidently match the best individual to the job in question.

Assessment tools• References and performance appraisals• 360 degree and peer review techniques• Self assessments, time to reflect.• On-line tools• Interviews – structured and unstructured• Discussions with individual• Personality, motivation, values, career anchor questionnaires• Simulation exercises – written, group and role plays.• Ability tests• In depth personality assessment• Assessment and development centres – volume and bespoke

If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.

Abraham Maslow

Recruitment decisions

Fit individuals to team profiles

Construct individual PDP’s

Fill gaps as they arise

Inform re-structuring decisions

Sift for promotion opportunities

Manage secondments

Motivate staff to self assess and manage career

INTELLECTUAL SKILLSStrategic approach

Data analysisCreative Technical

Critical Reasoning

INTERPERSONAL STYLELeadership Range

Team WorkingCommunication

Customer Awareness

PERSONAL DRIVERSResilience

ValuesMotivation and Drive

Career Anchors