Employee Assessments

Conducting employee assessments is a smart way to prevent office dissatisfaction and to stave off high attrition rates. What kinds of employee assessments work the best, and how should you change policy based on test results? Some assessment tests are designed to measure personality. For instance, the Myers-Briggs inventory gauges the general characteristics of your workers, so you can place them better in your company.

Other tests measure aptitude and performance. You want to be careful that you don't engender resentment when you conduct these tests. While it's good to keep your employees on their toes, you run the risk of creating an Orwellian work environment if you test and recalibrate too often. Indeed, especially if you're managing non-technical employees, it may be disconcerting for them if you're constantly putting them through the ringer.

Effective Employee Assessments

One way to avoid making your employees feel isolated is to conduct "group wide" tests. For instance, if you manage a call center, you can institute a simulation test. The way this works is that you isolate the strengths and weaknesses of your teams by putting them collectively through a drill. An associate keeps meticulous notes of the drill, and your team meets afterwards to discuss their experiences.

While group assessments aren't particularly good for isolating problem individuals, they can help you see things about your company that individuals tests fail to shake out. After all, the whole really is greater than the sum of its parts. Thus, for the most comprehensive assessment possible, utilize both individual and group evaluations.