ARTICLE
2013 SELECTION er, a missed opportunity to apply a treasure
TRENDS:
MANAGING UNCERTAINTY FOR SUCCESS
ARTICLE BY Black and white is out. Uncertainty remains
SCOTT ERKER, PH.D.,
with us this season, but will inspire, rather
SR. VICE PRESIDENT,
SELECTION SOLUTIONS, than depress, creativity in selection design.
DDI This unclear environment has been
described as VUCA—a business environment
characterized by volatility, uncertainty, com-
plexity, and ambiguity. In this sneak-peek
preview, we’ll reveal HR must-haves and
look at how top performers are dressing
for success.
Without question, smart will remain on
trend. The companies to watch will sew up
the knowledge gaps as workforce analytics
will no longer be a high-tech accessory, but
rather a complement to future growth.
Inadequate or out-of-date competency
models will be counterproductive. More,
not less, will be the rallying cry around
selection tools, as U.S. organizations draw
inspiration from their peers overseas. And,
candidates who demonstrate innovative and
adaptive capabilities will be in short supply
and great demand.
MANAGING UNCERTAINTY FOR SUCCESS
Are you suited-up for success? Read on as
ARTICLE — 2013 SELECTION TRENDS:
we reveal this season’s selection forecast.
ELIMINATE THE GUESSWORK
In recent years, organizations have done a
bang-up job of mining talent analytics—“Big
Data”—for insights on employee engage-
ment and retention. There has been, howev-
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© Development Dimensions International, Inc., MMXIII. All rights reserved.
trove of information to hiring and promo-
tion processes. Many who dig into the
data limit their inquiry to time-to-hire and
cost-to-fill analyses. Others look to improve
the source and/or quality of their hires.
Surprisingly, only a few put it all together
and maximize the data’s true potential:
leverage talent data as a critical component
for overall business strategy.
Why are workforce analytics so important
in times of uncertainty? Planning-by-the-
numbers affords organizations added
flexibility to respond to economic and
staffing demand shifts. In a world of
unknowns, the hiring stakes are higher. HR
needs to ensure that it is identifying the best
candidates: future high performers who will
contribute directly to growth.
For big data to fulfill its promise, information
must flow freely between talent acquisition
and leadership. Currently, there is little
sharing between the two groups. Hiring
managers aren’t doing their organizations any
favors when they don’t capture and
exchange experiential data on high perform-
ers. These leaders fail to recognize the value
of the information that allows HR to match
the characteristics of successful hires to those
of prospective candidates.
A fully-functioning feedback system will
generate the data necessary to illuminate
hidden patterns, throw out irrelevant, non-
predictive factors, and update job profiles to
meet current and future needs. Trendsetting
HR operations will have the ongoing ability
to measure and refine their hiring tools, and
anticipate future skill needs.
 HIRE THE WHOLE PERSON
A smile may be worth a thousand words, but
it is unlikely to predict or ensure on-the-job
performance. After decades of research,
the solution remains the same: complete a
comprehensive job analysis to avoid hiring
mistakes. First and foremost, determine the
ideal mix of knowledge, experience, compe-
tencies, and personal attributes required for
the position. Next, decide how you will
measure each of the components. With
this type of checklist, you can exercise
due diligence and ensure you get what
you need—without personal prejudices
polluting the process.
Best-in-class selection systems that evaluate
the whole person utilize a multi-method
approach. They not only measure the same
behaviors in many different ways, they also
allow the capture of behaviors essential in
times of uncertainty: adaptability, creativity,
initiative, and judgment.
Another enormous benefit of expanding the
traditionally narrow selection focus is that
the hiring manager can evaluate the gaps,
if any, between the ideal candidate and the
prospective one(s). They can then assess
whether the missing skills are trainable or
not. Rather than disqualify a good candidate
who hasn’t used a software suite, for exam-
ple, the manager can consider post-hire
training and development to complete
an otherwise perfect profile. On the
other hand, a seemingly attractive applicant
MANAGING UNCERTAINTY FOR SUCCESS
with low cognitive ability scores can be an
ARTICLE — 2013 SELECTION TRENDS:
unlikely candidate for development (and
employment).
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IMPORT CONFIDENCE
Staffing directors outside the U.S. are enjoy-
ing greater certainty than their counterparts
in our 50 states. In a recent study, they gave
their selection systems noticeably higher
marks for efficiency, flexibility, and ability
to identify the best candidate.
Additionally, these talent acquisition profes-
sionals tend to use a greater number of
selection tools including knowledge tests,
personality inventories, and job simula-
tions—and they plan to add more in the
future. Comparative study results indicate
a difference of 10 percentage points (or
greater) in the frequency of current and
intended use of tools by non-U.S. vs. U.S.
organizations.
Clearly, our partners abroad know more and
guess less. Given that most selection errors
are attributable to an overreliance on hiring
manager judgments, U.S. companies would do
well to follow the lead from overseas. Let’s
utilize more information-gathering tools and
build in certainty to our selection systems.
CELEBRATE THE CANDIDATE
Make a good first impression—great advice
for the candidate as well as the organization.
Despite the sluggish economy, perfect candi-
dates are hard to find . . . yet easy to turn off.
It’s true: there are more good jobs than qual-
ified candidates, so the competition is fierce.
There are only so many Harvard MBAs to go
around, and like the rest-of-the-best, they are
harder to retain.
 The stakes have never been higher; employees
and job seekers share copious quantities of
information. From social media, prospective
candidates can learn much of what they need
to know about corporate cultures, interview-
ing processes, benefits, etc. In reality, the first
impression is gathered well in advance of the
first face-to-face with the hiring manager.
Still, the interview and other pre-employ-
ment processes are perfect places to lose
qualified candidates—so take heed. First
and foremost, portray the job accurately.
Our selection survey reveals that only half
of new hires are very confident in their
decision to accept offers of employment.
The data also shows that a realistic day-in-
the-life preview greatly ups the confidence
quotient, and goes a long way toward elimi-
nating the revolving door.
A positive interview experience gets the
“yes” when an offer is extended. But don’t
stop there: work to continue engagement
throughout the onboarding process and
beyond. Remember, your pleased-with-the-
process candidates, even the non-joiners,
are potential best customers and/or
real-life endorsements for your products
or organization.

While many insights in this article stem from our industry knowledge, economic trends, and our expertise in
selection systems, we also analyzed survey responses from over 250 staffing directors and over 2,000 new
hires globally in 2012 to provide a deeper understanding of current and future trends in hiring. For the full report,
including specific stats, graphs, and charts on hiring trends cited in this article, visit: www.ddiworld.com/gsf.

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