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My Take
In this advertorial feature, one expert answers: "What is the most significant change you see coming to the HR profession in the next few years?"
The most significant change affecting the HR profession over the next few years will be the increased need for flexibility of HR processes and the continued migration from traditional "bricks and mortar" business operations to the world of virtual and remote operations and procedures. The nexus of changing demographics, technology, communications, labor market and the global marketplace is creating a greater need for flexibility in what is becoming a virtual world of work. While operating in a virtual world creates unique demands, HR professionals will still face the continuing challenge of hiring and training quality people who perform at a high level, have effective interpersonal skills, stay with the organization for a reasonable period of time, and contribute to the overall success of their workgroups and organization. Organizations are constantly positioning for an edge and recognize, more than ever, that their competitive advantage comes from the quality and performance of their people. Organizations that do a better job of identifying, hiring and retaining top performers have a distinct advantage. For over 20 years, we have consulted with organizations to optimize their selection process and the accuracy of their hiring decisions. Our research has shown that the most accurate hiring procedures are the ones that are the most objective, and therefore, the most difficult to fake. Whether in person or on paper, job applicants are on their best behavior trying to make the best possible impression. For employers, what is on display is the applicant's best impression, motivation and desire. Unfortunately, impressions and desire are often inconsistent with the ability to perform. This creates a performance gap, and HR shoulders the responsibility of closing it. In a virtual world, the time and money available to close the performance gap is shrinking. More importantly, the less an organization needs to spend closing the gap, the greater its competitive advantage. To succeed, HR must differentiate between best impressions and real performance. The rewards for making the right decisions increase exponentially. In a world that is becoming more virtual -- where time and timing are ever more important -- predicting real performance before hiring or promoting an employee is critical. Organizations need to know beforehand, "How will this person perform? What can they do? What are they really like?" Thanks to advances in assessment technology, predicting successful performance is now easier and more accurate than ever before. How? The answer is simulation. Simulation is a significant change that has emerged as we have moved toward this virtual world. As the thought leader and pioneer of employment simulation technology, we have seen the use of simulations move from experimentation, to early adoption, to initial market success, to emulation and, finally, to market acceptance. Without a doubt, the use of simulation for HR applications will expand significantly over the next few years. Foremost, simulation is adaptable. Simulation can be used for selection, training, diagnostics and development. People take tests, but they experience simulations. The virtual experience of simulation looks and feels real without the potentially devastating consequences of actual mistakes or failure in the real world. In a matter of minutes, a simulation can provide a multitude of circumstances, customer situations and unique challenges that could take weeks or months for an employee to experience in the real world. There is no faking a simulation. The experience is real and the performance is real. In the new virtual world of work, hiring the right people is the most critical step for ensuring success throughout the organization, and simulation gives employers a very real edge in hiring top talent. Consistently, we have seen the phenomenal results of simulation. We look forward to the possibilities for simulation and are pleased to be the vanguard of real change for real performance and real results.
November 19, 2008 Copyright 2008© LRP Publications |
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© Copyright 2010 LRP Publications. All rights reserved.
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