Welcome to the March 2, 2005 issue of The Total View

Your resource for cutting-edge news, tips, and tools to help you hire, manage, and motivate top-performing employees.

If you are receiving this issue as a forward, and want your own subscription, visit
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/cgi-bin/arp3/arp3-t.pl?l=11&c=1971

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In This Issue
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1. TotalView: The Newest Generation of Personality Tests.
2. Perfect Labor Storm Alerts #356 to #360.
3. How Can You Change The Way You Deal With the Flood of Resumes in Just 7 Minutes?
4. Download a Checklist for Setting Performance Objectives.
5. Screen Entry-Level Candidates Easily Without Breaking The Bank.
6. What Would You Do if You Could Get Inside The Head of Your Customers?

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The Total View is written and published each Wednesday by Ira S. Wolfe, founder of Success Performance Solutions. (Yes, Ira writes every article, every week!) and is distributed with permission by The Chrysalis Corporation.

Ira S. Wolfe 2005 - All Rights Reserved. Reprints and other distribution by permission only.

To learn more about The Chrysalis Corporation or to read back issues of The Total View, visit our web site at
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/cgi-bin/arp3/arp3-t.pl?l=12&c=1971

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1. TotalView: The Newest Generation of Personality Tests.
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"The idea was to prove...that you were one of the elected and anointed ones who had the right stuff and could move higher and higher and....join the special few at the very top."
--Tom Wolfe, author

Personality, that marker of human behavior, has fascinated great thinkers, well, for a long, long time. More than two millennia ago, in 444 B.C., Empedocles described human behavior in terms of four elements. Shortly thereafter, Hippocrates identified body fluids as the driver of our actions.

Although scientifically inaccurate, these early and interesting observations underscore an inherent need for humans to understand each other. Think of the key to understanding personality as a Holy Grail. Just as Indiana Jones, and countless others, sought to break the Holy Grail code, so have scientists and psychologists labored to find ways to quantify the elusive qualities of human behavior.

It used to be that understanding personality was the link to helping folks through tough times, marital discord, and anti- or asocial behavior. That study now spills over to the business sector as employers try to answer the question: “What makes some people better suited to a particular task than others?”

Consider the article, “Inside the Head of an Applicant,” published in the Feb. 21 issue of Newsweek. Its central theme notes the demand for personality tests has skyrocketed. Small business owners, school systems, and the government join major corporations in using personality testing as an interviewing screening tactic and to assess employees for internal promotions. The Newsweek article estimates this type of testing is a $400 million industry.

So, helping employers make sound hiring decisions is now big business. How did that happen? Ask anyone who has interviewed a prospective job applicant. You’ll hear the same lament: the job interview fails to accurately predict the fit between the applicant and the job, including how well that applicant fits into the organization’s culture.

Acceptance of personality tests was hardly immediate. Frustrated and exhausted because hiring takes a lot of time, effort, and money, hiring managers have relied on everything from handwriting analysis, lie detector tests, and even psychological evaluations to improve the outcomes of hiring decisions. When these “alternative” methods proved faulty, many hiring managers gave up. After all, why employ recruitment devises some human resources managers described as no more useful than a daily horoscope?

Why the change now? There are several factors involved. Let’s start with global competition and a slow economic recovery, which shifts the focus to continuously improving productivity. To do this, employers want a streamlined workforce of highly productive -- competent, effective and efficient -- employees. Employers can ill afford workers who don't pull their own weight. Besides, it is simply too expensive to hire the wrong people.

There is the significant increase in the cost of recruitment, Couple that with the real dollar drain of resignations and employment terminations when the job fit isn't’ right. Hiring the wrong person can cost the company an amount equal to that person’s annual salary. Many studies indicate those dollar amounts can double, triple, or quadruple depending on the level of the position. When hiring mistakes reach the executive office the cost may come to 14 times the annual salary of the person whose employment is terminated. And, that hefty sum might be conservative when you factor in lost market share and opportunity. Consider the impact for Hewlett Packard when the ex-CEO, Carly Fiorina, lost her position.

Okay, now we know that personality tests can occupy a comfortable niche in an employer’s recruitment and retention tool kit. Thanks to the Internet, thousands of personality quizzes are available at the click of the mouse. How does an employer choose from this cornucopia of personality tests?

That’s a good question. Not every test offered is valid and reliable. Unless the tests screens candidates against criteria related to that employer’s job-related specifications, the chances of hiring the wrong people or rejecting the right people remains high, not to mention risky. The ultimate hiring catastrophe occurs if a rejected applicant sues an employer using the personality quiz as the reason. The interview and applicant screening process must be both predictable and job-related otherwise the employer doesn't have a prayer in court.

The Newsweek article cites the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) as an assessment used by 89 of the Fortune 100 companies for hiring and promoting employees. The article failed to mention that MBTI was not designed for employee selection. Although highly predictive of behavioral type, this information is not necessarily predictive of performance. People can and do adapt to the requirements of the job if adequately motivated. (Go to the SPS section on Business Values and Motivators for more information about what values will motivate people.)

Predictive testing should cover three areas that concern employers – the applicant’s job fit for skills, the team, and the culture. Behavioral fit provides just one piece of the information. Tests like MBTI and DISC, our recommendation for behavioral style testing, are best used in conjunction with other personality tests, behavioral interviewing, and background checks. This is exactly what the U.S. Department of Labor had in mind when it described the “whole person approach” in its publication: Testing and Assessments: An Employer’s Guide to Best Practices.

The Newsweek article describes a more accurate generation of personality tests are in the market. That’s true. At The Chrysalis Corporation, we recommend the TotalView Assessment System.

Both TotalView and NEO Personality Inventory (the example given in the Newsweek article) are based on the Big Five Personality Model, which is designed to measure traits of normal functioning personalities. This is an important component for employers who want to comply with right to privacy and Americans with Disabilities acts. We recommend TotalView because the system was constructed exclusively for business and career building. The system is as accurate and valid for predicting job fit as its competitors like NEO and exceeds employer expectations for the ease of administration, real-time turnaround and publication of easy-to-read job fit reports. As a bonus, TotalView Selection reports include recommended behavioral interview questions, customized for the job. With minimal training, a hiring manager or small business owner can assess a candidate and make predictable hiring decisions without employing a psychologist or relying on gut instinct.

Does this latest generation of personality tests work? Our clients using personality tests like the TotalView, Personal Interests, Attitudes, and Values and DISC have reduced hiring mistakes, cut recruitment costs, improved productivity, and increased profits. If spending less time hiring and fixing performance issues is on your 2005 to do list, visit our website and contact us today.

To learn more about online personality tests go here:
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/cgi-bin/arp3/arp3-t.pl?l=28&c=1971

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2. Perfect Labor Storm Alerts #356 to #360.
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Fact #356: The U.S. Department of Defense needs to hire more than 14,000 scientists and engineers in each of the next two years. The problem is the pool of candidates is shrinking.

--More than half of science and engineering graduates from American universities are foreign nationals, off limits to
federal agencies.
--Fewer American students are entering science and tech fields.
--DOD must compete with the private sector and other government
agencies.

Fact #357: Department of Defense retirement rates are accelerating faster than expected. In 2003, the number of people retiring exceeded OPM's expectation by more than 10 percent or 10,000 workers.

Fact #358: As of 2004, there were 73.4 million people younger than 18 in the U.S., or approximately 25 percent of the population. In 1970 the percentage of kids under 18 was 34 percent. By 2010, the number will be only 24 percent. (Source: childstats.gov)

Fact #359: The Labor Department projects that more than 600,000 nursing jobs will open up over the 10 years that end in 2012, a 27 percent increase over 2002.

Fact #360: The Labor Department projects other areas of job growth:

--Physician assistant jobs will grow nearly 50 percent.
--Physical and occupational therapists will grow by more than 35 percent.
--Home care worker jobs will increase by more than 40 percent.
--Dental hygienists will increse by 43 percent.
--Ambulance drives will grow by 26.7 percent.
--Hazardous materials removal jobs will increase by 43 percent.

Don't be caught in storm without all the facts. "The Perfect Labor Storm Fact Book: Why Worker Shortages Won't Go Away" is a must-read leading edge forecast that predicts workforce trends for decades to come. Get a copy today - $7.95 includes shipping. Follow this link to learn more:
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/cgi-bin/arp3/arp3-t.pl?l=7&c=1971

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3. How Can You Change The Way You Deal With the Flood of Resumes in Just 7 Minutes?
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The Resu-mess is back! If piles of resumes and crowded e-mail in-boxes have got you frustrated, you NEED to preview Total APS in action.

What is Total APS? It is an applicant tracking and assessment system that puts your recruiting and selection efforts on auto pilot. Total APS even provides you assess to the TotalView assessment (see the first article in this newsletter).

Total APS frees up your time to communicate with only QUALIFIED candidates and helps you ensure a good job fit between a person and the job. Total APS can save your company is to experience the system in action. View our online7-minute, no-obligation video demonstration of the Total APS system here:
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/cgi-bin/arp3/arp3-t.pl?l=26&c=1971

Can't view it online? Contact us today for a Free CD-ROM on How to Screen and Interview Candidates Online. Follow this link and type APS in the comment box:
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/cgi-bin/arp3/arp3-t.pl?l=18&c=1971

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4. Download a Checklist for Setting Performance Objectives.
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Setting performance objectives can be a tricky endeavor. If objectives are incorrectly formulated, results will be minuscule at best. Follow the link below for a checklist to assist managers setting performance objectives.

"Checklist for Setting Performance Objectives" is just one of hundreds of pages of reproducible facts, tips and sample evaluation forms included in Janus Performance Management System Volume 2.

For additional about the Janus Performance Management System, follow this link: http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/cgi-bin/arp3/arp3-t.pl?l=14&c=1971 contact The Chrysalis Corporation at 229-257-0665 or e-mail us at: info@chrysaliscorporation.com

Begin to improve your employee appraisal process today with the Janus Performance Management System. Order Volume 1, 2 and 3 and save $200.

Follow the link below to to download "Checklist for Setting Performance Objectives", a one page excerpt from the Janus Performance Management System:
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/cgi-bin/arp3/arp3-t.pl?l=29&c=1971

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5. Screen Entry-Level Candidates Easily Without Breaking The Bank.
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FirstView Job Fit Indicator is the newest generation of pre-employment personality tests which includes an optional cognitive section. FirstView requires only 15 minutes to complete and reports are available immediately. FirstView is the perfect solution to screen large candidate groups for 15 entry level positions in retail sales, hospitality, persuasive sales, administrative positions, drivers, IT positions, telemarketing, customer service, drivers, health care and more.

Each report includes job specific interview questions. FirstView evaluates a candidate's preferences in the following areas:

--Rules - consistency, ability to deal with change, need for structure, ability to follow rules and policies
--Extroversion - need to work with others, communication of enthusiasm, ability to talk or listen
--Assertiveness - decision making, selling and closing abilities, ability to handle confrontation, willingness to take direction from others
--Teaming - teamwork, collaboration with others, competitiveness
--Sensitivity - emotional stability, handling of criticism and feedback, dealing with stress
--Organization - planning, spontaneity, time management attitudes, ability to handle details
--Social Desirability - an internal validity scale to determine if the candidate is being frank with their answers
--Cognitive Ability - an overall aggregate measure of cognitive skills

To learn more about FirstView and to view sample reports, follow this link:
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/cgi-bin/arp3/arp3-t.pl?l=5&c=1971

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6. What Would You Do if You Could Get Inside The Head of Your Customers?
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Have you ever imagined how valuable brutally honest feedback from your customers would be to your company or organization? I'm talking about no B.S. feedback about how your customers REALLY feel about your products, services, and support. What would it be like if your clients provided you with suggestions that actually increased your profits and bottom line and eliminated the "hit and miss" approach to sales and marketing? Stop imagining and start knowing!

The easiest and most cost-effective way to get this information is to conduct a survey. A survey eliminates the psychological pressure for clients to tell you what they think you want to hear. Some people, regardless of how unhappy they are with a product or service, refuse to voice their dissatisfaction with a company because it makes them feel uncomfortable. They simply "vote with the feet" and tend to go away without you ever knowing the reason why. The end result -- you lose business without ever knowing the reasons why. Surveys neutralize a potentially awkward and uncomfortable situation for clients by providing a way for them to provide you with honest and direct feedback in an anonymous manner.

We have taken all the stress and hassles out of creating, deploying, inputting, and analyzing survey results.

Contact us today to learn about about real-time e-mail and web based surveys. No more hassles with entering results and creating presentations. Let us do the work for you. We can help you write, set-up, distribute (electronically), process and present in less time for less cost than you can imagine.

For more information about the survey solutions we can provide you with, including our Rapid Survey Option, follow the link below and type "Surveys" in the comment box. You can also contact us by phone at: 229-257-0665:
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/cgi-bin/arp3/arp3-t.pl?l=20&c=1971

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Contact Information:

The Chrysalis Corporation
2001 Hammock Drive
Valdosta, GA 31602
229-257-0665