72. Using Behavioral Assessments in Talent Acquisition w/ Fred Rafilson

It takes two things to make a good employee: the right skills and the right behavior. Fred Rafilson, chief I/O psychologist at Talview, doesn’t underestimate the importance of skills—but he also knows that neglecting to measure candidates’ behavioral attributes could be a big hiring mistake. The best candidates have the knowledge and abilities to perform a job, and the behavioral tendencies (motivation, attitude, and personality) to become standout employees. In this episode, Fred draws on his knowledge of I/O psychology to explain how behavioral assessments work and why they’re beneficial.

We discussed:

• Why it’s important to screen candidates for both skills and behavioral traits
• The qualities that behavioral assessments measure
• How providers ensure that the tests are fair
• What a behavioral assessment might look like—and what goes on behind the scenes
• Three things that the best assessments have in common