The Role of Behavioral Assessments in Senior Living Hiring
There are many factors to consider when hiring – skills, experience, communication, and cultural fit. Each plays a crucial role, but understanding a person’s personality traits should be just as much a priority.
In senior living, as in many other industries, behavioral assessments have become a key hiring tool, offering valuable insights into a candidate’s personality and how they might fit into a role or organization.
“A majority of our clients use some sort of behavioral assessment,” says Jeff Harris, CEO of Jeff Harris and Associates. And they’re not alone. Statistics show that 80% of Fortune 500 companies use behavioral tests and that figure is only growing.
These tools, such as the DiSC Profile, the Predictive Index, CliftonStrengths, and Myers Briggs, offer employers a deeper understanding of how candidates are likely to approach their work and interact with each other in different situations. From decision-making to conflict resolution and interactions with residents, staff, and families, behavior and personality assessments are particularly useful for identifying strengths and potential challenges in interpersonal dynamics and team environments.
The DiSC Profile, for instance, maps individuals along a spectrum of assertiveness versus receptiveness and openness and control. Understanding where a candidate falls on these axes can help employers determine their ideal professional outcomes.
A high “C” on the DiSC Profile, for example, indicates someone who’s highly detail-oriented, prefers structure, and may struggle with unexpected changes or surprises. They may not be the best fit for fast-paced, ever-changing environments, but they’re likely to thrive in roles that require precision and adherence to established protocols – think controller or head accountant.
Other assessments offer additional perspectives on workplace strengths. Myers-Briggs categorizes individuals into one of 16 personality types, giving employers insight into how they perceive and interact with the world. Meanwhile, CliftonStrengths, developed by Gallup, draws on their extensive research to identify an individual’s greatest strengths and how they can be leveraged in a professional setting.
While these assessments provide valuable data, their true benefit extends beyond hiring. By giving employees and managers a better understanding of diverse work and communication styles, they can also foster greater emotional intelligence and provide tools to collaborate with colleagues of different temperaments.
“It’s not only good for hiring but also for understanding how to manage people long-term and interact with them in the most effective ways,” says Harris.
Using assessments during and beyond the hiring process offers employers a structured way to manage team dynamics and, hopefully, improve engagement and workplace success. However, Harris cautions that these assessments should be one of many factors considered when making hiring and leadership decisions – not the sole determinant.
“Some employers use assessments as pass/fail; others use them to validate their own perceptions about a candidate,” Harris says. “I think it’s probably better to use them in that way. If you feel great about a candidate’s abilities and experience, that should count for a lot more than a personality assessment.”
In other words, behavioral assessments are helpful in confirming perceptions about candidates or highlighting areas employers should probe into in the interview process. At the end of the day, while these tools can be helpful in identify candidates who are the right fit for the role, they’re just one piece of the puzzle. It’s the combination of a candidate’s qualifications, experience, personality and alignment with your team’s values that will determine their success in your organization.