Helping line managers to recruit more objectively at Skanska UK

Driving diversity through objective assessment

Agenda

1. The current challenge

2. Designing a new approach

3. Implementation

4. The future?

Skanska Employer Promise video (please click to play)

Our History

Operating income Operating marginRevenue

£ 1,

216m

2013

3.4%

2013

3.6%

2012

£ 1,

222m

£ 1,

166m

2012

£ 40

.4m

2011

£ 42

.1m

2012

£ 41

.9m

2013

3.3%

2011

£ 1,

341m

2014

£ 40

.0m

2014

3.0%

2014

Financial performance

2011

Current sectors

Our culture

Our Culture

Responsible business Do what’s right Caring

Big heart

2015 Only 57% of those surveyed in The FIRM’s 4th Annual Membership Survey are using psychometric ability tests in Assessment and Selection

What is Personality?

“Personality is a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give both consistency and individuality to a person's behavior.“ (Feist and Feist, 2009)

“The characteristics or blend of characteristics that make a person unique” (Weinberg & Gould, 1999).

What is General Ability or Intelligence?

“““Intelligence represents an individuals ability to adapt to their environment”

“The ability to acquire knowledge and skills”

“The ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situations”

“The ability to apply knowledge to manipulate one's environment or to think abstractly as measured by objective criteria”

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1Certain prediction

Assessment centers

Skilful and structured interviews

Ability testsWork sampling

Graphology, astrology

Personality assessmentAssessment centers for job performance

Unstructured interviews

References

Predictive validity of different selection methods

Predictive validity is the link between results or scores on a selection method and a subsequent outcome – most commonly job performance at a future point

Different selection methods can be combined in order to get a higher validity

Source: Pilbeam and Colbridge (2006) summary of the predictive validityof selection methods based on the findings of various research studies

Why are personality and intellect important?

The current challenges1

Accelerated growth with tighter budgets

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The challenge: How to achieve the business objectives with limited assessment resources?

The cost of getting recruitment wrong

• One conservative estimate is that “bad” recruitment will cost Skanska circa £10,000,000 in two years – including direct cost only, excluding lost opportunities, management time etc.

• Psychometrics that identify those candidates most likely to perform well in the workplace dramatically reduce the chance of making a selection error.

The challenge in recruiting STEM candidates

• We are all fighting over the same, small candidate pool

• Need to look beyond academic qualification alone

• Widen the diversity of candidates

• More innovative in how we source and assess candidates

• Extend the assessment criteria to include potential

The challenges…….

Limited assessment

resource

Transient and busy resourcing team

Limited line manager knowledge

Different businesses with their own cultures

and challenges

Restrictions from Skanska AB

Low margin

The requirements…….

Limited assessment

resource

Transient and busy resourcing team

Limited line manager knowledge

Different businesses with their own cultures

and challenges

Restrictions from Skanska AB

Low margin

Works and provides consistency across all

business units

Is affordable

Is easy to administer with limited training

Empowered line managers to make better decisions

Provide user friendly, jargon- free

reports for line managers

Psychometric data aligned to our Leadership competencies

The requirements…….

Limited assessment

resource

Transient and busy resourcing team

Limited line manager knowledge

Different businesses with their own cultures

and challenges

Restrictions from Skanska AB

Low margin

Works and provides consistency across all

business units

Is affordable

Is easy to administer with limited training

Empowered line managers to make better decisions

Provide user friendly, jargon- free

reports for line managers

Psychometric data aligned to our Leadership competencies

Pragmatic

Designing a new approach2

Pragmatic Approach Required

• A solution that utilises sifting stages to minimise resource, save time.

• A solution that minimises our likelihood of getting decisions “wrong”

• A solution we can also use for development

• A solution we can use for on boarding and induction

• A solution which will aid our drive to being a leader in diversity

Talent Q assessments that were selected

ElementsMeasures: verbal, numerical and logical reasoning

Why?Sifting toolAdaptiveQuick to complete

DimensionsAssesses key behaviours at work

Why?Mapped with Skanska Leadership frameworkEasy to understand reportsAdditional report optionsAvailable in 44 languages

Adherence to Skanska AB

• Leadership Profile mapped against Dimensions

• The language is familiar• One report supports four

leader role types• One assessment for all

Operating Units• Identifying competencies

critical to Skanska Sweden

Creation of line manager reports

Jargon free, line manager friendly reports

Implementing by encouragement3

For line managersWorkshops and encouragement

• Introduction to psychometrics

• Rationale of using the assessments

• Getting the best out of the customised report

For the Resourcing Team

• Psychometric training where required

• Completion of the assessments

• System customised for ease of use

Personality assessment

Cognitive ability test

Self-Evaluation

Questionnaire

Semi Structured interview

Structured to try and Validation of psychometric by useof interview guide Measures cognitive

ability/problem solving skills and abstract reasoning

Gives important input to structured interview

Includes a mixture of values mining, self evaluation of strengths and

development priorities.

The Skanska UK assessment combines four strong selection methods…

Feedback so far…….

“This is the best that Skanska is doing globally”

“Assessment has started conversations”

“I now know what I am looking for when recruiting

“I am now seen as a real strategic partner”

This is just the first step

• This solution will continue to be improved and developed• Integration with Taleo to provide seamless candidate experience

and reduce resource effort further• Desire to develop further reports aligned to the Graduate and

line manager frameworks• Plans to develop on-boarding report from Dimensions• Feedback to date from line managers is extremely positive and

uptake is rising.• Skanska UK are leading the company in this advancement –

potential to extend to other countries

How could psychometrics help me?

• Looks beyond candidates’ academic achievements • Provides objectivity around decision-making• Reduces the cost of hiring

• Sifting out at earlier stages• Hiring the wrong people

• Establishes a consistency around the interview • Provides supports to the line manager

• Customised reports• Off the shelf role profile reports

• Help resourcing partner’s become strategic partners rather than operational

What next?The future4

Skanska’s Diversity & Inclusion video (please click to play)

And then?

info@talentqgroup.com www.talentqgroup.com+44(0)1844 218980