Motivations uncover if an applicant strives to do a good job to (a) make lots of money, (b) provide customer service, (c) do creative work, (d) exert power or control, or (e) increase knowledge.

C = Character Tests Did you ever hire someone who had a lousy work ethic? Stole from your company? Abused alcohol or drugs? That cost you loads of money and time! Character tests help managers avoid hiring problem employees. Such tests predict an applicant’s attitudes on work-related character: 1. Work Ethic 2. Trustworthiness 3. Substance Abuse

When you hire a “good apple” -- and avoid hiring a “bad apple” – you make a big difference in productivity and profits.

Customize Tests You Use It is highly recommended you customize abilities and behavior tests for each job in your company. Do this by conducting a benchmarking study.

Example: Let’s say you want to hire profitable, productive sales reps. Start by testing some of your current sales reps. Statistically pinpoint your superstar sales reps’ typical test scores. Then, when you test applicants, you quickly will see if applicant scores similar to – or different than – your superstar sales reps.

You, of course, would prefer to hire applicants (1) whose test scores are similar to your superstars’ test scores – plus also (2) impress you in interviews and other assessments. However, you would avoid hiring an applicant whose test scores are much different than your superstars’ test scores.

6 Steps to Hire Best You can hire best using pre-employment tests by following these steps: Step 1: Find a skilled testing expert with strong professional credentials and expertise. Just as you only want a skilled surgeon to perform surgery on you, you only want a skilled testing professional to help you, usually someone with a Ph.D. in testing.

Step 2: List jobs for which your company will profit if you hire highly productive employees.

Step 3: With your testing expert’s help, find tests that are (a) job-related, (b) valid, (c) reliable, and (d) customizable for jobs listed in Step 2.

Step 4: Customize tests with your testing expert’s guidance. Statistically uncover test scores of your superstar employees in each job listed in Step 2.

Step 5: Test applicants – and show preference for hiring applicants who score similar to your company’s most profitable, productive, superstar employees.

Step 6: Benefit from increasing profits and productivity when you hire best.

© Copyright 2005 Michael Mercer, Ph.D.

Just as you must recognize that in give-and-take of leadership encounters, you'll occasionally get angry, you should also recognize that such anger is your great opportunity. An opportunity for you to achieve great results.

To understand this, I want you to remember David Coffin and Aristotle.

When writing my book, Executive Speeches: 51 CEOs Tell You How To Do Yours, I interviewed C.E.O. David Coffin who said, "I'm patient, reasonable, even tempered. But once my patience runs out, I give my best talks. .... Something has to be done. You want to get it done!"

I counsel leaders that great results happen in realm of free choice of people you lead and that to give people choices, leaders should be "patient, reasonable, even tempered." They should also be great listeners and adapt at asking good questions ... most of time.

Occasionally, however, leaders must let their patience run out. They must get angry and show people they're angry ... because something has to be done and they want it done!

However, just getting angry and communicating that anger is not enough to seize opportunity that anger can provide. That's where Aristotle comes in. Aristotle wrote in Nicomachean Ethics: "Anyone can be angry. That is easy. But to be angry with right person, to right degree, at right time, for right purpose, in right way -- that is not easy."

If you get angry, think of David Coffin and Aristotle. Be angry with right person, to right degree, at right time, for right purpose, in right way -- and you'll find you're getting increases in results.

2005 © The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. All rights reserved.