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Finding the right fish in the sea is a challenge...we can help!
HIRE-SAFE Employee Selection, Development and Retention program
Finding -- and keeping -- good employees is a challenge all growing businesses face. It all starts with hiring the best people possible and making sure they are successfully integrated into the company. To help, HIRE-SAFE offers a complete Internet-based system for evaluating applicants in sixteen dimensions.
With the HIRE-SAFE MultiPanel Assessment System, new opportunities have been created for companies to hire the best people for the positions you have available. As a special note, the HIRE-SAFE MultiPanel Assessment System is based entirely on the Overt Integrity approach: There are no personality-based questions -- every question is based on work-related attitudes in a workplace setting.
There Is No “Silver Bullet” for Hiring...
But Getting the Right People Takes The Right Tools
Success in business depends on hiring the right people. Sometimes, success also depends on NOT hiring the wrong people.
The trick is sorting out who should and who should not be hired. Anyone who has been around knows there is no “silver bullet.” It takes a variety of prudent business practices, which can include proper interviewing skills, calling references and background checks.
NEWS FLASH: Know The 6 Personality Types
There is one other area that is crucial – using assessments to get to know the attitudes and behaviors of the prospective employees that are predictive of their conduct on the job, their work habits and how to coach them successfully.
Targeted Largest Employee Group
Finally, there is a comprehensive assessment tool for the largest group of employees: the hourly, entry level, office and general labor groups. It works well with first line supervisory positions and lower/midlevel management positions. The HIRE-SAFE MultiPanel Attitudinal Assessment System is not intended as an executive level assessment instrument.
Background
Due diligence requires companies to develop as much information about potential employees as quickly as possible to make a rapid but prudent hiring decision. We help by expanding the amount of "intelligence" that can be known about the individual in a very short amount of time.
Our vision is to enable any hiring authority, from any location,  to administer an overt integrity assessment that has been custom-tailored for that particular position and receive the results instantly. Through the use of our assessments in position profiling, the likelihood of matching candidates to the position and developing an effective coaching/development strategy is enhanced. Generally speaking, our assessments are not intended for executive level or professional hiring purposes, but are an excellent fit for the general workplace environment.
From the perspective of content, our focus is on overt integrity instruments, or attitudinal and behavior oriented, workplace-related assessments to aid companies in the initial pre-employment aspect of the selection, development and retention of good employees. We believe that good employees start with good hires.
Technologically, we focus on interactive, real-time communications, which are powered by one-to-one database driven technologies and development strategies to enhance our competitive offerings.
HIRE-SAFE MultiPanel Workplace
Integrity & Attitudinal Assessment System
Sixteen Dimension Assessments
Ubiquitous Access with Real Time Results
The HIRE-SAFE MultiPanel Assessment System was designed with every employer in mind. Prospective employees can take the assessment over an Internet connection or over the telephone. Reports are generated immediately, and can be accessed by the hiring authority as soon as the telephone is hung up or the last question has been answered on the Internet.
Reports That Make a Difference
With the HIRE-SAFE MultiPanel Internet Reporting System you get the numbers, color graphs and written comments that focus on the Action Orientation of the individual and Coaching Tips -- a valuable tool provided with each of the eight positive indicators to help picture how the applicant might fit in to your work environment. Telephone reports are succinct, fast and like all HIRE-SAFE assessment products -- available immediately. To see a sample report, click here.
Fully Validated
Each "panel" (what some psychologists call a "form" or "factor") is fully validated, and a copy of the validation reports is available in Adobe Acrobat format here.
THE POSITIVE INDICATORS
 Assertiveness:
In understanding how an individual will interact with and work with others, it is beneficial to identify how assertive he or she is in work related relationships. A person who is assertive is disposed to, or characterized by, bold or confident actions. Highly assertive people place a higher value on getting the job done than in preserving the status quo. We measure confidence, perception of their success, ability to admit mistakes and prioritizing their objectives above the demands of others.
 Influence:
Certain jobs, such as sales, require that an individual be comfortable with influencing others in making decisions. The Influence dimension looks at an individual’s attitudes towards influencing behavior and interest as well as a need for recognition. The influence dimension helps quantify the impact of recognition by others on the applicant and their warmth toward others.
 Steadiness / Dependability:
The dependability panel measures an individual’s attitude toward the quality of their work, loyalty, self-discipline and results orientation at work.
 Attention to Detail (Gestalt):
Two characteristics that are at opposite ends of the spectrum are Attention to Detail and Work Pace. Attention to Detail reflects an individual’s desire to be complete, precise and perfectly, often at the expense of getting a job done quickly. In positions where precision is required, Attention to Detail is a highly desirable characteristic. Persons who score high are often perceived as perfectionists.
 Work Pace (Kinesthetic):
Work pace, or "kinesthetic" measures an individual’s inclination towards working quickly, in a fast paced environment, sometimes with less regard for attention to details. In positions where work is fast-paced or speed counts, a high score in Work Pace is a highly desirable characteristic. Persons who score low in Work Pace will experience more stress if placed in work environment requiring a fast work pace. We recommend that both the Attention to Detail and Work Pace panels be administered together, with the higher score being considered the dominant behavior.
 Customer Service:
Successful companies understand the importance of taking good care of the customer. The customer service panel focuses on the applicant’s attitude toward helping and taking care of the customer. A high score indicates someone who values going above and beyond for customers.
 Energy:
Positions that require long hours and sustained levels of intensity benefit from high energy workers. This dimension measures the applicant’s reported level of energy and the value they place on working overtime. High energy people typically work late, take work home with them and may be involved in numerous volunteer committees and functions.
 Supervisor Attitude:
The supervisor panel focuses on the applicant’s attitude toward helping and working with the supervisor. This is also an indicator regarding whether an individual will respond well to close supervision and who values going above and beyond for their managers or supervisors.
THE NEGATIVE INDICATORS
 Theft / Honesty:
The applicant’s attitude towards workplace theft is a strong indicator for future conduct on the job and the likelihood that he or she will engage in theft once hired.
 Drug Avoidance:
By assessing the applicant’s attitude toward the use of illegal drugs in the workplace, the employer can identify potential problem areas in prospective employees who believe in the use of illegal drugs at work or approve of drinking on the job.
 Violence / Emotion:
This panel identifies attitudes in prospective employees who have acted with violence in the workplace or believe such actions are acceptable.
 Diversity:
Measuring the applicant’s attitudes toward racial, ethnic and gender diversity in the workplace helps to quantify the likelihood that he or she will react negatively if they work in a diverse work environment.
 Risk / Safety:
Worker’s compensation claims are affected by employee attitudes toward risk, safety and their attitude toward authority in the workplace. This panel measures and quantifies these attitudes in the applicant and quantifies the likelihood that what they find acceptable in themselves and others can create safety problems and injuries in themselves and others. NOTE: Validated for workers with less than 2 years college education.
 Tenure:
Not all potential employees are interested in staying with a company, nor do they value working with a company for an extended period of time. This panel measures the applicant’s attitude toward staying or quitting a job soon after being hired. NOTE: Validated for workers with less than 2 years college education.
 Dependability:
Dependability here measures the applicant’s attitude toward showing up for work on time and consistently.
 Customer / Supervisor Views:
This panel quantifies the applicant’s attitude toward supervision, with an emphasis on identifying antagonistic or negative reactions to supervision in a workplace environment. A negative score here indicates a higher potential for conflict with supervisors.
No Software, No Hardware, No “Clicks,”
No Gimmicks – and No Waiting!
Up to now, assessments required computers, “dongles” that fit on the printer port, diskettes or software to be installed, faxing of assessments to be scored – these all amount to hurdles or barriers to ease of use. With the integration of relational database engines, real-time scoring/reporting, computer telephony and Internet technologies, your ability to access in taking and reporting assessment results is done without the need for software, special hardware, or downloads of report “clicks.” Even the Internet component was designed to be compatible with “old” browsers.
What this means is that an office desk phone, a pay phone or a cell phone can be used to take any of our assessment instruments.
For those who use telephone access, summary reports are immediately available via telephone. Those who use the Internet to give an assessment can see a robust report as soon as the applicant completes the last question.
"Real time All the time!"
Without taking your time to install software, calculate “clicks,” move "dongles" to new machines, fax in assessments and wait for scores to come back. Just simple, instant access and immediate results.
No Muss -- No Fuss -- No Delays
Two Actual Case Studies:
A Large, Midwest Staffing Agency
One of the largest franchise owners of a nationwide temporary staffing agency was deeply concerned about the rapidly rising cost of workman’s compensation claims. As the business grew (the organization generated 9-12,000 W-2’s per year) the cost of those claims and the negative impact of sending out temp employees who did not show up, were troublesome, acted violently, could not control their emotions in the workplace or stole from the client company meant something needed to be done.
The solution they chose were the eight negative indicator panels developed by Dr. William Selkirk, now Vice President of Research and Development for Management Technology Consultants (MTC), an Indianapolis area consulting firm. Initially, a validated study was conducted using 1,865 applicants who were actually hired.
The instrument was administered to each person hired, but the hiring authorities were not told the results of the assessment. The actual work record of each of the 1,865 individuals was tracked and the psychometrics designed to meet EEOC and ADA requirements. Upon completion of the validation study, the instrument became a standard part of the hiring process.
The results were dramatic:
Quoting from the Risk & Insurance Magazine, August, 1996 “Stress Relief” (©1996 Risk & Insurance Magazine):
…In his book, Hire the Best -- & Avoid the Rest, industrial psychologist Michael W. Mercer, Ph.D., a pre-employment testing expert at the Mercer Group Inc. in Barrington, Il, recommends using such tests to identify applicants that offer the best fit for the job.
 “If you hire people who are less likely to have problems on the job, your company should greatly reduce stress claims, have less absenteeism, lower turnover and higher productivity,” says Mercer. “Hiring productive, dependable, honest employees provides the easiest, cheapest, fastest way to build a [less stressed] work force.”
William R. Selkirk, vice president of risk management at Interim Personnel in Oak Brook, ILL, a temporary services firm with 400,000 employees nationwide, agrees wholeheartedly. “Our employees are going to someone else’s building everyday. We don’t have any control over those employers’ safety culture. If we’re not doing a good job of hiring employees who fit the jobs we’re sending them to, then we’re in the same boat as the employers using our services when it comes to losses.”
To identify workers with ‘the right stuff’, Interim developed a Behavioral Attitude Survey [an earlier name for the HIRE-SAFE product] that provides a comprehensive profile of job applicants’ attitudes toward workplace safety. “We’re looking for individuals with a high ‘locus of control’ – people with a higher level of awareness who are more in-tune with their environment and are less likely to be injured on the job,” explained Selkirk.
 “Ten percent of all injuries are based on what’s going on in the company. The remainder occurs because of what’s going on inside a person’s head. By measuring job applicants’ attitudes, beliefs and behaviors, we have a better chance of engineering safety into the workplace,” he says.
After implementing the Behavioral Attitude Survey in its Chicago and Green Bay, Wis. divisions, Interim monitored job-relevant behavior from those applicants that were hired, including some who had “failed” the survey. According to Selkirk, the company reported a 66 percent reduction in workers’ comp claims, a 21 percent reduction in workers’ comp costs, a significant reduction in absenteeism, and a 21 percent reduction in customer complaints.
A Large, Nationwide Service Company
Quoting from OSHA Compliance Advisor, Issue Number 233, August 9, 1993 (©1993 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.) under the article “A Successful Experiment in Risk Control”
…In a word, the company is diverse. And so are its safety and health concerns. Selkirk says his employer began to recognize that it was spending millions (actually about $14 million annually) on major injuries - chiefly in the areas of back problems, slips/trips/falls, and stress…
…Based on work he had done while employed by ServiceMaster as a loss control specialist at an Ohio hospital, Selkirk developed the Five Star Program, a program that has demonstrated extremely impressive results in a relatively short time period….
… STAR NUMBER ONE
Stop Hiring the Wrong People
The program’s first star, or program component, is a comprehensive pre-employment screen. The company describes it this way: “ServiceMaster provides major psychological screens that help select the best employee. Good safety performance is strongly connected to productivity and quality which contributes significantly to reducing facility accident rates. The results will have dramatic impact on reducing injuries in a facility.”
…The screen looks for specific qualities including literacy, honesty, nonviolence, emotional stability, work values, and respect for authority, and can also detect a propensity for injuries. These tests meet “all relevant standards,” including those imposed by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Asked specifically about the relationship of some of these attributes to safe working behavior, Selkirk explains: “An applicant who scores low on loyalty, for example, probably lacks loyalty to policies and procedures,” including those dealing with safe work. Similarly, a person with little respect for authority is unlikely to follow safety protocols regarding the use of respirators, safety goggles, or locking out energized equipment. Such a person is very likely to disregard instructions when a supervisor’s back is turned.
The Drug Test That’s Hard to Beat
Also as part of the first star, ServiceMaster uses a psychological style test to detect drug usage… Citing National Safety Council statistics that over 40 percent of all reported workplace injuries are related to drugs or alcohol …
…Tests used by ServiceMaster seek to isolate people who, as a response to stress, reach for a pill or a drink.
The easy-to-beat question: “Do you take drugs or drink excessively” is not on the test. Rather a job applicant is asked how he or she feels about friends using drugs, for example…
…ServiceMaster suggests that companies can cut the cost of their drug testing program in two by replacing specimen tests with psychological screening….
Hazard Evaluation
Selkirk says research by ServiceMaster and other companies suggests that only 10 percent of occupational injuries, and subsequent claims, come from physical hazards. But employers spend up to 90 percent of their resources on identifying and removing “traditional” hazards like oily shop rags, improperly guarded tools, damaged equipment and the like.
The ServiceMaster equation suggests that 90 percent of the causes for slips, trips, falls and other workplace injuries are human, or behavioral factors, not the fact that a mop and pail are left in the middle of the shop floor. “That’s why we have a saying around here that goes, ‘Don’t just look at frayed cords, look at frayed lives" Selkirk says. On a practical basis, that means focusing attention on engineering hazards, as well as human factor hazards…
… Developing a Safety Culture
The true culture [of a workplace] is what workers believe, not what they have to follow,” says Selkirk…
The stress hazard is serious, and increasingly costly to both employers and their workers. Back strain, one of ServiceMaster’s biggest safety problems, is two-and-a-half times more severe and more prevalent in 'stressed out' worker’s…”
… Results Tell the Story
The ServiceMaster safety program is working. Bill Selkirk points to the experience of ServiceMaster personnel in place at Northrup Industries in California. There, the program helped reduce the total number of annual claims from 101, at a cost of $650,000, to 8 claims a year later, carrying a price tag of $32,000.
Corporate-wide, Selkirk estimates that in 25 targeted accounts where the program has been introduced, injuries have been reduced by more than 50 percent in seven months. (The targeted accounts were those ServiceMaster units with the highest level of occupational injuries.) …
… As for the bottom line, Selkirk says the company has seen a $3.6 million reduction in its injury and claims reserve (the pool of money set aside when a worker is injured to cover that injury). The result is fewer claims, plus the emphasis on prompt return to work by those who were injured...”
HIRE-SAFE assessments meet all EEOC and ADA guidelines, and are legal to be used in the United States, except for the state of Massachusetts.
Integrity Assessment Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s
VIEW a Sample Report
Request a demo on Integrity Assessment Panels
Fishing for a Lawsuit? Try Using the MMPI
Using tests NOT designed for hiring can spell trouble
©2000 Management Technology Consultants
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66% of the Workers’ Compensation claims were eliminated
21% reduction in the dollar amount of Worker’s Compensation claims
21% fewer customer complaints
100% fewer acts of emotional/violent acts in the workplace
100% fewer direct theft related behaviors
Fewer disruptive diversity issues among different races
A reduction in absenteeism behavior/no call/no shows 
No adverse impact on protected minority applicants