The case for assessment……….
Building in measurement of emotions and preferred behaviour provides a platform for the interview panel to test those aspects of personality that are vital to ensure the appointment of the candidate who best fits with the organisation and who will provide good clinical leadership.
Assessment gives information about behaviours and ‘fit’
One of the recommendations from The Report of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry is that the NHS should set out a common set of core values. All staff should be required to ‘enter into an express commitment to abide by the NHS values’ to put the patient at the centre of everything that they do. It suggests that leaders must set the example of living the values and that recruitment, education and training should be enhanced to integrate those shared values. Some NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts are ahead of the game and have already developed values to which all staff subscribe.
More locally, many staff can provide examples where poor behaviour makes working in a team tense at best, dysfunctional at worst. The anecdotal examples are strongly supported by research. The importance of good team working to the quality and effectiveness of care has been emphasised in numerous reports.
Raises the level of baseline information for the selection panel
Pre-selection assessment adds another dimension to the information that an interview panel has to work with. For example, emotions and preferred behaviour can be assessed using a psychometric instrument and a verification/feedback interview; interpersonal skills can be assessed using focus group or observed multi-disciplinary discussions; the way that professionals communicate with patients can be assessed through an observed simulation exercise or using a small patient panel. The information is triangulated to provide an overview of the candidates and to suggest areas that the panel should focus on at interview.
The information is triangulated to provide an overview of the candidates and to suggest areas that the panel should focus on at interview.
Makes sense financially
According to the 2013 National Audit Office report ‘Managing Hospital Consultants’, in 2012 there were approximately 40,000 hospital consultants employed for a cost of around £5.6 billion. Given that hospital consultants may be in post for 20 to 30 years or longer, an individual consultant will cost the NHS between £2.8 million and £4.2 million. Surely that warrants expenditure of a few hundred pounds to provide additional information about that person’s likely behaviour and interpersonal skills!
an individual consultant will cost the NHS between £2.8 million and £4.2 million.
While other clinical professionals and managers tend to move around more and so the long-term financial implications of a poor appointment are less, the cost of a full assessment process is small compared to the employment costs and the cost of making the wrong appointment of a medical Consultant.
Provides a development opportunity for candidates
Candidates have commented that feedback through the verification interview or at any other stage in the process has given them food for thought and proven to be a useful development opportunity, whether they are appointed or not.
And shows that you are serious about your recruitment processes
While the main argument for assessment has to be about the practical value that it adds to the process, a robust recruitment process also demonstrates to candidates that you are serious about getting the right person for the job. Using an external organisation to provide the assessment ensures more equal opportunity to candidates less well known to the employer and also enables benchmarking with senior appointees elsewhere.
Using an external organisation to provide the assessment ensures more equal opportunity to candidates less well known to the employer
What are you experiences of assessment? What assessment practices does your organisation currently utilise?
Dearden Search and Selection specialises in supporting NHS organisations select the most talented leaders. To discuss how we can provide a tailored assessment for your senior appointments, call Sarah Banton on 01404 814 248 or email info@deardenjobs.co.uk