In order to hire the right person, you must hire for Fit.  The right person will fit the job, the industry, the work culture, and the style of management of you, the CEO.

The PXT Select looks at the whole person, so there will be no surprises.  It has strong validity and reliability and can stand any legal challenges in hiring.  Hiring for Fit creates the Ideal Work Environment where everyone is engaged, productive, and “in the zone”.

Palletone (a client for over twenty-five years) uses the PXT Select and is a company of over 1300 employees, 20 locations, and is the largest new pallet manufacturer in the U.S. (it’s huge).  But the assessment can also show you how to hire employees for small businesses and every size business in between.

The HR Manager of Palletone says she actually has people thank her after using the assessment.  And this includes people she doesn’t hire because they don’t fit.  They are grateful to know beforehand, just as the company is grateful to find out that it’s a “no fit.”  Of course, she ultimately finds great fits.

What Does the Profiles PXT Select Measure?

 

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The PXT Select Measures 3 Things:  Thinking Style, Behavioral Trait, & Interests

Let’s examine each one.

1. THINKING STYLES: 4 Cognitive Abilities

Almost all assessments have some form of basic knowledge, but most companies only want to know a baseline has been met vs. these being superpowers.  Once again, it depends on fit.

If you are an accounting firm hiring, the candidate’s numerical ability and numeric reasoning would need to be high; if you are a marketing firm, verbal skill, and verbal reasoning would need to be high.

The key thing to remember about aptitude tests is that employers rely on them merely to establish that you have sufficient reasoning and learning skills. (Chamorro-Premuzic, 2015)

Research has found that success depends more on personality than IQ (after a certain baseline) (Baer, 2016).

(As an aside, the PXT Select also allows for the Thinking Styles to be eliminated if you feel that does not serve you as an employer.)

As a general overview for this category, the PXT Select is looking at how individuals approach problem-solving, decision-making, and critical thinking.  It looks at how

they solve problems, draw conclusions, and make predictions.

Here are the specific 4 the PXT Select Tests for:

     A. Verbal Skill.   Every assessment has a vocabulary section because if you know a word, you know a concept.  Words are thinking tools and the more you know, the broader your thinking.  Can the applicant use effective and suitable word choice in communicating?

    B. Verbal Reasoning: Analyzes and communicates verbal information. It tests how words are used to create relationships between concepts and how the candidate processes messages from others, reasons, and reaches conclusions.

     C. Numerical Ability: Calculating numbers; yes, alas, Math

     D. Numeric Reasoning: Applied Math.  How a person uses numbers and calculations to solve problems.

 

2. BEHAVIORAL TRAITS:  These are measured on a continuum; They translate to behavior in the workplace

     A. Pace:  Steady vs. Urgency.  A steady person likes routine, predictability, and time to think things through carefully.  The urgent person works through tasks quickly, often multitasking.

     B. Assertiveness:  Unassuming vs. Forceful.  Is the person comfortable taking the lead and pushing hard for the ideas they believe in?  Or is the person more easygoing?

     C. Sociability:  Outgoing vs. Reserved.  Reserved prefer small groups in smaller settings.  Extroverted is much more social.

     D. Conformity:  Strong-willed vs. Compliant.  Strong-willed are often trailblazers and not attached to convention.  Compliant people will follow the rules, even if they don’t understand the reasoning behind the rules.

     E. Outlook:  Skeptical vs. Trusting.  Skeptical people are realistic but often suspicious.  Trusting people are optimistic and believe that most people and honest and good.

     F. Decisiveness: Deliberate vs. Bold.  Deliberate people analyze carefully and methodically when making decisions.  Bold people make decisions quickly and have a higher tolerance for risk.

     G. Accommodation:  Steadfast vs. Easygoing.  Steadfast people have strong opinions about how things ought to be done, while agreeable are pretty easygoing.

     H. Independence:  Autonomous vs. Reliant.  Autonomous workers want to make their own decisions and like to come and go as they please. Reliant workers prefer more supervision.

     I. Judgment: Intuitive vs. Analytical.  Intuitive people trust their own feelings and believe there’s often an emotional component to a decision.  Analytical people prefer facts, data, and concrete evidence.

 

3.  INTERESTS     When a person’s job matches their interest,  they will feel more aligned and intrinsically satisfied with the work.

     A. Creative:  Imaginative, artistic, full of ideas, interesting in designing things.

     B. Enterprising:  Enjoys leadership, presenting ideas, and persuading others.

     C. Financial/Administrative:  This is a numbers person who is very process and detail-oriented.

     D. People Service:  Collaborative, enjoys helping others and compromising when necessary.

     E. Mechanical:  Someone who likes to build or repair things.

     F. Technical:  Likes to interpret complex information, solve abstract problems and learn technical material.

 

How Does It Work?

Step 1.  Identify and assess your Top Performers

Jacklyn was loved by all the surgeons.  When Dr. Walker strolled into the room (late as usual), he introduced her and said, “I wish we had 10 of her.”  Cloning your best employees is what the PXT is about.

Decide who is outperforming peers, whether in terms of sales performance, output volume, quality metrics, customer satisfaction, or other important indicators.  You’ll be outlining the behaviors and traits that are most important to their success based on a given role.

This is your “Success Pattern” and you hire to match what you know works.

Step 2.  Create a Model for the Job

After you’ve identified the top performers and their vital attributes, you build what’s known as a “Performance Model”.  This is an objective picture of what it takes to succeed in this particular role that can impact on-the-job performance.

Step 3. Evaluate Future Candidates Against the Performance Model

This is the data-gathering part of the process.  Through careful assessment, you can gauge each potential candidate on how strong they are in the attributes identified in the model you just created.  You know just what to look for when trying to essentially clone top performers, your data is objective and you can even compare one candidate against another to see who fits the bill best.

Finally, three precautions before aligning your workplace with Fit.

1. As wonderful as it is to find top talent, one of the best benefits of the PXT Select is avoiding the wrong hire.  In the long run, avoiding the bad hire will save you more than getting the good hire.
2. Toxic work environments need to be adjusted because you do not want them replicated over and over again as you hire.  Fortunately, there is a solution with the PXT Select Assessment.  When you are creating your Success Pattern,https://bankyourknowledge.com/toxic-work-environments-not-every-problem-is-a-fit-issue/ you have the option to create a Performance Model that tilts your culture in the direction that you want.  The best part about this assessment is its flexibility and how customizable it is.
3. Before you spend precious employee training dollars, it’s best to get the right people in the right place.  And then train.  Employee Fit before employee training.

FAQ:  Frequently Asked Questions about the Profiles PXT Select

1. Can the Tests Be Manipulated?

No, good tests have a built-in system that guarantees the results are objective and the test is measuring what it says it will measure.  Job applicants who misrepresent themselves are quickly identified.  There is a “Distortion Scale” score at the bottom of each assessment that gauges from 1-10 the level of misrepresentation.

This serves as a built-in “red flag” system that tells you things are off.  The reports flag the possibility of distortion so the hiring manager or CEO can place extra emphasis on those questions during the interview to assess whether the person’s experiences align with their assessment results.

2. How Much Does the PXT Select Cost?

295.00/each

Contact us if you are interested in buying in volume

3. What’s the Minimum Number I Can Use?

Five.  You need at least three employees to test and then a Performance Model and a Job Analysis Survey can be used to complete your Success Pattern.

Any less than three employees and the instrument will not work optimally.  That said, even a small number of assessments give you a starting point.

The larger the sample (the greater the number of candidates tested), the greater the accuracy.  In research lingo, it’s called Sample Size.  Researchers know that trustworthy results come from a sample size that is “representative.”

Palletone (the company I mentioned earlier) has been using the PXT Select for over 25 years with hundreds of candidates, so their predictive value and results are incredibly precise.

4. Are There Other Resources that Can Help Me Create a Success Pattern?

Yes, we have a Performance Model Library with 180 Success Patterns that have been developed over the years covering many industries and jobs.  They are always available to facilitate the process.

5. Do You Have Any Case Studies?

Yes, the case studies show how the PXT Assessment is used in real life.  The more you use it, the more you will be amazed by its powers of prediction.

Click here to read about case studies.

Can you Help Me in Hiring for Integrity?

Yes.  Hiring for Fit is critical, but so is Hiring for Integrity and Character.  Learn more here.