“Realistic Job Previews” Can Be a Useful Tool for Measuring a Prospective Employee’s Transferable Task-based Skills

by Stacey Lett, Director of Operations, Eastern U.S. – Proactive Technologies, Inc.

The hiring process can be difficult for both the employer and the prospective employee. A wrong decision can cost each party a lot of time, money and opportunity. It seems reasonable to believe that some of the “hasty turnover” currently being experienced by employers – new-hires quitting in the first few days of employment – may be due to the shock of discovering the real nature, culture, requirements and environment of the job. An unwanted outcome based on the employer not providing an accurate picture of the job, work environment and work expected to be performed can be avoided with a “Realistic Job Preview.” (“RJP”).

Wikipedia points out that “Empirical research suggests a fairly small effect size, even for properly designed RJPs (d = .12), with estimates that they can improve job survival rates ranging from 3–10%. For large organizations in retail or transportation that do mass hiring and experience new hire turnover above 200% in a large population, a 3–10% difference can translate to significant monetary savings. Some experts (e.g., Roth; Martin, 1996) estimate that RJPs screen out between 15% and 36% of applicants.

When RJPs are less effective, “According to researchers there are four issues that challenge RJP:

1. Recruiters do not share RJPs during interviews. (Rynes, 1991)
2. The nature of “realistic” information shared (in lab research or in the field) is unclear (Breaugh & Billings, 1988)
3. Not asking the right questions.
4. Applicants consistently report desiring more specific, job-relevant information than they commonly receive (Barber & Roehling, 1993; Maurer, Howe, & Lee,1992)

In addition to this there is a chance for realistic job preview to become more effective in order to eliminate turnovers. The presentation format and timing of the RJP can be improved whether the real information is provided early on or later in the recruitment factor. Consequently, more specific topic should be addressed, and information sources used (e.g. incumbent subject matter expert currently in the job classification versus human resource staff person).”

RJPs come in many forms; from the very simple for less-complex job classifications and areas and responsibilities to sophisticated RJPs for the highly technical job classifications with high levels of responsibility. An RJP consists of both positive and negative information regarding the position in order to give individuals a realistic view of employment with the company. Companies that employ realistic job previews provide information so that job candidates can make an informed decision about a position. If it is structured to do so, the RJP can help provide the employer with a wealth of information about whether the candidate is suitable for the work environment, work culture, and has the core skills as well as any transferable task-based skills that would expedite bringing a new-hire “up to speed.”

A good RJP has layers that cover the different aspects of the position and sufficiently addresses the important areas of:

1. Work Environment – hours of work, work area esthetics, the ambient noise within which work will have to be performed, the shifts, the personal protective equipment that must be worn while performing tasks, etc.;

2. Work Culture – an introduction to a representative sample of the people the candidate might work with, an overview of company policies regarding major issues of employment (such as supervision, hours of work, drug and alcohol policies, etc.);

3. Work to Be Performed – a sampling of the tasks to be performed for the position they would be hired.

Human Resources departments that practice some form of RJP more often touch on aspects of the first and second area listed, as time and resources allow, during the interview. After narrowing down the pool of respondents to the top 3 – 6, more detail can be provided on these areas to the prospective employee as well as measures for employability and suitability administered through representative task exposure and task performance assessment.

If the employer has in place a system of structured on-the-job training such as the PROTECH© system of managed human development provides, one the many reports generated from the job/task analysis data called the “On-the-Job Training Checksheet” makes evaluating a candidate for employment accurate and offers the candidate complete listing of all the critical tasks that make up the job classification for which they are applying. Tasks are listed in groupings called “Duty” areas based on type and relationship and every task has a corresponding On-The-Job Training Checklist – with the task’s best practice procedure and related information – used after hiring and during structured on-the-job training.

In a RJP session, the area supervisor or lead incumbent employee can tour the area with the candidate and explain, using the OJT Checksheet, the areas in which the work will be performed and types of tasks the employee will encounter in the job classification. This will allow the reviewer to gauge and document relevant, transferable expertise gained from other employment. The reviewer can use the tasks listed in the Duty area called “General Equipment” to find out which of the general industry and job-specific tools and equipment the employee has already used competently – to understand how much time can be saved in the start-up to structured on-the-job training, if hired. Any tasks for which the candidate expressed or demonstrated competency during the RJP can be verified and certified once hired and formally enrolled in the structured on-the-job training.

Once established, RJPs can be used to attract potential employment candidates to future employment. Programs such as internship partnerships with local training institutions can be an obvious extension of RJPs with a little broadening to the scope. Cultivating a future source of labor is becoming a popular theme for employers worried about turnover, a shrinking labor pool and a growing competition for skilled candidates.

If assessment instruments are used in the hiring process, the job/task analysis data collected to create the structured on-the-job training program can be used to find, select and “content validate” the instruments. Several PROTECH generated reports provide the data necessary to do this, as Proactive Technologies has witnessed through collaboration with its partner related technical instruction providers that provide and facilitate assessment instruments for employers.

Adding a “Work to be Performed” component to the JPR, which works concurrently as a preview for the candidate and an inventory of the candidate for the employer of transferability and appropriateness, will focus the process for both parties. For the employer, finding out after hiring that a new employee does not have enough core skills and task-based transferable skills to make the transition work for both parties is a sad, costly outcome and the process needs to be repeated for a new candidate which repeats the costs. Given the high returns on a relative low, decreasing investment for each time used, every employer should consider adding a task-based preview component to their hiring process.

To find out more on how the PROTECH© system of managed human resource development provides tools to support realistic job previews through worker training and certification, visit the Proactive Technologies, Inc. website and/or Contact Us