Case Study - Graduate Recruitment

Client Need

CompAssess helped a prominent financial institution to screen a large number of candidates for graduate roles for cognitive ability and cultural fit. Concerns were expressed regarding the cost per graduate appointment, availabilities of internal resources and avoiding previous experience of hiring "smart but socially inept individuals."

CompAssess Solution

CompAssess consultants developed an assessment design comprised of the following elements:

Cognitive ability testing: Each candidate was screened by completing cognitive ability tests measuring verbal critical reasoning and numerical critical reasoning on-line. The tests were administered up front to reduce the number of candidates being considered based on cognitive ability due to both its criticality and low develop ability.

Short listed candidates completed a work preference questionnaire to identify preferred team and leadership styles and to identify derailer risks. They also participated in two simulations, one designed to evaluate interpersonal effectiveness in a group situation and a one-on-one interaction simulation designed to measure the ability to influence.

CompAssess assessed all candidate materials and prepared reports detailing the demonstrable strengths and development gaps for each candidate.

CompAssess also facilitated a data integration and decision making session with the client, through which the relative merits of different candidates were debated before determining the preferred list based on organisation/job fit, cognitive and learning ability, and demonstrable interpersonal effectiveness.

Outcome

Twelve months after recruitment, 94% of graduates are still employed, with current managers reporting that, if able to revisit their decision, 86% of employed candidates would be made an offer: a strong endorsement of the success of the process.