Pearson Talent's software to help staff retention

To keep on hiring the right people with right proficiency, at a time when it is high volume hiring as in the BPO and ITeS sectors, it is automation that can ensure that the right people are hired, and consistently. Automation increases turnaround time and decision-making time too.

Meanwhile, it also saves on the company’s internal resources. While Pearson Talent Assessments, a global assessment company, has had automation for voice tests while hiring, is now moving beyond that to written test which is expected to test the communication skills too of the candidate. Pearson Assessment, that owns the Wechsler, Raven’s and Beck series of tests, is known for its psychological assessment tools.

It is now set to launch its Advanced Speech Processing Technology in India which is a psycho-linguistic programming. In March, 2011, it is planning to tool — Sosie, which the company claims will be a product that could help increase the retention and stickiness of the employees by trying to get a better fit for a job.

While its tools are developed outside the country, it is always working to standardise them for a given geography. In India, it has five psychologists working constantly to adapt to Indian conditions.

While the company now follows a revenue model of fee per usage, it is contemplating a licence model. “As automation is less dependent on evaluators, companies save time and at the same time issue of fatigue is not there during recruitment,” said Sushil Eapen, MD, Pearson Talent Assessment India.

Meanwhile, HR is being seen as driving business goals of companies and also as a strategic partner. It’s contributions are being seen as strategic with HR needing to be a commercial partner, and not just contribute to strategic business partner.

HR is presently building models what it should be like. It not aligned to business strategy, then it cannot function. But, HR has been evolving. Human Resource has come a long way from the periods when good HR practices meant paying people on time.

But, as a business partner, it needs to be commercially focussed and speak the language of business. With this being the case, just as business which is about measurement, HR should also talk of business matrix. If HR can’t show the link, then it can’t show the matrix.

In psychology, it speaks of how you measure people. It can measure cognitive and preferences. Industrial out-look too can influence contribution to business. HR needs to be made aware of that. It should illustrate business impact of HR.

“You need clear performance management or you get disgruntled employees,” said Gluyas, a senior consultant with Kenexa. Kenexa, engaged in human capital management solutions and services, through their research has found that the highly talented people when recruited into a company need to have their needs met in 30 days, or they will quit in 90 days.

Kenexa spends about $25 million or about a quar-ter of its resources on R&D globally. Of the strength of about 1,500, probably 250 people in the company are psychologists. In psychometry tool you need validation and reliability.