Every hospital that is participating in the veritable sweepstakes that is the hiring process hopes to end up choosing a winner. As challenging as this can seem, history and research both show that hospitals can easily stack the odds in their favor. The key to doing so is in understanding that people are multi-dimensional and that they bring all of the aspects that make up their “selves” to the workplace.
As hospitals begin to look at their job applicants in a more “holistic” manner, they realize that these applicants are really much more than the mere sum of their abilities. They are, in fact, a combination of skill, ability, knowledge, desire, attitude, personality, and much more. The key to selecting the right ones is to be able to tap into the applicant and gain a “holistic” view of who they are and how hiring them may potentially affect the organization.
While many aspects make up an applicant’s job performance, it is impossible to measure all of them. Thankfully, employers are able to peer into three main aspects in order to develop a profile of who the person is behind the applicant. These three main aspects, which should determine whether an applicant makes the cut when applying for a job with your organization, are:
- Can Do – Do they possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for success?
- Will Do – Will they be inclined to utilize that knowledge, skill and ability?
- Fit – Will they not only fit into your organization’s culture, but could they even add to it?
In our continuing efforts to provide a more holistic assessment package – that is, one that looks at the “whole person” rather than just at a single aspect or dimension — we have created the Prophecy suite of assessments to offer an extra dimension to pre-hire testing for your clinical positions.
In addressing the “Can Do”, “Will Do” and “Fit” issue presented earlier, this is how it works out:
| Aspect | Practical Definition | Solution | Measures |
| Can Do | Does this applicant have the skills and abilities necessary to provide safe and effective patient care? What do they know and what can they do? | Hard Skills, specifically knowledge, skill and ability | |
| Will Do | Is this applicant likely to engage in a way that will be productive? How will this person respond to the rigors of being a nurse? | Soft skills, situational judgment, interpersonal competence | |
| Fit | Is this applicant going to be a good addition to our existing team, adding to the chemistry that already exists? Who is the fundamental person behind this applicant? | Personality, behavior, attitude, propensity toward anger |
In the final analysis, organizations should realize that they are not hiring one part of a person; they are getting the whole package. Therefore, it would be advisable to look at the whole person, evaluating each aspect, so you make the best hiring decision.
Is your organization evaluating the whole person during the hiring process? Would you be interested in learning how Prophecy could help you to make the most of your hiring process? We would be very happy to review these options with you so that you can make the most informed decision about your hiring process.
Please feel free to call or email us at your convenience if you would care to discuss this or any other matter pertaining to Prophecy!
David McParland
877-773-4473 ext. 700
dmcparland@prophecyhealth.com
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