Assessment: the talent detector

In a labour market where the unemployment rate is now reaching historic lows, it is becoming increasingly difficult to attract and retain employees.

"The challenge of tomorrow is not finding clients, but finding the resources to serve them."

​Thierry Prick, former CEO of Clinitex

The talent shortage is now a major concern for large companies and SMEs alike in French-speaking Switzerland, and this phenomenon is unfortunately not going to ease any time soon. The retirement of the baby boomers, changes in ways of working and the expectations of the new generations are, in particular, behind significant paradigm shifts. With HR statistics forecasting more than 400,000 vacant positions in Switzerland by 2030, it is essential to act quickly to rethink our approaches to recruitment and to promote the development of skills within our companies.

Indeed, the days when employers seemed to hold the upper hand appear to be drawing to a close.

When it comes to recruitment and internal mobility, the following question then becomes legitimate: Is it worth calling on an assessment process when, as a recruiter or manager, you already have considerable difficulty finding qualified and motivated employees?

What if it were no longer enough to find the rare gem at the snap of a finger, but instead you had to nurture, shape and showcase them? How would you feel about having played your own modest part in that?

Interesting, isn't it! By introducing this perspective, you will have understood that the use of an assessment can then become a decisive springboard in an employee's career. To achieve this, all you need to do is change the way you look at this process and give it all the resonance it deserves. Allow us to share our insight on the matter.

Our expert view

Once known for providing guarantees and locking in the fit between a candidate's profile and a role, the use of this practice now goes beyond a simple selection tool.

The assessment should now be regarded as a "potential tracker", in other words, a tool that contributes directly and proactively to the competitiveness and appeal of your company by helping you, as its name suggests, to detect the potential talents hidden within your walls and, above all, to retain them!

The same is true of external recruitment, where the involvement of a neutral perspective makes it possible to lend legitimacy to the selection process, to contribute to the company's reputation, to ease the new employee's integration and to ensure their potential is intelligently nurtured by attending to their needs, right from the very first impression.

As a guardian of your employer brand, the use of the assessment should be seen as a support tool forming an integral part of a much broader HR strategy, alongside and complementing approaches such as:

• Putting in place training programmes

• Onboarding, development and reinforcement coaching

• Team building to cultivate constructive team dynamics

• The practice of empowering management that embodies the company's values

As you will have understood, it is therefore a means of bringing to light development needs that then need to be supported, whether as part of an internal mobility programme or when making new hires.

Our value proposition

Whether it is a selection, development or review assessment, Valeur Plus has developed three levels of depth in order to respond to the diversity of situations encountered, the professional contexts identified and the profiles of the employees / candidates being assessed:

• Assessment Starter

• Assessment Premium

• Assessment Exclusive

From the employee to the top manager, taking in the roles of project managers, specialists and front-line managers, each profile has the bespoke assessment that suits them. Here is a brief overview:

This supportive, beneficial and constructive approach to the assessment forms part of a virtuous process of which our experts are fully convinced:

The aim of these steps is to offer your employee or candidate genuinely attractive and stimulating prospects for development, which will enable you to stand out by drawing on an informed perspective, a well-managed HR process and high-quality support.

Indeed, this forms part of a company vision that must be championed at every level, in pursuit of a common goal: a motivated, competent and committed employee is, and will remain, the best of ambassadors.

The same is true of the candidate who is not selected, but whose experience will nonetheless have been professional, pleasant and rich in insight.

Would you like to find out more about our assessment offering or about the support options that Valeur Plus provides for your teams? Do not hesitate to get in touch.

Written by Johanne Ciccarone, Managing Director