EY GDS’ Assessment Strategy Goes Beyond Just Recruitment; Sreesukhi Sudarshan Explains How

Assessments are a crucial part of the HR strategy as they help in a strategic analysis of existing workplace policies, programs, and practices and identify key issues and opportunities that can improve the organisation’s overall effectiveness.

It goes without saying that assessment is a crucial part of the HR strategy. From assessment of the candidates during the recruitment stage to assessing policies and learning modules, it plays a significant role throughout the employee lifecycle. 

Before diving into the part of the assessment, we need to understand HR strategy. In simple terms, HR strategy is the roadmap designed to address and manage the organisational goals, specifically with people at its center. The reason for creating the strategy is to support the larger business goal.

Where does assessment come into the picture?

Assessment starts from within. By that, I mean the department’s assessment is crucial to understand where it stands and what it will take to reach the objectives the larger organisation sets. The general practice is to utilise the assessment results to work on the areas of improvement. As I mentioned, it is an important step in every decision-making stage. Here are some of the essential areas of assessment.

Also read: Implementing Assessment Tools? Lessons To Take From Gamification

Assessment in recruitment:

Every HR professional knows the importance of assessment while recruiting. It can make or break an applicant’s candidature and helps the organisation get the right candidate through its doors. The methodologies to assess a candidate depends on the organisation and the nature of the role. Still, overall, there has been a shift in the process triggered by the technology boom we witnessed during the pandemic. 

At GDS, we use various tools and technologies to assess behaviour traits, leadership skills, and domain knowledge. The process has become faster, more personalised, and provides valuable data that can be used to improve the process. We measure process efficiencies through in-house Robotic process automation. In addition, we also tend to get a lot of CRM data from agencies, social media, employee referrals, etc. We have tools in place to analyse those and map the candidates to the role. 

HR technology and assessment:

Technology plays a crucial role in assessment. Not only are there applications that gather essential data, but the technologies revolutionising the HR space are being assessed for their usefulness. The results are helping improve the capabilities of these technologies. For example, in the recruitment process, technologies predict early dropouts, allowing HR professionals to have candidates as backups. Technology is also being used to bridge the wage gap. 

At GDS, we have an integrated framework linked to fair compensation and inclusive decisions.  

We identified and applied the right approaches and technologies, which helped us quickly alleviate hiring pain points. We achieved our goals with the help of critical data that enabled hiring improvement. Today, with a diversified recruitment strategy, we are recruiting from different parts of the country and underrepresented yet deserving groups. After all, we strive to have a diverse group of individuals with a common purpose while ensuring a good candidate experience. 

While our in-house tools have been helping us bridge the gaps in recruitment, we are also using tools like Pymetrics, which assesses the competencies and aptitude of candidates using a digital psychometric assessment based on game technology. We have also deployed HireVue, a video interviewing technology that allows us to assess the candidate’s cognitive aptitude abilities, helping us map the suitable candidates for the right team and role. 

While our in-house tools have been helping us bridge the gaps in recruitment, we are also using tools like Pymetrics, which assesses the competencies and aptitude of candidates using a digital psychometric assessment based on game technology. We have also deployed HireVue, a video interviewing technology that allows us to assess the candidate’s cognitive aptitude abilities, helping us map the suitable candidates for the right team and role. 

Assessment for learning and development:

One of the most important aspects of a candidate experience is learning, which facilitates upskilling, re-skilling, and cross-skilling. But how do we know if the learning and development program we offer to our people is helping them and is something they need to develop in their careers? That’s where assessment plays a part. 

At EY, we provide customised learning programs that help our people upskill in their sectors. In addition, our EY Badges program is designed for people to customise their learning plan per their areas of interest. So, as an HR professional, if I’m inclined toward learning about technology, I can take up a technology-related badge and so on.

Not only does it help the learning and development teams customise the learning plan per the employee requirements, but it also helps measure the effectiveness of the programs being offered and improve the existing modules and programs. 

Also read: Building a Strong Employer Brand Isn’t The Job Of Just One Team; EY GDS’ Syeda Meher Taj Reveals Why

In measuring employee performance:

Regular review and assessment of employee performance is a common practice followed by most organisations. It acts as a positive reinforcement for employees for a job well done and helps them improve on the areas that need development.

At GDS, we have employed a performance management system that provides standardised metrics that allow us to perform assessment and helps provide valuable insights into the recruitment strategy. 

We believe a culture of appreciation plays a big part in enhancing employee performance.  We have built a culture of appreciation through enhanced recognition programs, digital platforms, and a plethora of benefits to provide holistic wellbeing support.

Career advancement and movement:

Performance is tied to career advancement, and assessment plays a pivotal role in this process. The metrics and measures used to analyse performance help the organisation make the right choice when several candidates are running for the same position. It helps determine the x-factor needed to move to the next level and helps narrow down the candidate best suited for it.

Through skill mapping, we open avenues for employees willing to explore new opportunities within the organisation. 

Creating a personalised experience:

We live in an era of hyper-personalisation. No two people need the same thing. In such a situation, assessing the benefits offered can help find results that can revolutionise the benefits strategy. The assessment can be done through in-person meetings with the team or a mass survey. It always helps find the audience’s pulse. 

GDS provides customised benefits to our people that they can pick and choose from to a large extent. Whether it’s a flexible insurance plan or wellness-related training programs, we try to cater to our people’s needs and learn about them through assessments. It also helps create customised plans that cater to their individual needs, which is beneficial to the employers and the employees in the long run.

Assessing employee engagement with the organisation:

When it comes to understanding the pulse of the people within the organisation, assessment is the only way to find out how they feel about being a part of your organisation. It allows your people to communicate their requirements and expectations, and the HR teams need to find out the loopholes and work on closing them to create a great employee experience. We conduct annual surveys to get our people’s pulse, which has helped us develop new plans that cater to our people’s needs. The survey includes questions regarding their experience in the fiscal and areas that they feel can be improved. Based on the results, we make changes that help enhance the employee experience. 

Assessment that triggers policy changes:

Policies act as decision-making guidelines. With the regular evaluation of policies, the HR function can alter them per the hour’s requirement and needs. For example, policies that are not inclusive can be rectified if they are assessed and changed at times. In these evolving times, it is essential to determine policies regularly. For example, an internal assessment helped us understand and remove biases from policies that favoured one gender, resulting in inclusive policies.

Assessment of customers and stakeholders:

Feedback is also a kind of assessment used to understand what the customers and stakeholders expect from the organisation and where the organisation stands in terms of their expectations. This also facilitates process improvement. 

Whether it’s organisational structure, work environment, or organisational policies, assessment is a crucial step that can be taken towards understanding the pulse and addressing any loopholes that might exist. As I said earlier, every organisation is different. The methodologies used to assess may also vary, but it is one step that can help the organisation in the long run. When the results and the data derived from the assessment are put to the proper use, it can take the organisation to the next level.