1. Analyze resumes thoroughly

You get your first glimpse of a prospect’s future job performance by reading their resume. While resumes offer a general idea of the candidate’s professional background, consider a candidate’s experience along with any hard and soft skills related to the key duties of your open position to predict their potential job performance.

Resumes also provide a starting point for additional job performance tests and assessment options. For example, you can ask in-depth interview questions based on what you see in the resume. Additionally, references can verify the accomplishments listed.

2. Tailor job interview questions to predict performance

The interview process is another option to help predict job performance. You can ask specific questions that address performance expectations. Conduct structured interviews that ask the same questions in the same order for each candidate. This gives you answers to performance-related questions from each interviewee, allowing you to compare answers and assess which person may perform the duties most effectively. Using an interview scoring sheet also helps you rate how well each candidate might perform on different aspects.

When creating interview questions, evaluate the specific duties of the job and the performance metrics you plan to use once you hire a candidate. For instance, an administrative assistant generally needs to manage schedules without timing conflicts, type at a specific pace without errors, maintain the inventory of office supplies and resolve basic issues for clients. Scenario-based interviews can help you evaluate their proficiency with those duties.

3. Conduct a skills assessment

One type of job performance test for applicants is a mock activity or simulated task related to the role’s key tasks.

For example, if you’re hiring for an administrative assistant, consider giving candidates three or four typical administrative tasks. You could ask them to create an internal survey using Google Forms, schedule multiple appointments on a mock calendar or perform specific functions in Excel on a mock spreadsheet.

If you use this type of job performance test, keep these best practices in mind:

• Incorporate key skills: Prioritize skills needed for the role, and choose an activity that requires those skills.
• Use mock information: To protect your clients and confidential company information, create made-up data for these exercises.
• Keep the exercise short: While you want the activity to be detailed enough to evaluate skills, it should also be convenient for the interviewee. Give them a realistic time frame for the interview if you plan to add these mock activities.
• Set them up for success: You want candidates to have a positive experience and show their true abilities, so you should pose only clear, concise questions.
• Schedule the task later in the hiring process: Skills assessments are typically reserved for those who pass the initial candidate screening.
• Give everyone the same task: To create a consistent, fair evaluation process, ask all candidates at that stage to perform the same task. This method should give a more accurate comparison of how the candidates rank.

4. Use a job performance test

A computer-based job performance test is another way to compare candidates fairly. All candidates receive the same questions, providing a consistent tool for evaluating each candidate’s skills. You can create internal tests or use premade assessments.

5. Ask for work samples

In some fields, asking to review a job portfolio or other work samples is a good method to predict performance. Examples of work samples typically include:

• Sample lesson plans from teaching candidates
• Clips of performances from actors
• Published written work from a writer
• Designs created by a graphic designer
• A sample video clip from a video editor
• Blueprints created by an architect
• Programs developed by a software engineer
• Websites created by a web designer
• Photos taken by a photographer

6. Assess employee metrics

If you’re predicting a current employee’s job performance, you have access to details about their recent achievements and habits. This includes performance reviews, key performance indicators (KPIs) and project deliverables.

Consider the metrics you have access to as part of the routine processes for hiring within your company. For example, you can look at various sales metrics from the past year for a sales team employee. Observing the change in their sales data from year to year gives you an idea of how much they’re improving.

Employee metrics might help guide professional development efforts for the team. You might offer new tools, additional support measures and training to accelerate their achievements. If you want to promote from within for an upcoming vacancy, these metrics and past performance indicators may identify current employees who are well-suited for the role.

Best practices for predicting job performance

The following best practices help you predict performance more effectively:

• Define optimal performance for the role: It’s essential to define your expectations before you predict how well an individual can achieve those standards. Review the essential tasks listed in the job description and establish how well the candidate needs to handle those tasks. For instance, if you’re hiring for a sales position, calculate the minimum sales they need to achieve each year to satisfy your expectations.
• Identify predictors of that level of performance: You also need an idea of the indicators that could predict performance on those tasks. For example, you might look for previous success in a similar role, technical skills, soft skills and certifications related to the position.
• Use multiple sources of data: By using multiple tools to predict job performance, you might get a more accurate assessment. For instance, if you review a bookkeeper’s resume for accounting software they’ve used, ask questions about the programs they listed and have them perform a task in the software during the interview.

FAQs about predicting job performance

Which methods aren’t effective for predicting job performance?

Your first impression of a candidate may not be an accurate evaluation tool. By using various performance tests, you can better understand whether a candidate’s qualifications align with the role.

What are the benefits of predicting performance?

Predicting job performance helps you make effective hiring decisions. It offers another form of assessment that allows you to rank candidates and choose the one with the most potential. Placing employees in well-suited positions can increase productivity, improve employee retention and help with team performance and dynamics.