Leading wireless carrier improves productivity and delays expansion costs

Challenges:

Imagine the challenge of processing 100,000 job applicants annually to find the top few to best represent your company in interactions with approximately 16.3 million customers. That is the challenge that faces one of the leading U.S. wireless communications providers.

Solution:

The carrier turned to the PreVisor staff of Organizational Psychology experts to conduct a detailed job analysis using one-on-one observations, focus group discussions, and call center personnel to determine the knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics of a successful call center agent.

The resulting PreVisor Selection System evaluated characteristics such as resilience, friendliness, focus, sustained energy, and high tolerance for repetitive problems. PreVisor designed a battery of tests and an interactive simulated collections scenario assessment built to the carrier’s needs. The self-explanatory test requires no supervision. In fact, if an applicant requires assistance with the test, the struggle becomes an indicator in and of itself.

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Global credit card issuer sees $1 million increase in sales for every 100 PreVisor-hired agents

Challenges:

A leading global credit card company was investing too much money and time training newly-hired call center agents who where only staying with the job for less than 90 days. Further, the call center associate selection process did not clearly assess new agents for sales skills or sales aptitude. Additionally, a recently-announced corporate initiative was calling for a boost in customer satisfaction.

Solution:

The credit card provider engaged PreVisor to audit the company’s applicant selection process for ways to redefine the quality of new hires, reduce turnover, increase sales and improve customer service. Using surveys, interviews, observations and measurements, PreVisor’s team of Organizational Psychology experts conducted research to determine the knowledge, skills, abilities and other attributes held by its highest performing agents. PreVisor recommended various skills tests and behavioral assessments to best measure these attributes. After 21 months of the pilot program, PreVisor conducted a validation study to correlate actual performance with the assessment scores.

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Better associates make holidays happier for BJ’s Wholesale Club

Challenges:

The holiday season is like show time for BJ’s Wholesale Club®, one of the leading U.S. member-based retail chains. To support increased sales, the company must hire thousands of seasonal associates. Having top-performers on board from the beginning of the season through January can generate huge payoffs in revenue. BJ’s turned to PreVisor to determine an assessment solution that would identify the best candidates to hire for this fast-paced seasonal work.

Solution:

PreVisor first determined several valuable traits, including being reliable, friendly and solution-oriented, as predictors of on-the-job performance. Next, they created a customized selection solution that would accurately measure these attributes in candidates. PreVisor then tested the selection solution on existing employees to validate their efficacy.

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AirTran shortens training time, reduces labor costs and improves customer experience

Challenges:

The second-largest low-fare airline in the U.S., AirTran Airways®, receives more than six million incoming calls annually. So when it was reported that it was taking newly hired call-center agents longer than 90 days to achieve optimum performance standards, management took notice.

Solution:

AirTran looked to PreVisor to help develop a selection solution that could accurately predict on-the-job performance in a call center environment. After conducting an analysis of the AirTran Call Center agent’s job, PreVisor recommended that candidates be put through a battery of three assessments. The first assessment would measure basic skills, such as math and reading comprehension. The second assessment would evaluate soft skills, such as trustworthiness, conscientiousness and cooperation. The third assessment would be an actual call center scenario, using the pressure of a telephone call to test emotional intelligence, listening, computer aptitude, and problem-solving skills.

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The County of Riverside California cuts application-to-interview processing time by 75%

Challenges:

Many government entities react slowly to the world around them. Riverside County, California, defies this stereotype. In fact, the county enjoys a reputation as a responsive employer & is ranked among an elite group of 150 U.S. companies chosen as “Great Places to Work.”1 But, it wasn’t always this way. For years, the HR department depended on paper-based testing to process up to 200 applicants a day. Manually rating, ranking & processing candidates was time intensive & cumbersome & the time that passed between a candidate applying for a position & the candidate being hired took too long.

Solution:

Using PreVisor™ skills tests and psychometric evaluations, candidates looking for work can now take a series of online assessments. Results are available instantly, and recruiters can immediately determine a candidate’s qualifications. The online testing solution also helps Riverside manage the candidate screening process by comparing applicant scores, delivering comprehensive reporting, conducting background checks, and storing applicant data for later reference. This is a great benefit to the County, because they need to process a high volume of job seekers to sustain a list of qualified, multi-skilled candidates to 50 different departments and agencies. The County also routinely uses the assessment center to allow current employees to test their own skills and certification knowledge in the areas of clerical, IT, public safety, technical and inspections expertise, trade, craft, and professional knowledge.

1. Herman Miller and Context Research conducted a two-year ethnographic study in 2002 to achieve it’s list of “Great Places to Work.”

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