You are excited about the prospect of using assessments within your organization. You are ready to begin interviewing vendors who carry the type of assessments you want to use. So, where do you start? What questions do you ask to make sure it is a good fit? These HR-tailored questions will ensure that you get the information you REALLY need to make a savvy decision: 1. What tools do you offer and what do they measure? These answers should come easily to the vendor and be crystal clear. Beware of run-on or ambiguous answers. 2. How long have you worked with these tools? What specific training or certifications do you hold related to these tools? How often are you re-trained or re-certified? These questions are extremely important if you are looking for a vendor with a proven track record who will serve as your assessment resource. You want to make sure that your vendor continues to update his or her skills about the tools and is committed to the tools for the long haul. 3. When were the tools last validated and could you provide me with up-to-date validity and reliability studies? The vendor may not have these answers handy or off the top of their head, but should assure you that he or she will follow up with this information. 4. What are the three most common ways your clients use the assessments? This question will give you a better understanding of how others use the tools and whether they are consistent with your goals. 5. What specific ROI or results have your clients experienced using the tools? This information will give you a good sense about the vendor's experience in assisting clients in measuring the ROI or results using assessments. 6. How do you support your client's continued assessment learning? For example, what training opportunities do you offer and what are the costs associated with this type of training? The vendor should be able to share with you how you can develop your skills working with the tool in the future. Great vendors will offer continued training and help organizations and HR departments become virtually self-sufficient in using assessments. 7. Tell me about a time when an assessment process, launch, or program wasn't successful. What did you do? You want to ask the vendor how he or she responds to adverse assessment experiences. Not all assessment programs are successful, no matter how skilled the vendor is or how well the tool is designed. How the vendor responds to these types of situations is usually a good indicator of their skills and comfort as a provider of assessments. 2009 Jessika M. Ferm & J.Ferm, LLC Jessika M. Ferm is a writer, coach, speaker, and consultant on leadership, management, and HR topics and is known for her "no frills no fluff" approach to sharing information. She is the President of J.Ferm, LLC, an international leadership consulting firm and is the trusted adviser to leaders and managers ranging from Fortune 100 companies to start ups. Jessika's passion and commitment to proper use of assessments within organizations has earned her the nickname "the assessment guru." For more information or to sign up for the free "Leading Edge" newsletter, visit: http://www.jferm.com/
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