Sometimes there is a tool you use in your day-to-day work which becomes such second nature that you forget that it might be new to some people.
One such tool is the Predictive Index (PI). Sounds like some college Statistics 101 bullshit, I know, but don’t tune out just yet. Lemme ‘splain how it can change your business.
The PI assesses behavior drivers and the ability to learn, allowing you to filter candidates and ensure a better skill set and cultural fit for new hires. It also helps you know the strengths of your current team, and provide the clues needed to backfill your weaknesses.
I have used the tool for years when hiring sales professionals to great results. But I wanted to dive deeper, so I just completed the full “PI Practitioner” two-day certification course. It helped solidify in my mind exactly why this tool is so important and game-changing for so many businesses, which I will go into below.
Put the right people in the right seats on the bus
All business problems are people problems. Every single one.
Poor revenue means people aren’t planning or executing properly. Or they are making bad decisions as regards to the platforms and processes they use. When you get down to it, sales problems exist because salespeople and managers need education, motivation, or are simply not suitable for the roles they occupy.
And the main problem is that just about every recruiter makes what amount to guesses based mostly on his or her gut. Resumes don’t mean jack as far as predicting future performance, nor do flashy clothes, having 100,000 LinkedIn connections, or “interviewing well.” Some people just suck and milk the system, man, and it’s hard to spot them before they wreak havoc on your business.
So, the Predictive Index helps you avoid all that nonsense. You can put the right people in the right seats on the bus by predicting how they will perform in certain roles. It’s extremely hard to fake cognitive or behavioral traits, and the PI has built-in safeguards against cheaters in the way the questions are designed.
Not only that, but once you put your people in the best possible and suitable roles, the PI provides a boatload of guides you can use to coach them towards better performance.
What the PI provides:
- Attract and hire world-class talent
- Retain them once they are onboard
- Manage/incentivize them based on who they are and their individual Drivers
- Build out a well-rounded, winning team. You can’t have a team of all quarterbacks, as an example
- Save $ on recruiters (normally 30% of first year total comp)
- Avoid the wasted expense, time and opportunity costs for bad hires
Birds fly and fish swim. So, put the birds and fish in the right environments and they will thrive.
I can hear some of you now, “Haven’t you heard of flying fish? And what about them birds that dive under water to hunt!” To you I say if I had money on the line, I would guess that any given fish is going to fare better in the ocean than perched in a tree. And you do have money on the line as a business owner, so avoid putting sparrows in the aquarium.
To wrap up, I really recommend you start implementing the PI in your business right away. It can prevent making a very expensive hiring mistake and provide tools to better coach your existing people. Check out http://PredictiveIndex.com to find out more, or contact me directly. I love talking about this shit. Plus I just got certified and so I am really excited! Shaun@old.volohaus.com or my cell 760.815.4464.
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