System and method for evaluating job candidates

Abstract

Human resource system for collecting and analyzing survey data from reference providers identified by a job candidate for use by an employer. The system sends an electronic communication to the reference providers to request completion of survey questions and electronically receives the survey data from the reference providers, preferably through webpages. An analysis module combines the received survey data from the reference providers and generates a confidential candidate report for an employer which excludes identification of any ratings or comments by any reference providers. The system also generates customized interview probe questions for use during job interviews and coaching tactics for use after the hiring, based on the weak areas that have been identified from the completed surveys in order to assist the hiring manager to bring the new hires up to speed quickly and effectively.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application No. 60 / 492,457, filed Aug. 4, 2003, which is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to human resource management system, and more particularly to a system for collecting and analyzing information from references identified by job candidates. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] It has been estimated that errors in hiring cost companies more than 50 billion dollars per year in lost revenue, decreased productivity, squandered training expenses, legal liabilities, high turnover and other undesirable consequences. The result, in spite of the dramatic increase in the use of background checks and psychological profiles by many organizations, and the universality of selection interviews, is that annual turnover in U.S. companies of over 5,000 employees continues to be 25%. According to experts in the field, nearly 80% of turnove...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009] An analysis module running in the system combines the received survey data from the reference providers and generates a candidate report. In one aspect, the candidate report is a confidential report which excludes identification of any ratings or comments by any reference providers. In another aspect, the system also generates customized interview probe questions for use during job interviews and coaching tactics for use after the hiring, based on the weak areas that have been identified from the completed surveys in order to assist the hiring manager to bring the new hires up to speed quickly and effectively.

[0010] The human resource system provides substantially automated collection and analysis which is inexpensive and yet accurate and useful.

Problems solved by technology

It has been estimated that errors in hiring cost companies more than 50 billion dollars per year in lost revenue, decreased productivity, squandered training expenses, legal liabilities, high turnover and other undesirable consequences.

According to experts in the field, nearly 80% of turnover is caused by poor selection decisions.

Unfortunately, traditional reference checking methods such as telephone interviews are very costly and time-consuming, require extensive training for interviewers and generally do not yield useful information due to lack of precision, lack of confidentiality and possible errors of filtering, amplification and interpretations by the intermediaries.

Most important, perhaps, is the fact that in today's litigious society, business and professional reference givers are usually unwilling to provide more than basic information such as employment dates and positions held.

Such information has little value in helping companies make effective hiring decisions.

Another problem with the conventional reference checking is that it's done very late in the hiring process, which is typically done after the candidate is hired.

Moreover, the conventional background checking provides no guidance for the hiring manager to further explore areas of weakness in the candidate during the hiring process.

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