Here is a true story. My dentist did a clinical evaluation of my teeth. That is his fancy way to say he looked in my mouth and starred at my teeth with his own two eyes. He found no cavities in his clinical evaluation. I felt happy and relieved!

But then he took a quick x-ray. Lo-&-behold, the x-ray immediately spotted a cavity hiding under one of my fillings!!

In other words, what you see is not always all you get!!! An objective x-ray found a lot more important information than a highly trained eye.

Likewise, some applicants come across fine in a job interview. But, they then proceed to flop after you put them on the payroll. In fact, huge amounts of research prove most interviewers do poorly at predicting how an applicant will do, if hired.

So, it is crucial for a manager to use special x-rays to spot potential trouble lurking within an applicant and also uncover skills and talents that will prove beneficial on-the-job. Here are five superb x-ray methods you can use immediately to help you hire high-achievers and stay away from underachievers.

1. Pre-Employment Tests

Research shows that customized tests are the best way to accurately predict on-the-job performance. You can use three types of tests:

A. Behavior tests to evaluate interpersonal skills, personality, and motivations

B. Abilities tests to predict brainpower in problem-solving, vocabulary, arithmetic,grammar, and handling small details

C. Character tests to detect a bad apple who has a bad work ethic or might steal

Tests can be given in paper-&-pencil test booklets or on the Internet. Importantly, only use tests designed for pre-employment assessments.

Customize tests you use by doing a benchmarking study to find out how your highly productive, low-turnover employees typically score. Then, you quickly can compare applicants test scores against scores of your most productive employees. Of course, you can show preference for applicants who score like your winners.

2. Remember One Truism

When I deliver my speech or seminar on Hire the Best -- & Avoid the Rest, I always point out: Whatever behavior you see from the applicant during the screening process is likely to be the very best behavior you ever will see from that person! You surely witnessed this truism.

Lets say you want to hire a high-energy person. Candidate A stays very high-energy during your entire screening process, including all in-depth interviews. Candidate B starts interviews high-energy (a good sign) but then acts increasingly drained as the interviews go on (a bad sign). Candidate A is much more likely to be high-energy on-the-job than Candidate B. Do not expect Candidate B to suddenly explode with energy if you hire that person.

3. Referrals from Your Best Employees

Winners hang around with winners. Losers hang around with losers. Your best employees probably hang around with high-achievers. Ask those employees to refer applicants.

4. Bio-data

Im not referring to DNA. Instead, bio-data is biographical data. Heres how to benefit from bio-data. Grab the files on your superstar employees. Look for common work-related experiences or education that most of them have.

For example, one company I consulted to wanted to hire salespeople to sell a service (not a product). Upon examining bio-data of the companys superstar salespeople, we found the high-achieving salespeople had worked selling services. Most of the companys underachieving salespeople worked in sales, also. But, the underachievers sold products, not services.

Interestingly, the same company also discovered most of its superstar salespeople worked at McDonalds for six months or longer in high school or college. This showed an interest in serving customers (after all, that is what McDonalds stresses) plus stick-to-itiveness (lasting six months or more in a normally high-turnover job). So, start digging into your bio-data treasures located in employees files.

5. RJP

RJP stands for realistic job preview. To do an RJP, (a) show applicants exactly what they will do on-the-job if you hire them, (b) let applicants think about it for 24 hours, and (c) then ask applicants if they want to take the job. Research shows employers who give detailed RJPs get two results: A. less employees accept the job offer B. applicants who accept the job off are less likely to turnover

Importantly, an RJP needs to be super-realistic. For example, I consulted to a tire company. It had great difficulty getting people to work in purgatory a horribly hot room in which hot, just-made ties were moved on the tire molds. Anyone who worked in the purgatory room spent all day covered in sweat and thick white dust. No wonder most people quit that job after short time!

I recommended using RJPs. The company worried, Applicants wont take that job if they know much about it! I said lets try RJP anyway. Sure enough, after seeing this awfully hot and dusty job, only a small percentage of applicants took the job. But, those who did stayed a long time. Note: They were people who acted distinctly odd, and relished feeling hot and sticky all day!

Do It Now

If you remember these points, you can hire the best and profit from it:

A. what you see is not all you get but it is the best you will see

B. use customized tests, since tests predict job success better than other methods

C. take advantage of predictors right under your nose, including referrals from winners, bio-data, and RJPs

Importantly, you can start these valuable methods today so you immediately start hiring the best.

Copyright 2005 Michael Mercer, Ph.D.