Harver, the industry-leading hiring solution helping organizations optimize their talent decisions, and HR Dive, a publication providing in-depth journalism and insight into the most impactful news and trends shaping human resources, jointly released new research stemming from a survey of HR leaders, revealing how talent assessments can address the growing workforce challenges that the industry faces in 2023.

As changes to an uncertain economic landscape and an increasingly tight labor market evolve, HR leaders focus on ensuring their organization is prepared for the future by doubling down to protect talent. Navigating these challenges, survey respondents unanimously agreed that talent retention was a primary goal for their companies over the next six to 12 months. Teams can use data-driven solutions like talent assessments to support retention efforts; such tools help organizations efficiently identify, engage and develop internal talent, all while boosting their bottom line.

Key findings from the research report include:  

• Employers Will Double Down to Reduce Attrition and Boost Growth Opportunities: 41% of leaders indicate their primary goal over the next six to 12 months is to address roadblocks which impede talent development. These factors include competitive pay, flexible work environment, organization and individual alignment, and recognition and appreciation. As a result, companies are redirecting spending to development and mobility initiatives that address such factors. Assessments can help HR leaders understand and evaluate development and mobility opportunities within their organization, identifying areas of growth and re-skilling to leadership potential.
• Candidate Experience is Critical in Boosting Retention: Candidate experience is critical in 2023 to empower and motivate employees while ensuring they feel supported. According to the research, 59% of leaders indicate that an important criteria for implementing an assessment is having an engagement tool that is a positive experience for employees. Assessments can help employees identify skills gaps and uncover training opportunities in an engaging way. This level of data-driven clarity can be valuable for employee and employer both by keeping high-performing talent engaged and on staff longer.
• Values Are Emphasized in Improving Employee Experience: In 2023, employees want to work at a company whose values are aligned with their own. Research shows that organizations are prioritizing this as well, leveraging assessments to provide visibility into values alignment between company and talent. According to the results, 43% of respondents from organizations that have already implemented assessments are better able to align their organizational and candidate core values. 

“As organizations grapple with the tumultuous economy and tight labor market, they can no longer make the right talent decisions for their business without objective data,” said Frida Polli, chief data science officer, Harver. “Assessments provide the data-backed insights organizations need to make informed talent decisions and ensure their internal workforce is well-developed and well-placed. By leveraging assessments, HR leaders are in a better position to ensure longer tenures.”

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Survey Methodology

Harver collaborated with studioID to field an online, invitation-only survey, polling 150 HR leaders during the third quarter of 2022. The survey consisted of multiple-choice, open-ended, Likert-scale and matrix questions to better understand the HR trends regarding employee retention, recruitment, etc., and what HR teams look for in talent assessments. Ninety-two percent of respondents were in leadership positions such as CEO, CHRO, EVP of Human Resources, Director of Human Resources, etc.; 5% were in DEI; 3% were in learning and development.