The Profiles International Reorganization & Recovery Survey (http://tinyurl.com/dgrwb3) has found that a majority of respondents lack the crucial tools to affect workforce change or to analyze the human assets they have available within their organization.

“People are the most valuable asset any organization has, and they're usually the most expensive line item on any company's income statement,” said says Jim Sirbasku, co-founder and CEO, Profiles International. The company is a global leader in employment evaluation and human resource management assessment tools.

 “So companies need to make sure they have the right people in the right positions,” Sirbasku says. “It starts with hiring, but the importance of job fit continues through promotions, reassignments and even downsizing.”

Among the highlights of the survey:

* 90 percent of respondents say they are uncertain that there is objective evaluation criteria for the top performers within the organization;

* 76 percent say they are uncertain about how each job within the organization supports their company's key objectives;

* 73 percent say they are unsure if all the key stakeholders are involved in employment decisions.

The Top 10 Selection Best Practices

1. Know how each job supports your organization's key objectives.

2 Consider internal external candidates for open positions

3. Use objective evaluation criteria based on known outstanding performers in that job.

4. Ensure compensation is competitive, based on current market rates for the job.

5. Apply a consistent selection process to all candidates.

6. Include key stakeholders in your employee selection process.

7. Train your interviewers in your employee selection process.

8. Give your interviewers guidance to help them probe deeper into a candidate's suitability.

9. Conduct comprehensive reference and background checks on job candidates.

10. Ensure your orientation process helps re-deployed people become productive faster.

“These decisions are too important to leave to chance,” says Dario Priolo, managing director, Profiles International Research Institute. “Assessing a worker's job fit is a continual process that shouldn't end once they start working. Jobs evolve. People evolve. Organizations evolve. Assessments should be continual to ensure that each aspect of this equation is evolving at a similar pace.”

Nearly 800 business leaders took part in the online survey in February and March of 2009. Of the respondents, 30 percent worked in companies with more than 500 employees. Fifty percent held director, VP or c-level roles within their organizations.  Full survey results can be found at (http://tinyurl.com/dgrwb3). For more information about Profiles International, visit www.profilesinternational.com.