July 2000 - Is a resumé the best tool for conveying one�s skills, past performance, management style and cultural fit? We believe the resumé has only limited use in the recruiting process. In fact, we predict that the standard paper resumé will soon be obsolete.

At best, the resumé is a chronological work history and fact sheet. But with misrepresentations so common on resumés, most are viewed with a grain of salt. So what is the answer? As professional recruiters, we rely on three primary strategies for hiring success: assessment, situational interviews and a great deal of due diligence. This article will concentrate on the assessment component. Assessment should be standard practice in any recruitment process. Quality assessments can be in the form of written profiles, structured interviews or collaborative projects.

The assessment should identify tendencies in such areas as leadership, ethical awareness, group process and creativity. In collaboration with professors Judy Brownell and Florence Berger of Cornell University, we created an assessment tool specifically for hospitality professionals called 20 20 Skills�. The assessment is available on the internet at www.2020skills.com so that anyone, anywhere can complete the profile. Our assessment brings depth and customization that rarely existed for the hospitality industry.

Research conducted by the professors revealed that peak performers in the service industry bring key competencies to their positions. As a hiring assessment, 20 20 Skills� is able to evaluate and determine key performance characteristics at all levels of the organizational chart. The eight key dimensions are:

1. Leadership Measuring big picture orientation, vision, and goal setting.
2. Group Process & Team Building Measuring needs for collaboration, affiliation, and teamwork.
3. Creativity Measuring aspects of innovation, creativity, and curiosity.
4. Sensitivity to Diversity Measuring sensitivities to individual cultural and ethnic differences.
5. Ethical Awareness Measuring concerns for fairness, equity, integrity, and ethics.
6. Problem Solving Measuring abilities to think strategically, to create solutions to complex situations.
7. Service Orientation Measuring concerns for guest or customer satisfactions.
8. Self-Efficacy Measuring aspects of confidence, independence, and self-direction.