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Estelle Calestroupat, Work Psychologist and Key Account Consultant at Pearson TalentLens, and Anna Ballerand, HR Manager of Pearson France, share a common background: experience in the Tech & IT sector. They have agreed to share their experiences regarding the specific HR challenges in this field.

 

A Dynamic Sector in Full Expansion

Estelle Calestroupat and Anna Ballerand agree that the Tech & IT sector is highly dynamic and constantly evolving. While this trend isn't new, it has accelerated significantly in recent years. "Technological innovations are constant. New products, services, and solutions emerge continuously to meet the changing needs of users," notes Anna Ballerand. The attraction to this sector is undeniable. "It no longer appears reserved only for a few experts. The new generations are comfortable with technology and digital tools; it's part of their daily lives, which draws them to work in this field," adds Estelle Calestroupat.

 

HR Challenges in the Tech-IT Sector:

• Talent shortage and volatility: The Tech-IT sector is not immune, like many other sectors, to candidate shortages. "The demand for qualified IT professionals often exceeds the available supply, making talent acquisition and retention highly competitive," says Anna Ballerand. Estelle Calestroupat agrees, confirming that "although the number of candidates is growing, recruitment needs are increasing even faster." She warns that "companies in the sector must rethink their approach to recruitment, management, and employee training. Those who succeed will have a real competitive advantage."
• Skills obsolescence: The rapid evolution of new technologies requires continuous training. Anna Ballerand emphasizes that "keeping staff skills up-to-date can be a challenge for HR in terms of continuous training and professional development."
• Need for diversity: The Tech-IT sector faces challenges regarding diversity and inclusion. "Companies need to implement strategies to encourage diversity in their teams and address underrepresentation of women and minorities," suggests Anna Ballerand.
  

 

The Increasing Use of Psychometric Tests to Assess Skills

The skills sought in the Tech-IT sector are varied and necessarily depend on the context, the company, and the position. "All these elements require, as with every recruitment process, an analysis of expectations," recalls Estelle Calestroupat before specifying that "generally, there will be expectations in terms of technical skills/knowledge (or at least an inclination towards new technologies), adaptability/learning ability, analytical skills, and transversal skills (such as organization, rigor, teamwork, communication, etc.)."

To assess these skills, HR professionals can rely on personality and value inventories, tests of intellectual aptitudes, and tests of critical thinking. "Psychometric tests allow either the evaluation of a candidate's strengths and areas for development in relation to the expectations of a position, as in the case of an assessment during recruitment, or to accompany an employee in becoming aware of their comfort zones and areas for improvement (self-awareness, understanding of their functioning) in a developmental logic," says Estelle Calestroupat.

Their advantages are numerous, adds Anna Ballerand:

• Finer selection of candidates: Evaluating candidates' cognitive abilities, personality traits, and behavioral skills helps select individuals most suited to the position and the company's culture.
• Prediction of job performance: Identifying candidates' strengths and weaknesses enables recruiters to predict their performance and make more informed hiring decisions.
• Reduction in staff turnover: Matching employees' skills and personality with the job and company requirements reduces turnover rates.
• Professional development: Understanding employees' development needs leads to personalized development plans that promote talent retention.
• Improvement of employee engagement: Recruiting individuals whose values and personality are compatible strengthens team cohesion and fulfillment in a positive and productive work environment.

 

Estelle Calestroupat has worked in the IT and new technologies sector for over 10 years. Initially, she worked internally at a digital services company in project management (defining competency frameworks and building evaluation processes), training for recruiters and recruiter managers, and operational recruitment (recruitment and internal mobility) for manager, sales, and bid manager profiles. She then collaborated with a headhunting firm specializing in the digital sector, again focusing on sales, bid managers, project managers, and managers.

Anna Ballerand spent 5 years at Cisco, a globally renowned IT company, responsible for recruitment and employee and manager training support, implementing social benefits, conducting professional interviews, and promoting campaigns such as Great Place To Work®.

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Le secteur du commerce de détail autrement appelé « retail » est depuis longtemps associé à un taux de turnover élevé. Il oscille autour de 60 %, ce qui signifie que plus de la moitié du personnel est susceptible de changer en l'espace d'un an, selon McKinsey. Il est impératif pour les entreprises œuvrant dans ce secteur d’affiner leurs pratiques RH afin d’optimiser la rétention du personnel car un taux de turnover élevé a de lourds impacts sur leur performance commerciale. Elles peuvent compter pour cela sur les évaluations psychométriques. 

 

Le taux de turnover, un indicateur clé de performance

Le taux de turnover (ou de rotation du personnel) est un indicateur clé de performance (KPI) qui quantifie le taux de départ volontaire ou involontaire et de remplacement du personnel au sein d'une organisation au cours d'une période spécifique. Il évalue la stabilité de sa main-d’œuvre et sa santé globale. 

Un taux de turnover élevé reflète souvent une insatisfaction des employés, des processus de recrutement ou d'intégration inefficaces et des problèmes organisationnels potentiels au sein de l’entreprise. 

Un faible taux de turnover, à l’inverse, révèle une satisfaction des employés, des stratégies efficaces de rétention des talents et un environnement de travail plaisant. 

 

Les coûts avérés et cachés d’un taux de turnover élevé

Comprendre et analyser le taux de turnover est un impératif stratégique. Il a en effet une incidence directe sur les finances de l’entreprise mais également indirecte sur son efficacité opérationnelle. 

• Coûts du départ/recrutement : En moyenne, le coût de turnover dans le commerce de détail représente 1,5 à 2 fois le salaire annuel d'un employé, selon Built In. Chaque fois qu’un employé quitte l’entreprise, il faut réenclencher un processus de recrutement, d’intégration et de formation et allouer des ressources humaines et financières pour assurer son remplacement. Le départ d’un employé peut également occasionner le versement d’indemnités. En outre, le temps que les postes vacants soient pourvus et les nouveaux employés opérationnels, la surcharge de travail pour les employés en poste peut conduire au paiement d’heures supplémentaires. Cela impacte directement les coûts financiers de l’entreprise. 
• Perte de production : Le turnover a une incidence sur la continuité des opérations, la cohésion et productivité des équipes et la performance de l’entreprise. Une rotation incessante du personnel peut conduire au mécontentement des employés en place, voire encourager de nouveaux départs. Le turnover, en ce sens, peut être à l’origine d’une baisse d’engagement des employés surtout s’il est élevé, et impacter l’expérience client en bout de chaîne et les ventes en raison d’une perte de qualité de services. 
• Impact négatif sur l’image de marque de l’entreprise : Les collaborateurs qui évoluent dans une entreprise dans laquelle il y a un important turnover ne seront pas enclins à la recommander à leur entourage pour y travailler ou même avoir recours à ses services ou acheter ses produits. L’entreprise perd en attractivité.
  

 

Le rôle des évaluations psychométriques dans la rétention du personnel

Les tests psychométriques explorent la personnalité, évaluent les aptitudes, identifient les motivations, les intérêts et les valeurs d’une personne. 

Les inventaires de personnalité : Ils évaluent des traits de personnalité, qui sont des tendances comportementales et des caractéristiques interpersonnelles liées à la relation aux autres (leadership, sociabilité, coopération, empathie, etc.), la gestion des émotions (résistance au stress, flexibilité/adaptabilité, etc.), l’approche du travail (fiabilité, souci du détail, aspect des réglementations, réussite/effort, persévérance, esprit d’initiative, etc.) et mode de pensée (Innovation, raisonnement analytique, indépendance, etc.).

Les tests d’aptitudes intellectuelles : Ils renseignent sur les habiletés numériques, verbales, spatiales et mécaniques ainsi que la capacité à résoudre des problèmes complexes et la facilité d’apprentissage. Ils évaluent également la pensée critique (capacité à saisir rapidement les aspects clés qui impacteront toute décision, de discerner les suppositions des faits, d’évaluer les arguments en faveur d’éventuelles actions et de tirer des conclusions qui conduiront à prendre des décisions de manière objective). 

Les questionnaires de motivations et d’intérêts professionnels : Ils informent sur l'état motivationnel d’une personne, ses sources de motivation/démotivation, ses intérêts professionnels, ses besoins, ses valeurs en vue de mieux l’accompagner dans l’élaboration de son projet professionnel et faire qu’elle se sente épanouie professionnellement au sein de l’entreprise.  

En recrutement, les tests psychométriques permettent aux entreprises du retail : 

• Une connaissance approfondie du potentiel d’un candidat, au-delà de son CV. 
• Sécuriser le recrutement grâce aux informations concrètes et fiables délivrées.
• S’assurer du profil du candidat avec les attendus du poste et réduire le turnover. 
• Améliorer l’expérience candidat qui repère ses points forts et ses axes d’amélioration.

En développement, les tests psychométriques leur permettent de : 

• Repérer et faire grandir le potentiel de leurs employés.
• Identifier leurs compétences pour mieux les développer.
• Accompagner la mobilité interne.
• Mieux connaître chaque membre du personnel pour améliorer son expérience collaborateur. 

Afin de réduire leur taux de turnover, les entreprises de commerce de détail doivent repenser leur stratégie d’acquisition et de rétention de talents. Le recours à des tests psychométriques leur permet de recruter les personnes dont le profil est en adéquation avec la culture de l’entreprise et le poste à pourvoir, de s’assurer qu’elles disposent des compétences nécessaires et d’évaluer celles utiles à développer pour l’inciter à rester et à évoluer le plus longtemps possible dans l’entreprise. 

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Possessing critical thinking skills is sought after and highly valued in the banking sector to adapt to changes, make decisions, address issues, and propose solutions.

 

Banking: A Sector Undergoing Rapid Transformation

In the banking sector, customer expectations are evolving rapidly: They demand user-friendly and intuitive interfaces for their online and mobile banking transactions, as well as a smooth and transparent experience across all communication channels with their bank. They are very open to adopting new technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, and chatbots to facilitate their operations. They also expect efficient and responsive financial services tailored to their needs and preferences. Finally, they attach great importance to the protection and confidentiality of their personal data against fraud and cyber-attacks.

To meet these requirements, employees in the banking sector must master technical skills related to online banking operations, data management, cybersecurity, and the use of new technologies. Additionally, they increasingly require behavioral skills in:

• Communication to effectively interact with clients and respond to their needs clearly and concisely in person, by phone, email, or chat. 
• Negotiation to reach agreements, resolve conflicts, and achieve favorable conditions for both the bank and clients.
• Critical thinking to analyze complex situations, identify problems, and find solutions.
• Attention to detail as precision and thoroughness are essential for managing financial transactions and ensuring compliance with regulations.
• Adaptability and time management to quickly adapt to new technologies, processes, products, and services, and juggle multiple tasks while meeting deadlines. 

The banking sector employs many people but experiences high attrition and turnover rates. To remain competitive in a market marked by uncertain economic and geopolitical conditions, increased technological disruption, fierce competition between traditional banks and new, more innovative and agile players, banks must compete to attract and retain top talent. They must evolve their talent acquisition processes to improve efficiency and speed, and focus on assessing these skills, particularly critical thinking.

 

Critical Thinking: A Highly Coveted Power Skill in the Banking Sector 

According to a global study by PwC, while digital skills are considered important by 70%, 77% recognize that critical thinking skills, such as emotional intelligence and judgment, are crucial in banking professions. Isabelle Jenkins, Head of Financial Services at PwC UK, adds: "Being adaptable, collaborative, and demonstrating critical thinking skills is important. If we truly want to leverage technological advances, we will need the right people with the appropriate skills so that we can truly solve problems, drive productivity, and create growth. Investment in technology is essential to achieve all these goals. But it must be guided by human ingenuity, expertise, and understanding."

Carole Fortier Bidan, Senior Product Developer at Pearson TalentLens, and Christelle Cadoret, Psychologist and HR consultant, authors of the book "Embracing Change and Making Informed Decisions - Critical Thinking & Adaptability" (Pearson, Human Skills collection), define critical thinking as a mindset aimed at logically analyzing situations for a specific purpose, such as problem-solving, explaining a viewpoint, interpreting, or justifying a decision. It involves searching for facts, evidence, understanding and analyzing different perspectives, and personal qualities such as listening, humility, curiosity, open-mindedness, and taking a step back. It requires self-awareness regarding one's own biases, beliefs, stereotypes, and cognitive biases to limit their impact on decision-making and positioning. It is practiced through constructive effort that involves and promotes a collaborative spirit in the service of collective intelligence.

It is qualified as a power skill because reasoning and decision-making are the least automated tasks in the workplace. 

 

Providing the Means to Assess Critical Thinking 

Laure Bogeat, current Director of HR Development and former Head of Recruitment, Career, and Employment Services at BPCE Infogérance et Technologies, the IT GIE of the BPCE group, the second largest French banking group, testifies to the importance of critical thinking in the banking sector: "Our environment is complex, systemic, and evolving rapidly. In the context of recruitment challenges, it is a tight market at the heart of new technologies and the digital transformation of the group, we wanted in our recruitment processes to ensure a level of analysis, an understanding of our challenges, and intellectual flexibility allowing our new recruits to thrive in our structure. The Watson-Glaser™ III Critical Thinking Assessment naturally emerged. It informs us of the intellectual approach of the candidate to solve a problem and make a decision, but also on the understanding of their environment, their interpretation of factual data, and synthesis capacity, all relevant elements in our selection criteria."

 

Critical thinking skills are crucial within the banking sector and the ability of HR professionals to assess this ability can make a difference to the long-term talent acquisition process. Helping to identify and develop new candidates into roles and spot potential high-performers for training and leadership roles in the future.

Overall, exercising critical thinking ability has a crucial role in the banking sector for making informed decisions, identifying and evaluating potential risks in financial operations, proposing creative and innovative solutions to clients, in compliance with established regulations and standards, and with a focus on confidentiality and data protection. It is an essential skill to assess and develop in candidates and existing employees.

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