In a family business, there is still the courage to aim for long-term employment relationships, even those lasting until retirement age. "We want our employees to enjoy their work for a long time. Therefore, identifying the most suitable person for the position and our company culture from the pool of applicants is important to us, and it cannot be achieved without a high-quality evaluation method. Evaluations support the right choice, but also individualized leadership," states Sirpa Niemi, HR Manager of the Jyki Group, an expert on road transport equipment.

Sirpa Niemi, the HR Manager of the Jyki Group, sees the success of the business as dependent on identifying and retaining the right talents. When the opportunity arose about five years ago to lead the HR affairs of the growing Jyki Group, she decided to take on the challenge. Currently, Niemi serves in various capacities including recruitment and leadership support for the company’s six subsidiaries, which collectively employ nearly 250 people.

Emphasizing Fit with Corporate Culture to Enhance Job Satisfaction

Enthusiasm, attention to detail, strong collaboration skills, and logical and analytical reasoning abilities are qualities shared by successful individuals in the Jyki Group. Identifying these strengths in candidates can be challenging through interviews alone due to the natural inclination of applicants to make the best possible impression, which can sometimes mask their true compatibility with the organization.

Niemi highlights the importance of reliable personnel assessment tools in addressing this challenge. "We've found that online tests provided by Master offer valuable and objective perspectives on a person's true strengths. Our goal is for the chosen individual to succeed in their role and enjoy working with us – that's why we don't rely solely on interviews and reference checks," she explains.

The Importance of Successful Recruitment

Like many other SMEs, the Jyki Group aims for sustainable growth. "As an experienced recruiter, I trust my intuition, but I don't base my recruitment recommendations on it alone. Fortunately, test results and discussions with candidates provide essential additional information for decision-makers or confirm an existing impression," assures Niemi.

Sometimes, the perception of a candidate, even one with an impressive career, can change during the assessment discussion. This is valuable for the individual, the work community, and the company's outcomes. No one benefits from wrong recruitment decisions.

Recognizing Potential is Not Always Easy

Recruitment always presents opportunities and risks. However, with sufficient information, the risk can be minimized, and the chances of successful recruitment can be increased. Master's assessment solution offers practical competitive advantages by helping to identify, for example, the potential of young talents to develop into top experts.

"Especially young and infrequent job applicants may be so nervous during an interview that it affects the interviewer's impression of them. Hence, an objective perspective is needed to see beyond the initial impression. The ACE test, which measures logical and analytical reasoning abilities, has proven to be a good way for us to assess a person's learning and problem-solving abilities. We might have overlooked good and potential candidates, for example, due to lack of certain skills, if we hadn't had the test," reflects Niemi.

Modern Assessment Method Adapts to Candidate Schedules

At Jyki Group, the need to develop more agile and candidate-friendly assessment practices has become apparent. "Candidates are busy, and it can be difficult to take time off work to travel for several hours to assessments. We are pleased that with Master, we can offer a flexible way to conduct online tests whenever and wherever is convenient for the candidate. Although the test can be taken at any time, the ACE ability test result can easily be verified on-site," Niemi shares.

Niemi also feels that self-conducted assessments provide candidates an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the future employer's HR in advance. "I want to get to know the candidates before the employment relationship starts, as it's beneficial for both," she adds.

Supervisors Appreciate Practical Support in Managing New Employees

The real work and fulfillment of mutual expectations begin only after contracts are signed. Master's assessment model provides information that can be directly utilized in management: How much support does the person need? In what situations do they learn best, and how quickly can learning be expected? What motivates them at work? "Our supervisors have appreciated the concrete support provided by the assessment for managing new employees," Niemi smiles.

"I'm also impressed with the level of Master's regular refresher training. They are expert and high-quality, and I always get good practical tips for my own recruitment and leadership support development work," Niemi praises.

Written by Annika Vallo - Partner at Master Suomi