CariZMa, a leading Dubai-based business consulting and training solutions company focusing on ‘customer experience management,’ today introduced the first Arabic pre-hiring tool in the Middle East. Fit Index is designed to enhance the applicant screening process by quickly identifying candidates with the greatest potential for success in a given position.
Fit Index, which was developed by DeGarmo Group, the leading human resources and management consulting company, measures applicants' job compatibility by identifying their tolerance for work-related activities and environmental characteristics. It also collects information regarding applicants' interpersonal style such as identifying applicants who can for example function well in stressful and changing situations, demonstrate an appropriate level of patience and assertiveness, to determine their fit for the call center job.
“With many of our customers experiencing difficulties in hiring and retaining quality call center employees it made sense for them to add a comprehensive tool to their hiring process,” said Mark D. Baker from DeGarmo Group. “By partnering a professional partner such as CariZMa which is a leading consulting and training solutions with an impressive regional geographic, we can assist call centers in the region in making proactive hiring decisions that will help to improve bottom-line results.”
Since employee turnover is greatly determined by job satisfaction, it is important to identify whether the applicant will be interested, motivated and challenged by the activities required on a job. Salary.com recent annual survey on employee job satisfaction and retention found out that the estimated replacement costs due to turnover reached AED 55,000 (US$15,000) in 2007. This year it estimates costs to reach AED 77,000 (US$21,000), which represents a 40 percent increase.
“In order to decrease turnover it’s important for call centers companies to understand your employees’ potential,” said Khalil Jaouni, Managing Partner of CariZMa. “Studies show that the top success factors for a position – personality traits – are better measured through an assessment than in a resume or an interview. Fit Index provides rapid, accurate, objective and unbiased insight and better understanding of both candidates and employees. Upon this understanding, call centers in the Middle East can develop a high-performance workforce and drive competitive advantage in areas such as critical thinking, problem solving and leadership.”
Fit Index, which won the 2006 Product of the Year Award from Call Center Magazine, is developed in accordance with the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures and the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing.
CariZMa was launched in Dubai in 2003 and works with a number of leading organizations in the Middle East region such as the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK), MTC (Zain), Al Rajhi Bank and Riyad Bank.
About the DeGarmo Group:
The DeGarmo Group, Inc., (DGI) was formed in 1996 to synergize the strengths of its staff consultants.
The focus of our research, product development, and service delivery is the application of psychological science in human resource (HR) and employment assessment and selection. We provide our clients with web-based HR testing services that support their overall hiring process. To that end, we have created several assessments of person-job fit using a proprietary research and development methodology. We also support our clients’ needs for researching the validity of their hiring practices, as well as providing training solutions that enhance their general HR functioning.
About CariZMa:
CariZMa FZ LLC, launched in 2003 in Dubai, is a consulting and learning service provider focused solely on Customer Experience Management. Our vision is to be the leading relationship innovation service provider in the MENA region, offering value-added consulting, learning solutions and outsourcing services, leveraging our primary assets of quality people, knowledge capital, and network of partners. In the consulting arena, CariZMa has only worked with the leading organizations across the region to offer service and sales strategies, call centre audits and roadmaps, planning kits and IVR design. On the Learning Solutions front, CariZMa has designed and implemented numerous people development and training programs within the sales organization of various clients with the support of competency checks, interactive tools and adult learning principles. Its client list include National Bank of Kuwait, MTC (Zain), Al Rajhi Bank and RiyadBank.
