Saving lives through a better hiring strategy

Imagine you’re in the hospital, just about to go into surgery. The surgeon comes to explain the procedure and what to expect. You’re nervous, but at least you can take solace knowing your surgeon was well-trained … right?

You never want to be wondering whether your surgeon has gotten the right training—least of all when you’re rolling toward the operating room. That’s where Gentleman Orthopedic Solutions comes in. The Memphis-based orthopedic solutions company provides tools, training, and support to surgeons in western Tennessee, northern Mississippi, and southern Kentucky.

But without the right people, the Gentleman’s world-class tools and training would be useless.

“We simply cannot make mistakes, as a patient is on the operating room table and the surgeon is reliant upon our team to ensure we’re prepared for the surgery,” said Jean-Paul Gentleman, agency owner at Gentleman Orthopedic. “The need for attention to detail [and] the ability to articulate information quickly, clearly, and under duress occur daily.”

How Gentleman used data to hire the right behavioral fits

In order to identify the right people for the job, Gentleman sought out a Talent Optimization specialist. After years of experience, he knew he could train a team of skilled technical consultants. But getting the best people in the door wasn’t down to a science—and identifying high-potential employees in a timely and cost-effective way remained elusive.

“[Technical consulting] is a fast-paced, high-stress career, and it’s not for everyone,” says Gentleman. “So SLCG has been vital in aiding me in assembling a team of technical consultants who have similar personalities and mental abilities.”

But implementing the solution within the organization wasn’t seamless. Gentleman was skeptical at first—until he and his highest-performing employees took the PI Behavioral Assessment. The data showed high-performing employees share certain qualities that make them well-suited for the job.

From that point forward, he began using the PI Behavioral Assessment for all candidates, only hiring those who display the qualities he identified that result in successful employees. 

How Gentleman used PI to hire the right cognitive fits

The addition of the PI Cognitive Assessment made Gentleman even more confident in their hiring decisions.

It’s the only tool that provides the ability to assess a crucial variable: “Does the candidate possess the mental capacity to learn quickly and digest the vast amount of information necessary to excel?”

This key variable that had been all but impossible to measure before was no longer a mystery.

The result? Turnover is down and performance is up.

To say the shift is noticeable would be an understatement. Not only has turnover decreased since Gentleman unlocked the key to a good hire, but his employees’ performance has also drastically improved.

“New hires go through six months of training before they attend training at our corporate office. Prior to our use of behavioral and cognitive data points, our new hires had consistently been in the bottom 50% of final rankings,” explained Gentleman. “Since we adopted this solution, our new hires have been consistently in the upper 25%. This is a byproduct of improved training methods, and the addition of human analytics”

Gentleman has gained a critical edge in his industry by taking the guesswork out of hiring—and the ripple effects have only added to a stellar reputation. 

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