Corvirtus discovers way to measure the “hospitality gene” HR research and consulting company shows companies focused on customer care how to identify job candidates with a “drive for service”

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., May 2007 – In customer service-focused industries, consistency is the name of the game. Certainly companies are driven to deliver welcoming, engaging atmospheres, and consistently good products to their customers. The sole variable, often times, in the equation is service. After years of research and development, Corvirtus is introducing a new assessment that uniquely addresses pressing needs in industries whose primary distinctive is service. The Virtus™ Drive for Service index identifies in job candidates what many refer to as the “hospitality gene,” allowing hiring managers to actually measure the job-seeker’s passion for taking care of people.

The level of service remains today’s greatest opportunity for differentiation, and the company that can guarantee consistently great service will receive untold benefits in guest impact and productivity. With retail, restaurants, cruise lines, and hotels like these in mind, Corvirtus’ team of Industrial and Organizational Psychologists is providing the means for them to take the first step toward ensuring great service: hiring those candidates that are specifically suited for delivering exceptional customer care. “There are many reasons the hospitality and retail industries are attractive to job-seekers,” said David Hyatt, Corvirtus president. “But an individual’s drive to care about people has to be near the top. We are extremely proud to offer this pre-employment assessment that will allow companies to identify those candidates with a passion for service.” The Drive for Service assessment identifies in job-seekers their likelihood to go the extra mile; demonstrate trustworthiness, cooperation, and conscientiousness; be good-natured; and comply with policies. This scale further identifies a great spirit in candidates and, in short, determines if job applicants possess the key traits of an individual who has a “drive for service.” Research on this assessment has shown that candidates who pass this test—over those that do not—are at least three times more likely to exhibit a desire to please others or show enthusiasm when responding to special requests by customers, among other benchmarks. Corvirtus is releasing two other remarkable pre-employment assessments this month: The Virtus™ Drive for Success assessment identifies in managerial candidates the attribute known as “fire in the belly,” allowing business owners to actually measure the presence of leadership traits in the job-seeker and the likelihood that the candidate will have what it takes to help the business grow. The Virtus™ Team Contributor Index measures in job candidates what could best be described as “positive spirit,” distinguishing average individuals from those who willingly engage and cooperate in team-oriented work environments in order to support success. The job-related behaviors measured include citizenship (teamwork), relationship building, and providing hospitality.

In January of this year, Corvirtus introduced the new Virtus™ Workplace Aptitude Test (WAT), bringing to businesses a key tool in bolstering company diversity initiatives by removing the more common barriers that have faced minority job-seekers in the past. In the face of an impending human capital shortage resulting from the baby boom generation’s exit from the workforce, the WAT will also play a pivotal role thereby allowing more qualified candidates through to the interview stage of the hiring process. The new test, already being used in approximately 2,000 business units, has shown a 10-20 percent point increase in pass rates among minority applicants.

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