HR must assess project managers

25 Oct 2013

HR professionals have to conduct assessments in conjunction with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) if they are to successfully recruit high-potential project managers and mitigate any risk to companies.

This is the view of Dierdre Strydom, CEO of FOXit (Pty) Ltd., a project management specialist, independent software vendor and Microsoft-certified Gold Partner across numerous competencies within the Microsoft Partner Network. Strydom believes that aptitude tests, psychometric testing, reference and background credentials checks are all required to source what she calls 'high potential project managers'.

"High potential project managers are people with the capability to think on their feet, manage constant change, ask the difficult question and be able to deal with stressful situations on a daily basis - all of which describes the typical project management environment," says Strydom. There is a clear link between the functions of HR and the assimilation of a project management team in business.

A huge responsibility

"HR is the custodian of the ingress of people into the business and this is a huge responsibility. As the project manager will inevitably want to put together his team on a project, it is imperative that the project manager and HR work hand in hand to ensure that the correct people are placed in the correct positions. Also, if any issues were to arise on a project it is very important that the project manager has the full backup of HR," she explains.

"Companies who conduct pre-employment tests are seeking applicants that match their hiring criteria. Finding the right people for the job is never an exact science, it takes effort and some foresight to identify the most suitable candidates," adds Strydom.

Due to the level of precision, of complexity and of pressure within the project management space within businesses today, the selection of the right candidate is crucial. To bring on board the wrong individuals within a project management team could expose the business to unnecessary risk. It is here where the business relies heavily on HR to conduct assessments and fulfil their primary function: recruit and retain the very best available skills sets the market has to offer.