Outdated Methods Are Undermining Hiring Decisions, Says McLean & Company
With organizations under growing pressure to improve hiring accuracy, McLean & Company's latest research highlights why traditional talent selection methods are becoming harder to defend. The global HR research and advisory firm warns that poorly designed assessments can limit visibility into candidate fit and weaken hiring decisions at a time when talent choices carry greater business risk. In its newly published blueprint, Inform Talent Selection Using Optimized Assessments, the firm provides HR leaders with a five-step framework to strengthen candidate evaluation and improve quality of hire.
TORONTO, April 21, 2026 /CNW/ - The current hiring market is being defined by tighter talent pools and changing skill demands, and many organizations are making critical hiring decisions without a clear picture of who is truly right for the role due to outdated selection methods. Newly published research from McLean & Company highlights the scale of that challenge: 67% of the average HR department says candidate selection is important to achieving business and HR goals, but only 31% believe they are very effective at it (McLean & Company Management & Governance Diagnostic, 2023-2025). The firm's research, Inform Talent Selection Using Optimized Assessments, responds to that gap with a practical five-step framework to help HR leaders use assessments more intentionally and make better-informed hiring decisions in the current landscape.
According to the research insights recently published by McLean & Company, thoughtfully designed assessments give organizations a clearer, more defensible way to evaluate talent. Rather than stopping at qualifications, the firm's recommended approach can help hiring teams better evaluate the knowledge, skills, and attributes required for success, as well as other key factors including culture fit and growth potential. That shift is becoming more important as organizations place greater value on skills-based hiring: the firm's data indicates that 65% of HR respondents say adopting skills-based hiring practices will have a high impact on organizational performance (McLean & Company, HR Trends Report 2025). In addition, organizations that match individuals with work based on skills and interests are 1.4 times more likely to also have high organizational performance (McLean & Company, HR Trends Report 2025). These findings reinforce the value of structured, data-informed hiring practices that focus on candidate capability rather than relying too heavily on conventional experience alone.
"Every hiring decision is an investment in the organization's future, but the path to making the right choice is rarely straightforward," says Adrian Shackelford, practice lead, HR Research & Advisory Services, at McLean & Company. "HR leaders should use assessments as one part of a broader, evidence-based selection process, ensuring they are aligned to role requirements, validated for use, and supported by clear human oversight."
The HR research and advisory firm's findings also highlight a growing disconnect between AI adoption and organizational readiness in hiring. According to McLean & Company's HR Trends Report 2025, while 59% of HR respondents say they are already using AI in talent acquisition, only 7% say they have a formal, documented AI strategy. McLean & Company cautions that without clear guardrails, human oversight, legal alignment, digital fluency, and antifaking measures, AI-enabled assessments can create as many problems as they solve, introducing bias, compliance risk, inaccurate outputs, and misplaced confidence in flawed results.
McLean & Company's Key Priorities for HR Leaders to Optimize Talent Selection Assessments
To address evolving talent acquisition challenges, McLean & Company recommends a structured and evidence-based approach to candidate selection. The firm's recently published research outlines the following critical priorities for HR leaders:
- Determine the scope of optimization by collecting internal data, analyzing feedback, and identifying where assessment improvements will have the greatest impact for HR and their organizations.
- Prepare for assessment optimization by engaging key players, reviewing the current talent acquisition process, and inventorying current assessments.
- Select assessment methods by conducting job analysis, defining selection criteria, and choosing methods aligned to role-specific requirements.
- Finalize assessment decisions by updating the hiring process, allocating resources, and determining whether to build assessments internally or work with external vendors.
- Administer and evaluate assessments by setting metrics, training users, monitoring results, and continuously improving the process over time.
The firm's blueprint, Inform Talent Selection Using Optimized Assessments, includes a five-step framework supported by practical tools and templates to help HR leaders optimize assessments across the selection process. McLean & Company also helps organizations turn these insights into action through its Create a Talent Acquisition Strategy workshop, which supports HR teams in defining strategic objectives, assessing gaps in foundational talent acquisition elements, prioritizing what to address, and selecting the right strategic projects. Together with the firm's research, the workshop gives HR leaders a practical way to strengthen talent acquisition strategy, align hiring efforts to business needs, and build a more focused, effective approach to candidate selection.
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About McLean & Company
McLean & Company pairs evidence-based research and immediately applicable tools with deep HR expertise to position organizations to meet today's needs and prepare for the future. The global HR research and advisory firm's member organizations enjoy comprehensive resources, full-service diagnostics, workshops, action plans, and advisory services for all levels of HR professionals, from executive leadership and HR leaders to HR team members, that help shape workplaces where everyone thrives.
McLean & Company is a division of Info-Tech Research Group.
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SOURCE McLean & Company
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