Hiring the right talent is one of the most high-stakes decisions a leadership team makes—and one of the easiest to get wrong. Even minor misjudgments can lead to costly mis-hires, cultural friction, and diminished team performance.
To combat these challenges, many organizations turn to structured assessments that offer behavioral insights and predictive validity. Among the most trusted tools in this space are the Harrison Assessment and The Metiss Group’s External Candidate Review (ECR), each offering a unique approach to evaluating candidates.
In this piece, we’ll explore how these tools can help hiring teams reduce subjectivity, improve decision-making accuracy, and ultimately build stronger, more aligned leadership teams.
- Understanding the Harrison Assessment
- Inside the ECR: A Structured Approach to Candidate Evaluation
- Comparison: Time, Scope, and Practical Utility
- Strategic Conclusion: Better Decisions Through Purpose-Built Tools
Understanding the Harrison Assessment
The Harrison Assessment is designed to evaluate individual behavior, preferences, and potential across a wide range of work-related traits. With 175 behavioral factors and job-specific benchmarks, it is particularly well-suited for leadership development, succession planning, team composition, and performance coaching. Its flexibility allows organizations to generate tailored reports that align with leadership styles, communication dynamics, and interpersonal effectiveness.
What sets the Harrison apart is its strong application post-hire. While some firms attempt to adapt it for candidate selection, its strengths are most visible in internal development. It offers a nuanced view of how individuals relate to others, handle stress, and align with organizational values essential to long-term leadership success.
The assessment typically takes around one hour to complete and provides immediate reporting functionality for certified users or consultants.
Inside the ECR: A Structured Approach to Candidate Evaluation
The External Candidate Review (ECR) from The Metiss Group is built exclusively for new hire candidate evaluation. It is not a generalized assessment; rather, it is a purpose-built battery combining two validated instruments: the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal and TTI’s TriMetrix assessment. Together, these tools measure cognitive reasoning, behavioral style, and motivational drivers.
What distinguishes the ECR is its integration with a job profile. Hiring teams can use predefined success benchmarks to evaluate candidate fit, not just in terms of skill, but in alignment with role expectations and cultural context. This structured comparison reduces bias and elevates hiring accuracy across roles and functions.
The ECR requires certification to administer and debrief. The Metiss Group offers two options: internal certification for hiring managers,or interpretation by a senior advisor who can guide hiring teams through results. The assessments also take approximately one hour to complete, with reports delivered immediately to the hiring team.
Comparison: Time, Scope, and Practical Utility
Both the Harrison and the ECR take about the same time to complete. However, they differ significantly in scope, application, and interpretation.
The Harrison is ideal for internal leadership development. Its multi-dimensional reports support executive coaching, leadership training programs, and development planning. It is especially useful for organizations with established talent looking to enhance team synergy and succession strategies.
The ECR is designed for pre-hire decision-making. It provides a comprehensive lens on candidate fit based on cognitive and behavioral markers, benchmarked against a job-specific standard. For hiring teams, this is a high-utility tool that drives clarity and consistency.
The Metiss Group clients have administered tens of thousands of ECRs. The result has been a measurable improvement in employee performance, retention, and reduction in costly mis-hires. This kind of outcome underscores the ECR’s effectiveness as a hiring tool minimizing costly mis-hires.
What Each Tool Does Well
The Harrison excels at post-hire development. It uncovers behavioral insights difficult to observe in standard workplace settings, helping organizations understand how employees interact, lead, and grow.
The ECR focuses on pre-hire risk management. It offers predictive accuracy around candidate success and reduces the probability of poor fits slipping through the process. The use of validated instruments and job-specific benchmarks enhances its credibility among hiring teams.
Limitations to Consider
The Harrison, while versatile, lacks predictive alignment with specific job requirements unless custom benchmarks are created. It also requires more interpretive guidance, which can extend onboarding timelines.
The ECR, by contrast, is not built for development. It should not be used to guide post-hire coaching or leadership planning. Its primary strength is hiring accuracy—not long-term talent cultivation.
Strategic Conclusion: Better Decisions Through Purpose-Built Tools
Both the Harrison Assessment and The Metiss Group’s ECR are high-quality tools that support better decision-making within leadership teams. They are not competitors so much as complements. Each addresses a different phase of the talent lifecycle with precision and clarity.
Organizations seeking to improve hiring outcomes should consider the ECR as a front-line filter for candidate selection. Those investing in leadership and development programs will find the Harrison a valuable asset for internal growth. Used appropriately, both assessments can sharpen talent strategies and strengthen team performance over time.
Now that you understand how the Harrison Assessment and The Metiss Group’s ECR compare, your next step is to learn more about how to empower the leaders within your company.
