Shadowmatch cannot be categorised under the banner of personality, psychometric or “similar assessments”.  Why not?  Because Shadowmatch doesn’t measure ability, personality or any psychological constructs.  It is not a test, an assessment or a questionnaire.  An individual cannot fail or get a bad or incompetent result.  Shadowmatch falls under the category of inbasket exercises, role-plays and worksheets.

Shadowmatch is an online worksheet that presents an individual with a task to be completed.  Whilst the individual engages with the task (being the Shadowmatch worksheet), the system “observes” how the individual engages and completes the task and it seeks for recurring patterns of behaviour.  The result is a graph that indicates the individual’s habits measured accross 25 areas.  This graph is then matched against the combined habit pattern of top performers doing a specific job in a specific working environment.  It then measures whether the individual has completed the worksheet in the same way as the top performers in the environment to which he / she will be matched (either for a job placement or for career / succession development).  Shadowmatch does a comparative study between the habit patterns of that of the top performers completing a specific task (the Shadowmatch worksheet) and that of the individual completing the same task.

The successful completion of the Shadowmatch worksheet doesn’t require of an individual to have any level of advanced psychological self-insight.  Not all people have the same level of self-insight and this descrepancy or limitation has a huge impact on the accuracy and validity of the results in assessments where this is required.  Shadowmatch purely maps how a person would react / behave in a specific situation or against a specific task – in other words, what the person would do.  The accuracy of the results is therefore not dependant on an individuals thinking, feeling or self-experience patterns and insights but purely on how a person would behave.

Shadowmatch combines fuzzy logic, probability logic/theory and complexity logic/theory into a dynamic consistency matrix without any pre-defined profile of the so called ‘ideal profile’ myth.  The mathematical model is so advanced that it automatically determines the reliability and validity of the benchmark.

The tool doesn’t work with a predetermined benchmark or norm group.  No two customer service or sales or collections etc. environments are the same and therefore standardised benchmarks are not used.  Shadowmatch works with the principle of precise benchmarks.

It is totally customisable for any environment in any country (be it work, sport, school, varsity, etc).  How?  By correctly choosing the top performers doing the same job in a specific enviroment.  These top performers individually complete the worksheet and the system automatically combines their shared habits into a benchmark that can be used for recruitment of new people and development of existing staff that are not achieving and exceeding performance targets. 

Top performers are those individuals that have been in the job for 8 months and longer and who have consistently exceeded the performance targets. They are positive towards the working environment and their peers and they have a motivating influence on others. Typically those people that you would want to “clone” if you could. With a sound performance management system is it easy to identify the top performers.

The answer is quite simple and straight forward – then Shadowmatch cannot be used.  The success of Shadowmatch depends on the correct benchmark and this is compiled by using the top performers in a specific environment doing the same job.

Then Shadowmatch cannot be used as a recruitment tool.  Why?  Because Shadowmatch is not a fixing tool.  If you are not happy with the current performance of the division and therefore not happy with the standard of performance amongst your top performers, then you cannot use Shadowmatch.  You would have to first fix your division by lifting the standard of performance to a level that you are happy with.  How can this be done? Through implemeting strict performance standards and contracts and diligently managing people against these contracts and targets.  This will lift the standard to the required level.  Once you are happy with the performance of the division, you would identify the top performers and then create your benchmark on Shadowmatch.

If everything stays static – the same management team, same environment, same products and processes, etc, the Shadowmatch benchmark needs to be revised at least once a year.  Whenever something in the environment changes, the benchmark would have to be revised.  If there is a change in the environment (management change, merger, new products and processes, new location, etc.), you would have to wait for at least three months after the change for the dust to settle and then revise the benchmark.  This is done through making sure that the individuals who are performing tops after the change, are used as the top performers in the Shadowmatch benchmark.  People can be moved in and out of the benchmark list on Shadowmatch by the click of a button (provided that their results are on the Shadowmatch database).

Anything between 2 and 15 people can be used to create a benchmark on Shadowmatch.

It is not easy for an individual to manipulate Shadowmatch, because the back-end works on a fuzzy logic calculator with thousands of test / reference points. This means that there is no linear testing and an individual completing the worksheet doesn't know which behaviour is tested with which questions.

If someone tries to manipulate towards a specific outcome, the graph will clearly indicate this in the results.

Please also keep in mind that Shadowmatch doesn't work with static benchmarks (a generic customer service, generic management, generic sales person, etc.). No two management benchmarks or customer service benchmarks will be the same and therefore an individual that tries to manipulate in order to try and get the job, might create exactly the opposite profile of what is needed. They won't know what to manipulate to because they don't see the benchmarks beforehand and if they manipulate, they will be a complete mismatch to the benchmark.

Experience has shown that Shadowmatch should be used early in the recruitment process - straight after the candidate applications and CV’s have been screened in terms of meeting the minimum job requirements.  Shadowmatch determines fit into the working environment and it is important to first determine fit before embarking on the rest of the recruitment process.  This saves time on interviewing candidates that will not fit into the working environment, purely because their natural way of doing things will not be suitable for the environment and the culture.  It also saves time and money with regards to applying other tests and assessments on candidates that will not be suitable for the job.

Once Shadowmatch has been used to list candidates top down in terms of their match to the top performers, those with similar habits to the top performers can now be interviewed using the Shadowmatch interview packs.  The candidates with the highest interview scores can now comfortably be considered for the job.  Should the company already be making use of other assessments and personality tests, these could now be administered.  Why at the end of the process?  Because it helps to save costs.  Other assessments and personality tests will now be administered on candidates who you already now will fit into the environment and who you have already interviewed.  The company therefore takes a precision approach and not a blanket approach and this enables them to save costs and enhance efficiencies.

Please note that Shadowmatch can be used complimentary with any other assessments tools and tests already used by the company.