SkillSurvey appoints Chief Analytics Officer

SkillSurvey(TM), Inc. the pioneer in web based reference checking, today announced the appointment of Dr. Cynthia A. Hedricks, Ph.D., to chief analytics officer. In this newly created role, Dr. Hedricks will be responsible for supporting the companyís aggressive innovation efforts, integrating data analytics to advance SkillSurveyís robust, proprietary reference checking technology.

ìCynthia is a tremendous talent ñ one of the industryís foremost authorities ñ and we are thrilled to have her join our executive team,î said Ray Bixler, SkillSurveyís president and chief executive officer. ìWe are deeply committed to helping our clients improve quality of hire through our highly predictive technology. We believe that Cynthiaís deep experience in data analytics, as well as her knowledge of our business and our clients, will make her extremely effective in this position.î



ìDoug LaPasta made a critical breakthrough when he created SkillSurveyís web-based reference checking product, and transformed this component of the employee selection process,î said Hedricks. ìThe predictive information, response rates, and response times are vastly superior to those of traditional methods of reference checking. In addition, the convenient web-based technology saves time for busy HR professionals and hiring managers, enabling them to devote more of their efforts to other strategic initiatives. I am thrilled by the opportunity of leveraging the data weíve already collected from multiple sources to further strengthen and expand SkillSurveyís offerings to meet a variety of client needs.î

SkillSurvey enables employers to efficiently, economically and effectively review applicantsí professional references using a web-based, 360 approach for assessing past performance. The confidential format, and 24/7 accessibility, increases response rates by an average of 122 percent over phone references and yields more useable information. Recruiters save time, reach more references per candidate, and increase submittal-to-hire ratios with more in-depth candidate profiles.

Dr. Hedricksí work has focused on developing new products and deliverables, conducting basic psychometric research, supporting research-based consulting services, and disseminating results of scientific studies to a variety of audiences. She has led corporate seminars and workshops, authored articles on a variety of topics, and presented research findings both domestically and internationally. Most recently, she organized a practice forum, ìCreation and application of global personality norms,î at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP); presented a paper, ìThe personality qualities that distinguish women leaders,î to the International Symposium on Personality at Work, University of Luneburg, Germany; and co-authored a book chapter, ìForcing choices in personality measurement: Benefits and limitations.î

Prior to entering the corporate sector, Dr. Hedricks was on the faculty at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, where she taught a doctoral seminar, ìWork and Leisure,î as well as graduate and undergraduate courses on research methods, with particular emphasis on those conducted in the applied setting. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Association of Test Publishers, the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology, and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Dr. Hedricks received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Franklin and Marshall College, a Master of Arts in Experimental Psychology from the University of Hartford, and a Masterís and Ph.D. in Biopsychology from The University of Chicago. Her post-doctoral Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was in Social Demography and Biology, where she studied hormonal and social correlates of young womenís career asp!
irations.

Just prior to joining SkillSurvey, Dr. Hedricks led research and development at Caliper, a Princeton, NJ firm that uses a personality assessment to help employers select and develop top performers.