1. From gut feeling to reliable dataBefore AssessFirst, the process relied on solid technical interviews but also on a great deal of intuition. The goal wasn't to eliminate that instinct, but to complement it with a more reliable reading of profiles. In a consulting role, soft skills are decisive: adaptability, client relationships, managing ambiguity. AssessFirst made it possible to immediately identify profiles at risk of failure, as well as those with strong potential for success, well beyond what a CV or first interview could reveal.
2. A predictive model calibrated to Delaware's realityBuilding the predictive model wasn't done in isolation. Delaware worked hand in hand with its HR development team and the AssessFirst teams, then directly involved its managers to ensure the selected criteria genuinely reflected what they were looking for in a junior profile. Every year during junior hiring campaigns, AssessFirst structures the final decision, alongside manager evaluations.
3. A tool that extends across the full employee lifecycleWhat surprised Delaware was the natural expansion of use cases. AssessFirst is now used well beyond hiring: in team building sessions to understand team dynamics, in management settings to help a leader better understand how a team member operates, or to guide career decisions. The assessment is even retaken internally a year after joining because employees evolve, and tracking that evolution over time has real value for supporting career journeys.
4. Training managers: the multiplier effectThe support from AssessFirst enabled HR teams to be trained in interpreting results to such a high standard that they were then able to train managers internally, share best practices, and make AssessFirst a shared tool rather than an isolated HR instrument. This transfer of skills is what embeds the tool into everyday practice.
