Assessment ! Everything you ever wanted to know but were afraid to ask Dr. Wendell Williams Managing Director ScientificSelection.com, LLC 770-792-6857

Who am I 10 years Executive Management 10 years VP Positions Training 20 years Consulting BSIM, MBA, MS, Ph.D. American Psychological Association Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology Association of Test Publishers Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

10 years Executive Management

10 years VP Positions Training

20 years Consulting

BSIM, MBA, MS, Ph.D.

American Psychological Association

Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology

Association of Test Publishers

What is Assessment? A scary place? A special program? A certain kind of test? Only big organizations? Unfairly screen-out people? A blight on humanity? Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

A scary place?

A special program?

A certain kind of test?

Only big organizations?

Unfairly screen-out

people?

A blight on humanity?

Assessments Any method used to evaluate whether a person has skills to perform a job Applications: Hiring Promotion Job preview Training needs Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

Any method used to evaluate whether a person has skills to perform a job

Applications:

Hiring

Promotion

Job preview

Training needs

Not New! BCE Aaron suggests assessment process to Moses Chinese assess for bureaucrats and courtiers Plato outlines management assessment process CE c. 1800 Surgeons and Cadets c. 1850 Government clerks c. 1900 Streetcar operators and salesmen c. WWI and WWII officer candidates Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

BCE

Aaron suggests assessment process to Moses

Chinese assess for bureaucrats and courtiers

Plato outlines management assessment process

CE

c. 1800 Surgeons and Cadets

c. 1850 Government clerks

c. 1900 Streetcar operators and salesmen

c. WWI and WWII officer candidates

Driving Test = Assessment Written exam Eye test Driving Skills Parking Traffic Signals Simulators Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

Written exam

Eye test

Driving Skills

Parking

Traffic

Signals

Simulators

“ Trendy” Assessments tend to rise and fall with trends in the labor market Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

Assessments tend to rise and fall with trends in the labor market

Biggest Obstacle Human nature encourages people to make sweeping judgments about skills based on small snippets of information (Halo and Horns effect) Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

Human nature encourages

people to make sweeping

judgments about skills

based on small snippets

of information (Halo and

Horns effect)

Rolling the Dice Information snippets such as interviews generally screen-out blatantly unqualified candidates; but, the odds of hiring or promoting the wrong person are no better than chance. Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

Information snippets such as interviews generally screen-out blatantly unqualified candidates; but, the odds of hiring or promoting the wrong person are no better than chance.

ROI Often Ignored The financial impact of interview/resume assessment can be considerable: 20% of base salary for unskilled 30% of base salary for skilled and semi-skilled 50% of base salary for professional and managerial Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

The financial impact of interview/resume assessment can be considerable:

20% of base salary for unskilled

30% of base salary for skilled and semi-skilled

50% of base salary for professional and managerial

ROI comes from… More productivity Less training Faster learning Lower turnover Less training Fewer mistakes Motivated employees Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

More productivity

Less training

Faster learning

Lower turnover

Less training

Fewer mistakes

Motivated employees

Professional Assessment Results A professionally developed multi-trait, multi-method assessment process usually cuts training, doubles employee productivity and reduces turnover by half. Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857 Screen In Screen Out

A professionally developed multi-trait, multi-method assessment process usually cuts training, doubles employee productivity and reduces turnover by half.

What Does Assessment ‘Assess’? Job Performance = How + What How= having the right KSA’s for the job What = clear expectations, results, products Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

Job Performance = How + What

How= having the right KSA’s for the job

What = clear expectations, results, products

Tennis Example What = Win majority of sets How = Hard serve, accuracy, endurance, agility, forehand return, backhand return, game strategy Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

What = Win majority of sets

How = Hard serve, accuracy, endurance, agility, forehand return, backhand return, game strategy

Assessments Assessments evaluate the candidate’s job “how’s”… Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

Assessments evaluate the candidate’s job “how’s”…

Typical Assessment Areas 1) Cognitive: thinking, learning, problem solving, planning, technical 2) Interpersonal: interacting, behaving, persuading, presenting 3) Motivational: likes and dislikes Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

1) Cognitive: thinking, learning, problem solving, planning, technical

2) Interpersonal: interacting, behaving, persuading, presenting

3) Motivational: likes and dislikes

Common Assessment Tools Handwriting Age Education Projective test Interview Grade point avg. Recommendation Personality test Motivation test Reference check Biographical data Situational int. Behavioral int. Mental ability Simulation Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

Handwriting

Age

Education

Projective test

Interview

Grade point avg.

Recommendation

Personality test

Motivation test

Reference check

Biographical data

Situational int.

Behavioral int.

Mental ability

Simulation

Common Assessment Tools (some good…some not so much) Off the Wall Handwriting Astrology Pseudo –psych tests Usually Unrelated Age Education Self assessment Grade point avg. Recommendations Little data –big assumptions General Interview Personality test Motivation test Reference check Hard to fake - Job related Biographical data Situational int. Behavioral int. Mental ability Simulation Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

Off the Wall

Handwriting

Astrology

Pseudo –psych tests

Usually Unrelated

Age

Education

Self assessment

Grade point avg.

Recommendations

Little data –big assumptions

General Interview

Personality test

Motivation test

Reference check

Hard to fake - Job related

Biographical data

Situational int.

Behavioral int.

Mental ability

Simulation

Assessments = Common Sense Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

Hard to Fake + Job Related Demonstrate Skills Problem solving tests Scheduling exercises In-baskets Participation in simulations Give concrete examples Situational Interviews Behavioral Interviews Self-descriptions Self-descriptions Standard interviews Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

Demonstrate Skills

Problem solving tests

Scheduling exercises

In-baskets

Participation in simulations

Give concrete examples

Situational Interviews

Behavioral Interviews

Self-descriptions

Self-descriptions

Standard interviews

Job Attitudes Candidate Iceberg Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857 Interviews/ impressions Job Skills

Job Attitudes

Look Under the Water Line Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857 Attitudes Interests Motivations Details Spelling Communication Problem Solving Learning

Self Descriptions Can be Faked Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

Demonstrations = Hard to Fake What You See is What You Get Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

Workshops? Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

Professional Assessment Guidelines Clearly identify what to evaluate ONLY use assessments developed to predict performance Make sure assessments are accurate and trustworthy Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

Clearly identify what to evaluate

ONLY use assessments developed to predict performance

Make sure assessments are accurate and trustworthy

Example If a critical element is: Learning Problem Solving Coaching Persuasion Planning Enthusiasm Mixed elements Then evaluate (assess) for: Learning ability Solving problems Ability to coach Persuasiveness Planning skills Motivation Multi-trait/Multi-method Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

If a critical element is:

Learning

Problem Solving

Coaching

Persuasion

Planning

Enthusiasm

Mixed elements

Then evaluate (assess) for:

Learning ability

Solving problems

Ability to coach

Persuasiveness

Planning skills

Motivation

Multi-trait/Multi-method

Getting Started Clearly define “performance” Identify “hows” (job requirement and business necessity) Choose proven professional tools Confirm that “hows” differentiate between high and low performance Use a MTMM approach Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

Clearly define “performance”

Identify “hows” (job requirement and business necessity)

Choose proven professional tools

Confirm that “hows” differentiate between high and low performance

Use a MTMM approach

STOP! Assessment tests and training tests are NOT the same: training tests evaluate interpersonal differences regardless of performance. Hiring tests evaluate performance regardless of interpersonal differences Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

Assessment tests and training tests are NOT the same: training tests evaluate interpersonal differences regardless of performance. Hiring tests evaluate performance regardless of interpersonal differences

Assessments Evaluate “Hows” “Hows” Lead to Performance Test Score Performance + - Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

Summary Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

Professional Assessments Fairly and accurately evaluate whether a person has skills to perform a job Applications: Hiring Promotion Job preview Training needs Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

Fairly and accurately evaluate whether a person has skills to perform a job

Applications:

Hiring

Promotion

Job preview

Training needs

Not New BCE Aaron suggests assessment process to Moses Chinese assess for bureaucrats and courtiers Plato outlines management assessment process CE c. 1800 Surgeons and Cadets c. 1850 Government clerks c. 1900 Streetcar operators and salesmen c. WWI and WWII officer candidates Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

BCE

Aaron suggests assessment process to Moses

Chinese assess for bureaucrats and courtiers

Plato outlines management assessment process

CE

c. 1800 Surgeons and Cadets

c. 1850 Government clerks

c. 1900 Streetcar operators and salesmen

c. WWI and WWII officer candidates

Require Discipline Human nature encourages people to make sweeping judgments about skills based on small snippets of information (Halo and Horns effect) Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

Human nature encourages

people to make sweeping

judgments about skills

based on small snippets

of information (Halo and

Horns effect)

Impressive ROI Differences between high and low performance are estimated to be: 20% of base salary for unskilled 30% of base salary for skilled and semi-skilled 50% of base salary for professional and managerial Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

Differences between high and low performance are estimated to be:

20% of base salary for unskilled

30% of base salary for skilled and semi-skilled

50% of base salary for professional and managerial

Multi-trait/Multi Method Evaluate critical job activities Hard to fake Level the playing field Fair to all applicants Based on job requirements and business necessity Scores relate to job performance Pay for themselves in one or two hires Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

Evaluate critical job activities

Hard to fake

Level the playing field

Fair to all applicants

Based on job requirements and business necessity

Scores relate to job performance

Pay for themselves in one or two hires

Don’t Stand Alone Even the best assessments cannot compensate for: Bad managers (the greatest source of job dissatisfaction) Frustrating working conditions Low pay or benefits Poor executive leadership Lack of training Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857

Even the best assessments cannot compensate for:

Bad managers (the greatest source of job dissatisfaction)

Frustrating working conditions

Low pay or benefits

Poor executive leadership

Lack of training

Q & A Copyright 2008, ScientificSelection.com 770-792-6857