Psychometric Testing

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Psychometric Testing

• 28th June 2007
• Dr Alexander Fradera, SHL
• Workshop at Practise Makes Perfect Conference,
• Nottingham Trent University

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Rationale for psychometric testing?

• The performance of people defines success in
  todays organisation.
• In order to achieve the best performance of
  people, organisations must understand what drives
  their behaviour.
• Solid psychometric testing deploys the best
  science within open, fair and transparent process
  to enable you to measure and benchmark the
  behaviours and abilities of people within your
  organisation to maximise their value and leave a
  positive legacy in their working lives to
• significantly improve the effectiveness of your
  organisation by dramatically improving the
  productivity of people at every level
• by identifying and unlocking the potential of
  your employees at all levels,whether that be the
  leadership of top managers or the operational
  capability of front-line staff.

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So what is psychometric testing?

• A method of assessing ability, personality,
  motivation and behaviour
• Objective - uses consistent methods across
  candidates
• Scientifically rigorous - have been proven to
  give results that are
• reliable (can be repeated) and
• valid (do what they say they do)
• Fair, open and transparent process

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VALIDITY
Validity
Job role
Assessment method
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In a nutshell, psychometric testing helps to

• Reduce the risks of recruitment
• Minimise the costs of selection
• Recognise the potential in people
• Reduce staff turnover
• Improve productivity
• Manage effective performance
• Effect transition programmes
• Control succession planning
• Create a leadership pipeline

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ASSESSMENT TOOL KIT

• Interview
• CV

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ACCURACY OF SELECTION METHODS
High
Years job experience Years education
Low
Source Robertson I Smith M (2001), Personnel
selection
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ACCURACY OF SELECTION METHODS
High
Ability tests Structured interviews
Psychometrics help achieve a closer match between
the people and their jobs
Personality qrres Assessment Centres Biodata
Years job experience Years education
Low
Source Robertson I Smith M (2001), Personnel
selection
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Ability The Differential Model
Comprehension Reasoning Evaluation
VERBAL
NUMERICAL
CLERICAL
DIAGRAMMATIC
MECHANICAL
SENSORY
DEXTERITY
Difficulty Low to high
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What Type of Skill?
4.62 1.80 ?
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What level of skill is required?
Production of 15mm Buttons, July - December
105 100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50
24 - 18 ?
Clerical staff, sales assistants, counter staff
Production in thousands
Managers
July Aug Sept Oct Nov
Dec
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What looks relevant?
Stack at start of day
Totaldaily usage
Stack at end of day
Component
?
100
?
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The fire alarm is a continuous ring of a bell.
An intermittent ring indicates a fire practice.
When the fire assembly area. When the fire
practice bell rings, your supervisor will tell
you what to do. Three short rings of the bell
should be ignored, as this is to test the
equipment.
Many organisations find it beneficial to employ
students during the summer. Permanent staff
often wish to take their holidays over this
period. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for
companies to experience peak workloads in the
summer and so require extra staff.
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Methods of Testing Scoring

• Paper and Pencil
• Scanner
• Desktop PC
• Hand Held PC
• Internet

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Interpreting Scores Meaningfully - Norm Systems
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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AN INDIVIDUAL AND THEIR
JOB IS A COMPLEX COCKTAIL
Style
Motivation
Aptitude
Knowledge / experience
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THE SOFT STUFF IS THE HARD STUFFUNDERSTANDING
IS OFTEN ON THE TOO DIFFICULT SPIKE
A
K/E
Motivation
Style
Aptitude
Knowledge/ experience
Style and Motivation
Job analysis and other research indicates that
up to 80 of the attributes associated with
success at work are dimensions of personality /
style rather than ability
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PERSONALITY QUESTIONNAIRES

• The SHL definition of Personality
• A persons typical or preferred way of
  behaving, thinking and feeling
• Widely accepted that well constructed personality
  questionnaires, appropriately used, provide much
  rich
• As we are dealing with the world of work
  everything must be work related
• They are powerful aids to development as well as
  recruitment

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EXAMPLE QUESTION FROM THE OPQ

• Choose which of the four statements is MOST and
  LEAST true (or typical) of you
• I am the sort of person who ...
  A Is assertive in groups
  B Applies common sense
  C Can sell ideas to a
  customer D Manages to relax
  easily

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Example Assessment Centre Matrix
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The technological evolution
Mid 1990s Advent of Microsoft word and other
software Widespread use of computers at work and
home
Late 1990s Popular use of the internet Job
boards easy CV posting Early screening
techniques
Early 2000s Tests begin to be delivered over
the Internet
Late 1980s early 1990s Use of PCs and pocket
pcs Birth of PC Expert
TODAY Internet delivery of tests becoming the
default method New demands on psychometricians
Mid 1980s Harness power of computer to
manipulate data Expert reporting
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Maximum Utility
HIGHLOWHIGH

• Validity
• Current Success Rate
• Selectivity

This applies to Selection, Training,
Competencies, Assessment and Development Centres
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A word on potential

• Many companies face, in one or more areas
• An ageing workforce
• Draining of traditional applicant pools
• Unknowns over newer types of applicants
• This makes it harder to answer questions like
• What will a good candidate look like?
• Who might they work best with?
• In these uncharted waters, measuring potential is
  the way to navigate!

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The ultimate benefits

• Psychometric testing revolves around achieving a
  closer fit between a role and the individual who
  takes it.
• This gives you
• Better performance in the job
• Longer time in the job
• More engagement in the job

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FURTHER INFORMATION
Occupational testing
Technology and the Internet
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The Occupational Testing Process
Administer Tests
Score Tests
Norm Tests
Consistency Reliability Data
Other information about individual
Choose Tests
Relevance Validity Studies
Analyse Job
Outcome
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Applications of Ability Tests
Research
Development
Training
Selection
Ability Tests
Succession Planning
Outplacement
Career Counselling
Restructuring
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Technology Assessment - Its not easy

• The Internet as a delivery mechanism enables
• Assessment 24/7 any time, anywhere
• Standardized process regardless of where
  assessments are done
• Better, faster cheaper assessment process
• Only interview suitable people less manager
  time taken
• Less people for assessment events saving of
  direct cost
• Assessment process automation
• More effective client controls over selection
  practices
• However, you cant simply put a test on the net
• Static tests in unsupervised environments
• Cheating who has completed the test
• Familiarization publishing answers on the www
• Test fatigue candidates get fed up with taking
  the same tests again and again no
  differentiation
• Data security and integrity
• Protection of IP soon dissipated