February 22nd, 2010
I am honored to have been asked to team up with my friend and colleague Ken Lahti of PreVisor to conduct a webcast about innovations in pre-employment assessment. I encourage anyone who is interested in learning about the newest trends and what they mean for the long-term future of assessment to join us for the webcast.
Here is a preview of the top 5 innovations we will be discussing:
Evolution of technology platforms- Many assessment vendors are now offering a technology platform that greatly adds to the usability of assessments. These platforms provide the ability to quickly configure assessments, manage applicants through the hiring process and provide flexible reports to help support good decision-making. These platforms have the most benefits for small to medium sized businesses because they provide access to many of the functions previously available only to enterprise level users. Today’s assessment platforms also support easy integration with other systems, allowing users increased flexibility. This trend is an important because it reinforces the fact that assessment is not always just about “a test”. The ability to configure, manage, and interpret tests is also essential to the success of any testing program.
Off the shelf tests- The past decade has seen a huge increase in the amount of assessments that have been given and as a result we have unprecedented amounts of data about what assessments work in what situations. This has allowed test providers to create a new generation of off the shelf tests that are more accurate then ever. In the past, using an off the shelf test meant that you may end up missing some important constructs and measuring others that were not relevant. Today’s off the shelf tests, while still general in nature, are able to provide excellent information about a candidate’s potential for specific types of jobs (i.e., customer service, sales). These tests have also made quality testing more accessible to small and medium sized businesses.
Improved security- Test security has been a hot button issue since the start of Internet testing. There are legitimate concerns about remote, un-proctored testing that have definitely limited the uptake of testing. Despite this research and practice show that security is not seriously compromising the effectiveness of testing. More good news here- many vendors have begun to offer solutions that greatly reduce the risks involved with remote testing. The best amongst these utilize advanced computer adaptive testing techniques to ensure that every test is slightly different but provides equal measurement results. Advances in biometrics will allow for increased ability to ensure that the test taker is actually who they say they are. Remote testing may never be fully secure but advanced strategies for test security will continue to help provide piece of mind for those using remote testing.
Better simulations- Simulations have always been an excellent way to provide test takers with a realistic assessment experience while also measuring ability to perform a specific job. The future is very bright when it comes to simulations but there are still significant barriers to be overcome. Simulations are expensive to create and they are still relatively basic. It will take new technologies and innovative thinking to create simulations that can realistically approximate a real job. The exception here is call centers where some really great simulation products are readily available. Another type of simulation that is really strong is the on-line in-basket. These exercises measure how well a candidate can communicate, solve problems, and interpret information by simulating a real work environment.
Integration with broader talent strategy- Assessment is slowly moving away from its academic and clinical roots towards a more business focused future. The most significant force in this regard is the ability to link assessment results directly to business outcomes and to other people-related functions within the organization. This has traditionally been a challenge because of the extra time and effort required to set up measurement systems and a lack of strategic vision around the value of assessment. The change in mindset is happening, but has proven to be unfolding slowly. An increasing number of vendors are working to create products and systems that are focused on bottom line results and on integrating assessment into the bigger picture. I believe we are really at the tip of the iceburg when it comes to this trend.
On-line assessment is really only about a decade old and looking back, we have come a really long way in a short time. The next decade is going to bring some changes that I feel represent quantum leaps forward and the issues discussed here.
Posted in Assessment Technology, Assessment Trends | No Comments »
January 28th, 2010
One of the most important factors in determining the “success” of an assessment program involves the extent to which the assessments used meet the expectations of their users. Unfortunately, expectations for assessment are often a bit misguided due to a slick sales job or a misunderstanding regarding how to use assessments correctly. Using assessment in a manner that will allow results to align with expectations requires a bit of effort and understanding. Getting results starts with ensuring that you clearly understand the traits required for successful job performance and choose quality measures of these traits. Beyond this, the most important aspect of using assessments correctly is a clear understanding of what assessments can and cannot tell us.
What assessments can tell us:
- The basics about certain work related attributes- Assessment is great for providing a rough sketch of an applicant. This is especially true when it comes to certain personality characteristics or mental abilities. Expecting more than just a rough sketch from most pre-employment assessments is unrealistic.
- Mastery of specific knowledge areas- Assessment is also good for measuring someone’s knowledge or skill level when it comes to a specific body of information. Knowledge of a specific computer program is a good example.
- How applicant compares to others on certain important work related attributes- Assessment can provide a good measuring stick for where an applicant is vs. other applicants or a general population of similar individuals. This information is very helpful when evaluating applicants relative to one another.
- The best and the worst- Assessment is a great way to identify those applicants who are very likely not to work out. That is they are good for providing red flags on certain attributes that are required for job success. Assessment can also help provide insight into those who rise to the top when it comes to potential and ability.
So, assessment is a really good way to get a snapshot of applicants relative to certain traits required for success but it is important that users do not expect it to tell the whole story all the time. There is plenty of important information that assessments generally do not tell us.
What assessments do not tell us:
- Everything we need to know- Overreliance on assessment results can be problematic. Assessments are best used as rough indicators of specific things that candidates bring to the table. Job performance is a complex composite of many different aspects. It is best to try and use a variety of assessments and other data collection methods (i.e., resumes, interviews) to build a more complete picture of an applicant. At the end of the day, it is the experience and skill of the hiring professional that should be used to make a decision and assessments are just one piece of information that helps them do their job.
- Past job performance- Assessments do not tell you how well an applicant performed in a past role. Of course there are other ways to gather this information. Just don’t expect assessments to provide it.
- Contextual issues that may impact performance- Assessments do not tell you about the many life-related factors that may cause someone to perform poorly or leave a job. We have all performed at less than ideal levels or had problems with a job due to things such as commutes, difficult bosses, low salary, etc. These factors are just as likely to cause problems.
- How traits translate into work behaviors- Just because an assessment provides insight into certain traits that may be important for job performance does not mean that it always tells you how an individual will actually behave when they are on the job. It is important to understand that assessments use past data to make broad based predictions, not highly specific insight.
Work within your expectations
Remember humans are complex and interactions with other humans within a work context are often hard to predict. Assessment is a far from perfect science and expecting too much from an assessment can set you up for disappointment. However, assessment still has tremendous value when used correctly because it can provide meaningful data to help expert hiring personnel make informed decisions.
Posted in Best Practices for Assessment | No Comments »
January 11th, 2010
by Mark C. Healy
Not that bad at all, at least according to new data released by the ubiquitous Challenger, Gray, and Christmas. As summarized by Tom Johansmeyer:
“Last November, retailers hired 100,000 more workers than they had in November 2008, with the December hiring up 68,000. Nonetheless, these gains weren’t sufficient to bring the 2009 holiday season to pre-recession levels. From 2004 to 2007, retailers hired an extra 722,300 additional workers in October, November and December.”
Does the uptick (though not “recovery”) provide at least a rough – and positive – indicator of things to come? After all, the rise over the doldrums of the 2008 holiday season represented a 47% gain. On the one hand, this represents a substantial increase over a truly depressing time in US economic history. On the other, hiring certainly did not decrease, and retailers may never reach those stunning 2004-2007 numbers due to gains in both online retailing and the ability of major retail chains to sell more with fewer floor staff.
Check out the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ December 2009 employment summary to further complicate matters.
Tags: employment statistics, holiday hiring
Posted in Assessment Trends | No Comments »
January 8th, 2010
A new white paper from Princeton One provides an overview of the various types of assessments currently available. While it may be a bit basic for those who have a working knowledge of assessment, it is a great starting place for those who are interested in an easy to understand summary.
Posted in Best Practices for Assessment | No Comments »
December 10th, 2009
I recently came across a really nice summary of best practices published by PreVisor, a vendor of pre-employment assessment tools. I think this guide is worth sharing.
Rocket-Hire is a vendor neutral consultancy and as such we choose not to promote specific products and services offered by assessment vendors. We do however, work hard to help promote an understanding of best practices for pre-employment assessment. Assessment is a complex topic that is often confusing for those who are just getting started. There is a lack of quality information available to help those looking for quick info on how to properly use testing.
Please understand that the purpose of sharing this post is to help promote quality resources about best practices for assessment, not to promote PreVisor.
Enjoy!!
Posted in Best Practices for Assessment, Job Analysis, Legal Issues, Validation | No Comments »
December 3rd, 2009
I can’t over-emphasize the need for proper documentation for your hiring process. Companies without a clear explanation of the various components of the hiring process and their job relatedness are crusin for a brusin!! This is especially true in situations where the applicant population is usually made up mostly of minorities.
A recent settlement against Perdue Chicken is the latest illustration of what can happen when a company elects to forgo the documentation needed to prove their practices are in compliance.
Perdue’s head of HR regretfully states:
“Perdue is committed to treating all job applicants fairly. We regret we did not more carefully document our hiring process for production associates, which led to these concerns by the OFCCP and, ultimately, to this settlement.”
Ultimately this mistake cost Perdue $800,000 in back wages and interest to 750 women and minorities who were not hired during the relevant time period. As someone who is in the business of creating and documenting legally defensible hiring practices, I can say confidently that it would have cost them a heck of a lot less to have done things correctly.
The current economic and political climate has led to an increase in EEOC and OFCCP compliance investigations meaning that cases like this one are going to continue to be in the news.
The timeless words of Ben Franklin, ” An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” have never been more relevant when it comes to your hiring practices!! As an added bonus, properly validated hiring practices (of which documentation is a key part) have been shown time and again to provide significant ROI in addition to the piece of mind one gets from helping to ensure compliance.
Posted in Legal Issues | No Comments »
November 19th, 2009
Rocket-Hire is excited to announce the launch of our revamped website!
Besides providing the usual stuff about who we are and what we do, our new site maintains our mission of providing useful information and expert commentary about the use of pre-employment assessment tools within the modern recruitment and hiring process.
Our new site offers several easy ways for readers to share our views and opinions:
Blog-
First and foremost is our new blog feature. Our blog supports our core mission of providing expert, unbiased information about everything related to pre-employment assessment tools. It will also help support our mission to bridge the gap between the science behind assessments and their practical application. To these ends, we plan to use our blog as a forum to share our thoughts and opinions about news and trends that are shaping the future of technology-based hiring and pre-employment assessments. We are excited about sharing our opinions on news and hot topics from our field, and we invite others who are interested in these things to join in the discussion.
Make sure to try the RSS feature, which will allow you to sign up to automatically receive our blog posts.
Twitter-
Rocket-Hire is now on Twitter, so be sure to sign up to follow us. We will be tweeting news and information we want to share, including notification of new blog postings. We are excited about keeping in touch with you!
Articles and research-
The new site will continue to provide us with a way to share our latest articles, research and whitepapers. Over the past 8 years, we have been writing articles for the Electronic Recruiting Exchange and other media outlets, cranking out lots of useful whitepapers, and publishing our own research. Our new site provides an easy way for you to access all of our various writings.
We look forward to keeping in touch with you. Enjoy the new site!
Posted in Assessment Technology, Social Networking | No Comments »