PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
Psychometric Testing
28th June 2007
Dr Alexander Fradera, SHL
Workshop at “Practise Makes Perfect” Conference,
Nottingham Trent University
1
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
Rationale for psychometric testing?
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
•
The performance of people defines success in today’s 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.
2
So what is psychometric testing?
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
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
3
VALIDITY
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
Validity
Job role
Assessment
method
4
In a nutshell, psychometric testing helps to:
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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
5
ASSESSMENT TOOL KIT
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
• Interview
• CV
6
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
7
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
8
ACCURACY OF SELECTION
METHODS
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
High
Years job experience
Years education
Low
Source; Robertson I & Smith M (2001), Personnel selection
9
ACCURACY OF SELECTION
METHODS
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
High
Ability tests
Structured interviews
Psychometrics help
achieve a closer
match between the
people and their
jobs
Personality q’rres
Assessment Centres
Biodata
Years job experience
Years education
Low
Source; Robertson I & Smith M (2001), Personnel selection
10
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
Ability – The Differential Model
VERBAL
NUMERICAL
CLERICAL
DIAGRAMMATIC
MECHANICAL
SENSORY
DEXTERITY
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
Comprehension
Reasoning
Evaluation
Difficulty
Low to high
11
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
What Type of Skill?
£4.62 + £1.80 = ?
12
What level of skill is required?
105
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
24 - 18 = ?
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
Production of 15mm Buttons,
July - December
100
95
90
Clerical staff, sales
assistants, counter staff
85
80
75
70
65
60
Managers
55
50
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
13
Dec
What looks relevant?
Component
Million Dollars
1600
Germany
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
1400
UK
1200
1000
France
Italy
800
Holland
600
400
Year
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
1987
1988
1989
1990

Stack at
Total
start of day daily usage
100
?
Stack at
end of day
40
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.
14
Methods of Testing & Scoring
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
• Paper and Pencil
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
• Scanner
• Desktop PC
• Hand Held PC
• Internet
15
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
Interpreting Scores Meaningfully
- Norm Systems
16
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AN INDIVIDUAL
AND THEIR JOB IS A COMPLEX COCKTAIL
Motivation
Style
Knowledge / Aptitude
experience
17
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
THE ‘SOFT’ STUFF IS THE ‘HARD’ STUFF
UNDERSTANDING IS OFTEN ON THE ‘TOO DIFFICULT’
SPIKE
Motivation
Style
Knowledge/
experience
Aptitude
A
K/E
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
18
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
PERSONALITY QUESTIONNAIRES
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
• The SHL definition of Personality;
“A person’s 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
19
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
EXAMPLE QUESTION FROM THE OPQ®
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
• 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
20
Example Assessment Centre
Matrix
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
Presenting and
Communicating
Information
In-tray
Group
Exercise
Presentation



Working with
People

Persuading and
Influencing

Analysing

Planning &
Organising

PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
Ability
Tests

Interview
Personality
Questionnaire









21
The technological evolution
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
Mid 1990’s
Advent of Microsoft word
and other software
Widespread use of computers
at work and home
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
Late 1990’s
Popular use of the internet
Job boards & easy CV posting
Early screening techniques
Late 1980’s early 1990’s
Use of PC’s and pocket pc’s
Birth of PC Expert
Early 2000’s
Tests begin to be delivered
over the Internet
Mid 1980’s
Harness power of
computer to manipulate
data ‘Expert’ reporting
TODAY
Internet delivery of tests
becoming the default method
New demands on psychometricians
22
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
Maximum Utility
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
•
Validity
HIGH
•
Current Success Rate
LOW
•
Selectivity
HIGH
This applies to Selection, Training, Competencies,
Assessment and Development Centres
23
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
A word on potential
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
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!
24
The ultimate benefits
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
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
25
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
FURTHER INFORMATION
Occupational testing
Technology and the Internet
26
The Occupational Testing Process
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
Administer
Tests
Score Tests
Consistency:
Reliability Data
Choose Tests
Relevance:
Validity Studies
Analyse Job
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
Norm Tests
Other information
about individual
Outcome
27
Applications of Ability Tests
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
Development
Research
Selection
Training
Ability Tests
Outplacement
Succession
Planning
Restructuring
Career
Counselling
28
Technology & Assessment - It’s not easy
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
PEOPLE PERFORMANCE
•
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 can’t 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
29