Presented by:
Dr. Roberta Neault, Life Strategies Ltd.
www.lifestrategies.ca

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A Pan-Canadian perspective
10 tips for integrating assessments into career conversations

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Funder
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FLMM Career Development Services Working Group
Purpose
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To identify and understand:
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Current uses and limitations of assessment processes, models, and tools
Benefits associated with existing tools
Gaps and areas where new work may be needed
Methods
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Literature review, key informant interviews, survey

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Little overlap between
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What key informants taught
What survey respondents used
Some evidence of a “one size fits all” approach
Rich mixture of informal and standardized assessments
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Caution to not over-rely on assessment instruments
Many specific assessments used with diverse populations
For career decision-making
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Interest assessments widely used

GROP

Considerations for Effective Use
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Use a systematic, holistic framework
 e.g., the Wheel, developed by Amundson
Learn about a wide range of assessments
Research appropriate use of assessment tools for diverse client groups

10 TIPS FOR INTEGRATING ASSESSMENTS
WITH CAREER CONVERSATIONS

1. CHOOSE WISELY

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Career decision-making
Employee screening and selection
Career and leadership development
Team strengthening
Succession planning

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Informal
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Checklists
Games
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Fantasies
Forced-choice activities
Card sorts
Structured interviews
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Formal
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Needs
Interests
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Skills
Aptitude/Achievement
Work Values
Personal Style

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A – unrestricted access
B – university training in tests/measurements
C – advanced training and supervision

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10 Tips for Selecting Assessments
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Clarify goals
Consider the implications of testing (or not)
Decide to test or not to test
Determine budget
Identify special considerations
Avoid a “one size fits all” approach
Research options
Find the right tool(s) for your purpose
Determine logistics
Confirm qualification levels of assessment specialists

2. PREPARE

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Read and highlight
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Manuals
Reports
Client files
Referral requests
Conduct additional research if needed

How Many Buds Are in the Image?

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Confirmatory bias
Self-fulfilling prophecy
Too narrow or too broad of a focus

3. INTEGRATE

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Consider assessment goals
Integrate contextual information
Dig deeper
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Question unusual or contradictory results
Check for missing information
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Cross-check with other information sources
Explore flat profiles or random responses
Don’t get bogged down with irrelevant details

The Wheel
The top half of the Wheel includes external factors (e.g. opportunities, experiences).
__________________________
The bottom half of the Wheel includes personal characteristics
(e.g. skills, interests).
Reproduced with permission from Career
Pathways 2 nd Ed. ( Amundson & Poehnell, 2008)

4. REFLECT

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Potential impact of assessment results
How best to communicate them
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Charts?
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Graphs?
Reports?
Case examples?
Role play?
Metaphors?

5. FOCUS THE CONVERSATION

Career Conversations vs.
Performance Conversations
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Career conversations
Express career aspirations and concerns
Explore opportunities
Identify goals and next steps
May mention performance
Performance conversations
Focus on a review of performance
Provide an opportunity to benchmark
May identify gaps in need of development

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Ensure performance is “solid” in current job
Offer clear benchmarking and gap analysis
Identify specific strategies to build competency
Provide access to supports
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Coaching, self-study, course, external training
Collaborate on action planning
Agree on change/growth plan and timeline

6. DON’T OVERINTERPRET

7. DON’T “TEST AND TELL”

Beyond “Test and Tell”
“[Some] practitioners…conceptualize career counselling as a process of administering tests and providing occupational information.
Such views freeze career counselling at the turn of the last century.”
~Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey (2002)
Career Counseling Strategies and Techniques for the 21st Century
29

8. ESTABLISH “SMART” GOALS

MAJOR TASK 1
S pecific
M easurable
A chievable
R elevant
T ime-Limited
MAJOR TASK 3
GOAL
MAJOR TASK 2
MAJOR TASK 4

9. IDENTIFY
ACTION STEPS

Vision without action is merely a dream.
Action without vision just passes the time.
Vision with action can change the world.
~Joel Barker

10. FACILITATE
SHARING

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Get “informed consent” up front
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Who owns the results?
How will they be used?
Be strategic
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How can the results be helpful?
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How can they best be communicated?

10 Tips for Integrating Assessments with Career Conversations
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Choose wisely
Prepare
Integrate
Reflect
Focus the conversation
Don’t overinterpret
Don’t test and tell
Establish SMART goals
Identify action steps
Facilitate appropriate sharing