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