1. Psychometric Assessment: Overview of test use and developments
3rd December 2018
AGCAS Psychometrics Task Group

2. Types of tests & assessment
Cognitive tests – learning, reasoning, capacity (what)
Personality – style, preferences (how)
Motivation – drive, energy, engagement (why)
SJTs / simulations – judgement, practical knowledge, ‘common sense’ (what & how)
New developments – game-based tests and AI

3. Why are tests used? Objectivity Accuracy Validity
‘Level playing field’
Emotional Intelligence
Unstructured interviews
Structured interviews
Astrology
SJTs
Graphology
Ability tests
Self-assessment
0 Effectiveness
References
Personality assessments
Assessment centres

4. Popularity CIPD Resourcing and Talent (2017)
Competency-based interviews – 78%
Interviews on contents of CV / app form 74%
General ability tests – 41%
Assessment centres – 39%
Personality / aptitude questionnaires – 35%
Online tests – 23%
Gamification – 2%
Based on 1068 UK organisations

5. Popularity Over 95% of FTSE100 companies c70% of SMEs
Tendency for greater use in private sector than public or voluntary sectors

6. Popularity – SHL
Assessed more than 5 million people in over 160 countries in the last 12 months
Worked with 10,000 customers
More than 60% of the Fortune Global 500 used SHL:
80% of Technology companies
80% of Food and Beverage companies
70% of Financial Services companies
More than 80% of the FTSE 100 used SHL, including every Telecommunications company
Current estimate of 25 – 30 million tests per year

7. SJTs Can assess behaviours, skills, competencies
Based on understanding and responding to scenarios
Provide ‘low fidelity simulations’
Relatively distinct from other assessments
More a methodology than a construct

8. SJTs

9. Getting inside SJTs Mainly assess behaviours / competencies
Often developed through critical incident interviews
Commonly encountered situation to be solved
Variety of options / ways to respond
Expert judgement of effectiveness
Items may reflect
‘common sense’ judgement
work-place appreciation
role-based expectations

10. What the research tells us - SJTs
Very little good research available
Re-test effects similar to cognitive tests
Familiarity is likely to be important – variation in question formats
Know the company – what do they want?
Typical behaviour and fit

11. Developments with current tests
More tests at all stages of recruitment
Technology is everywhere, increasing accessibility
Testing earlier on in recruitment process
Ability tests
High use
Online, unsupervised
Validation?
Item banks and adaptive testing

12. Developments with current tests
Personality assessment
Increasingly used as a screening tool
Bespoke versions, focus on key attributes
Can be used to derive competencies
SJTs
Typically used as an early filter
Most likely to be bespoke to organisation
Vary in terms of ‘fidelity’
Most advanced ones are ‘game-like’

13. Going mobile
45% of job seekers use their mobile to search for jobs daily
89% believe a mobile device is an important tool for job searching
48% think mobile will be the most common way to search for jobs in two years or less
90% of the Fortune 500 company career sites do not support a mobile applications
(Glassdoor surveys, 2014)

14. Tests going mobile

15. Strengths-based assessment
Identifies individual strengths, interests, motivators
May be an assessment or interview
Part of a wider recruitment process
Predictive of fit and retention
Open to preparation?

16. Strengths-based assessment

17. Game-based assessment
Some definitions
Games
Gamification
Game-based assessments
Attractive
Equitable?
Valid?

18. New developments and issues
Diversity vs validity
Diversity is increasingly important to organisations
Traditional tests, esp ability, are not great here
Personality, simulations, GBAs are better here…
… but are they equally valid?
AI / natural language processing
Digital footprint analysis
Up to 90% of employers review candidates’ social media profiles
Rise of companies offering social media reports

19. Looking further ahead