Performance Tests and Assessment Centers for Selection - PowerPoint Presentation

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Performance Tests and Assessment Centers for Selection - PPT Presentation

Part 5 Predictors of Job Performance CHAPTER 13 Performance Tests What Performance Tests Do Ask the applicant to do a representative part of the job for which he or she is being evaluated Provide ID: 547518

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Slide1

Performance Tests and Assessment Centers for Selection

Part 5

Predictors of Job Performance

CHAPTER

13Slide2

Performance Tests

What Performance Tests Do

Ask the applicant to do a representative part of the job for which he or she is being evaluated.Provide

direct evidence of the applicant’s ability and skill to work on the job.Limitations of Performance Tests

Creating work samples representative of job activities

Relying on the assumption that applicants already possess KSAs to complete the job behavior

Costs of time, materials, and equipment required to develop and administer performance tests

13–2

Consistency of Behavior

Signs

Selection tests that are indirect indicators of an individual’s predisposition to behave in certain ways.Samples

Selection tests that gather information about behaviors that are consistent with the job behaviors being predicted.Types of Samples

Information to determine whether applicant has ever demonstrated the necessary behaviors

Work sample tests and simulations to determine whether the job behavior of interest can be completed

13–

Examples of Performance Tests

Motor Tests

Require the physical manipulation of things—operating a machine, installing a piece of equipment, or making a product.

Verbal TestsRequire the use of spoken or written messages or interpersonal interaction if the problem situation is primarily language or people oriented.

Trainability Tests

Are most often used for jobs that do not presently exist and specialized jobs for which extensive training is necessary.

13–

Test

JobMotor:

Lathe Machine operator

Drill press

Tool dexterityScrew board testPackaging

Shorthand Clerical workerStenographicTypingBlueprint reading Mechanic

Tool identification

Installing belts

Repair of gearbox

Installing a motor

Vehicle repair

Tracing trouble in a complex circuit Electronics technician

Inspection of electronic defects

Electronics test

TABLE 13.1 Examples of Work-Sample Tests Used in Selection

13–

Test

Job Verbal:

Report of recommendations for problem solution Manager or supervisor

Small business manufacturing gameJudgment and decision-making test

Supervisory judgment about training, safety,performance, evaluationProcessing of mathematical data and Engineer or scientist

evaluating hypotheses

Describing laboratory tests

Mathematical formulation and scientific judgment

Oral fact finding Customer service representative

Role playing of customer contacts

Writing business letters

Giving oral directions

TABLE 13.1 Examples of Work-Sample Tests Used in Selection

(cont’d)

13–

Perform job analysis

Identify important tasks to be testedDevelop testing procedures

Develop scoring procedures

Train judges

TABLE 13.2 Steps in the Development of Performance Tests

Developing Testing Procedures

Considerations in Selecting Tasks to Make Most Efficient Use of Testing Time

The total time required to perform the task must be reasonable.Tasks that either most or few applicants can do are of little help in sorting good and poor applicants.

Choose the less expensive task if there is a choice among two (approximately) equal tasks.

Standardized operations and products or readily definable verbal/interaction tasks are easier and less expensive to develop and score.

13–

Specifying Testing Procedures

Standardizing Testing Procedures

Develop a set of instructions for applicantsProvide the same or identical testing conditions to all applicants

Inform applicants of what will be scoredDevelop rules for consistent grading/scoring

Train all scorers in the interpretation of scoring rules

13–

Developing Testing Procedures

Establish Independent Test Sections

Develop the test such that an applicant’s performance on one part of the test is not closely tied to another part of the test.

Eliminate Contaminating FactorsDevelop the test to ensure that apparatus, jargon, or other testing elements that have only a minor influence on job performance do not interfere with or limit the test performance of applicants not familiar with these elements.

13–

SOURCE: Lynnette B. Plumlee, A Short Guide to the Development of Performance Tests (Washington, DC: Personnel Research and Development Center, U.S. Civil Service Commission, Professional Series 75–1, January 1975).

Standard

Process Criteria

Product Criteria

Quality Accuracy Conformance to specifications Error rate Dimensions or other measures

Choice of tools and/or materials Spacing Position

Efficiency of steps taken Strength Suitability for use

General appearance

Quantity Time to complete Quantity of output

Learning time Number of steps for which Improvement in meeting quantity standards

guidance is needed Improvement in meeting quality standards

Cost Amount of material used Number of rejects

Safety Handling of tools Safety of completed product

Accident rate

TABLE 13.3 Criteria Used in Scoring Motor Performance Tests

Determining the Importance of KSAs

The relative time spent on the task compared to all others

The relative difficulty of the task compared to all others

The the criticality of the task if incorrect performance results in negative consequences

The necessity for new employees to possess the KSA

The extent to which trouble is likely to occur if the KSA is ignored in selection

The extent to which the KSA distinguishes between superior and average workers.

13–

SOURCE: Neal Schmitt and Cheri Ostroff, “Operationalizing the ‘Behavioral Consistency’ Approach: Selection Test Development Based on a Content-Oriented Strategy,” Personnel Psychology

39 (1986): 91–108.

KSA

Selection Test

Oral Directions

Interview

Simulation

Communication skills

Emotional control

Judgment

Cooperativeness

Memory

Clerical/technical skill

TABLE 13.4 KSAs and Tests Used for Police Operator Selection

The Effectiveness of Performance Tests

Research Findings

The results of using performance tests in selection have been universally positive in affirming that the tests added to the prediction of job performance.

Performance tests can provide adequate prediction such that use of additional tests does not improve predictability.Motor performance tests were found to be valid while paper-and-pencil tests weren’t for the same subjects.

13–

Adverse Impact and Performance Tests

Research Findings

There are no differences between demographic groups of incumbents in either average scores on performance tests or on the percentage of

applicants selected.Performance tests may have an adverse impact on applicants.

13–

Other Results of Using Performance Tests

There are few complaints about their appropriateness.

Test administrators’ time is minimized.

Instructions, materials, and scoring can be standardized.

Test results are immediately available to both the applicant and the selection specialist.

Applicants learn job activities while completing the test, which provides data about the applicant’s ability to learn on the job.

Tests can serve as realistic job previews that help reduce turnover.

13–

Assessment Centers

What Is an Assessment Center (AC)?

A procedure for measuring KSAs in groups of individuals (usually 12 to 24) that uses a series of devices (exercises

), many of which are verbal performance tests.Uses of ACsSelection

—

identifying participants who demonstrate behaviors necessary for the position considered.

Career development—determining those behaviors each participant does well and those in which each is deficient.

13–17

13–

Dimension

Definition

Oral Communication

Effectively expressing oneself in individual or group situations (includes gestures and nonverbal communications)

Planning and Organizing

Establishing a course of action for self or others in order to accomplish a specific goal; planning proper assignments of personnel and appropriate allocation of resourcesDelegation Utilizing subordinates effectively; allocating decision making and other responsibilities to the appropriate subordinates

Control

Establishing procedures for monitoring or regulating the processes, tasks, or activities of subordinates; monitoring and regulating job activities and responsibilities; taking action to monitor the results of delegated assignments or projects

Decisiveness

Expressing a readiness to make decisions, render judgments, take action, or commit oneself

Initiative

Actively attempting to influence events to achieve goals; showing self-starting actions rather than passive acceptance. Taking action to achieve goals beyond those called for; originating action

Tolerance for Stress

Maintaining a stable performance under pressure or opposition

Adaptability

Maintaining effectiveness in varying environments, with various tasks, responsibilities, or people

Tenacity

Staying with a position or plan of action until the desired objective is achieved or is no longer reasonably attainable

SOURCE: George C. Thornton III,

Assessment Centers in Human Resource Management

(Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., 1992).

TABLE 13.5 Behavioral Dimensions Frequently Measured in Assessment Centers

Assessment Devices Used in ACs

Performance (Simulation) Tests

In-BasketA paper-and-pencil test designed to replicate administrative tasks of the job under consideration.

Applicants must indicate what action is to be taken regarding memos in the basket and are interviewed about their decisionsLeaderless Group Discussion (LGD)

A small group of applicants are each assigned roles and charged with resolving either a competitive or a cooperative scenario.

The group must produce a written report that specifies the action to be taken by the company relative to the scenario.

13–

TO: Philip Bobko

FROM: Philip RothRE: Assignments

Quit sending me these assignments that require me to read these really old studies and use these obscure statistics. They are driving me nuts. Besides, who cares about these? I want to be a leader! Give me something important to do. I want something bold and big—an academic administrative leadership assignment. If you would just get away from rural Pennsylvania and come to some big city in South Carolina like I did, you would understand what is important.

TO: Mick Mount

FROM: Murray Barrick

RE: Your Work Performance

I know that you are always open to new experiences. So am I. That is why I switch jobs and organizations about every two years. However, you have to stop being so agreeable and saying yes to everyone on the team who asks you to do something. You are doing so many different tasks that you are becoming unstable. What you have to do is pay attention to details!! For high-level job performance you have to be conscientious. You should list all the work objectives that you are trying to reach, make plans to achieve each one, and check off each plan when you complete it. Also quit trying to act like an extravert. You aren’t a salesman.

TABLE 13.6 Examples of In-basket Memos

13–

Problem: Your organization has decided to start an Executive Education and Development unit. The first step is for this group to choose a manager of this unit. Only current employees will be considered.

Assigned: Role #1 Alan Witt, Vice President of Research

Your goal is to get your assistant Roger Griffin chosen as the manager. He has worked in education and development for many years so you think he can do the job. However, he may not be favored by some of the others in the group for two reasons. Some think that he can only teach executives how to avoid turnover among their subordinates. Others suspect that he is already paid too much and would be really overpaid in the new position. You should convince others that Roger is mesomacro enough to handle the position and that money means nothing to him. You know that he would do this for the same amount that he is making now.

Assigned: Role #2 Chris Riordan, Vice President of External Development

Your goal is to make sure that this committee does not choose your assistant, Jerry Ferris. You know that he will be favored by several others on the committee because he interacts well with executives and he is good at designing programs. However, you don’t want to lose him because of his contribution to your work. Equally important is the fact that Jerry has told you that he has a new relationship and that he doesn’t want to take on anything else that would take time. He has been bouncing around from Chicago to Mississippi to Florida for the last few years and doesn’t want to move again. Finally, his old football injuries are bothering him. However, he doesn’t want you to talk about any of this personal information because he is a quiet person who doesn’t like to have attention called to him. He is afraid he may seem weak to the other guys.

TABLE 13.7 Example of Leaderless Group Discussion Problem

13–

Understanding the behavioral dimensions

Observing the behavior of participantsCategorizing participant behavior as to appropriate behavioral dimensions

Judging the quality of participant behavior

Determining the rating of participants on each behavioral dimension across the exercises

Determining the overall evaluation of participants across all behavioral dimensions

TABLE 13.8 Types of Abilities To Be Developed in Training Assessors

Rating Dimensions of Behavior in ACs

A great deal of the dimension was shown (excellent).

4 Quite a lot of the dimension was shown.

A moderate amount of the dimension was shown (average).

Only a small amount of the dimension was shown.1 Very little of the dimension was shown, or this dimension was not shown at all (poor).

No opportunity existed for this dimension to be shown.

13–

The Effectiveness of Assessment Centers

“Crown Prince Syndrome.”

If publicizing the AC evaluation does affect the selection decision, then the rating creates a self-fulfilling prophecy

Benefits of ACs for Managers/AssessorsDevelopment of proficiency in interviewing skillsDevelopment of better information communication skills

A reduction of halo errors in assessing subordinates

13–

Criticism of ACs

Cost

An AC is usually very expensive to develop and maintain and, if selection among applicants is its only use, there might be alternative methods that are much less expensive.

Construct ValidityACs have failed to demonstrate the patterns of correlations (both convergent and discriminant validity) among dimension ratings that they were designed to produce.

13–

Criticism of ACs

Possible Reasons for ACs’ Lack of Validity

Cognitive ability and personality traits underlie participants’ performance in ACs.AC exercises that are intended to measure the same dimension(s) are too dissimilar to actually do so.

ACs contain too many dimensions for assessors to successfully distinguish.Exercises—not dimensions—are important components of ACs which assessors rate rather than rating dimension behaviors.

13–

Situational Judgment Tests

Situation Judgment Tests (SJTs)

“Low-fidelity” simulations that present a series of written descriptions of work situations and multiple responses to each situation.

The participant indicates one of the responses for each situation as being the one that the participant endorses.

13–

Situational Judgment Tests (cont’d)

Developing SJTs

Collect stories from job incumbents or supervisors about situations encountered on the job that are important for successful performance.

Review the situations that are described to identify item stems.

Edit the situations into item stems.

Drop in appropriate situations or those that may raise legal concerns

Perform a job analysis including gathering ratings of the importance of and time spent on specific tasks.

13–

Situational Judgment Tests (cont’d)

Developing SJTs

Assemble the chosen items into a survey.

Administer survey to sample of SME.The test developer reviews the offered responses to each situation and prepares an edited list of potential responses to each situation.

The list of situations and alternative responses is circulated to the same, or equivalent, group who provided alternative responses to the item.

If possible, the test developer should perform an empirical validity study for the SJT.

13–

Item Stem #1.

It is Friday afternoon and your immediate manager has just told you to stay until the office is finished compiling its weekly reports—until about 8:30 P.M. However, you have tickets for you and your date for an 8:00 P.M. concert. What would you do?

Tell your manager that you cannot stay because of the concert (–1 point).

Explain the situation to your manager’s manager (

–

2 points).

Tell your manager that you will stay and explain the situation to your date (+2 points).

Try to find someone else at your level to do this, but stay if you cannot find someone else (+1 point).

Item Stem #2.

A customer with a relatively small asset base complains to you that the institution does not provide enough appropriate information about financial markets for him to be able to develop his own investment strategy. What would you do?

Listen and tell him that you will speak with your manager about this (

–

2 points).

Take notes and tell him that you will look into this (

–

1 point).

Take notes and briefly discuss the situation with the Market-Knowledge manager to determine what can be done (+1 point).

Take notes, speak with the Market-Knowledge manager, and spend time thinking of possible actions (+2 points).

TABLE 13.9 Examples of Items of a Situational Judgment Test for Entry-level Management in Financial Institutions

Key Terms and Concepts

Performance tests

Signs