Recruitment and Selection
“While findings show that interviews are the most frequently used method, around three-quarters of those surveyed also put some candidates through a general ability test (75%) and/or literacy/numeracy test (72%) to assess their knowledge”.
Source: CIPD Annual Survey Report 2006.
- Psychometric tools, including personality and ability assessment, available on-line if required
- Behavioural interviewing techniques using competency frameworks.
Ability tests take the guesswork out of recruiting and give you confidence in making the right decision and therefore in appointing the right person. They are a useful objective mechanism to short list candidates and can be used prior to interview to eliminate those individuals who simply do not have the hard skills to do the job. This way, they save you time and money. A numerical reasoning test is a typical example of an ability test, but other aspects you might want to measure might be the ability to think on one’s feet or to pick up new information quickly.
In a similar way, aptitude tests give an objective indication as to whether a candidate has the right qualities required to do a particular job such as computer programming work. Aptitude tests make you better equipped to select the person most likely to succeed in the job.
Case Study: Recruitment & Selection
Background
The Head of Town Planning of a large local government office was retiring and a replacement was being sought. Team Insight were invited to assist in the selection process. The Personnel Manager was clear about the competencies and expertise necessary for the position. Honesty, integrity, pragmatism, leadership skills, strategic thinking, influencing skills were all required, along with superior numeric and verbal reasoning abilities.
What did we do?
Given the very specific competencies needed for the job, Team Insight quickly identified appropriate psychometric tools to measure these. Candidates were given Saville & Holdsworth's VMT3 Verbal Analysis test which assesses the ability to understand and critically evaluate passages of high-level written information. Saville & Holdsworth's NMT4 test was also administered. It measures the ability to make correct inferences and decisions from business-related numerical data presented in the form of graphs, charts and tables of figures.
As well as ability tests, candidates completed three psychometric tools: the Gordon Personal Profile & Inventory, the Gordon Survey of Personal Values and the Gordon Survey of Interpersonal values. These instruments measure aspects of personality that are significant in our day-to-day interaction with others. They also determine the importance individuals ascribe to various activities and measure certain critical values that help determine the manner in which individuals cope with the problems of everyday living. Team Insight held a one to one feedback session with each candidate in order to verify the results.
Following this, together with two representatives of the Personnel Department, Team Insight led an interview based around the results of the questionnaires and the competencies required for the job.
Team Insight produced a full written report on each candidate. The results were specifically related to the competencies and expertise required for the job so that the selection panel could clearly evaluate each candidate. Additionally, the consultant talked through each report with the two representatives from the Personnel Department so that no misunderstandings occurred and all questions were answered.
What was the result?
The senior selection panel were given a very comprehensive analysis of each candidate, showing how they measured up to the competencies and skills required for the job. Their selection of appointee was based on solid assessment measurements. Additionally, the candidates themselves reported finding the selection process a valuable and worthwhile experience.