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Assessment Methods HP 31/8/05 10:25 am Page 1 ASSESSMENT METHODS IN RECRUITMENT, SELECTION& PERFORMANCE 00_prelims_AMIR.qxd 16/06/2005 05:51 pm Page ii Assessment Methods TP 31/8/05 10:25 am Page 1 ASSESSMENT METHODS IN RECRUITMENT, SELECTION& PERFORMANCE A manager’s guide to psychometric testing, interviews and assessment centres Robert Edenborough London and Sterling, VA 00_prelims_AMIR.qxd 16/06/2005 05:51 pm Page iv To all the people whom I have studied, assessed and counselled over the last 40 years Publisher’s note Every possible effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this book is accurate at the time of going to press, and the publisher and author cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions, however caused. No responsibility for loss or damage occasioned to any person acting, or refraining from action, as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by the editor, the publisher or the author. First published in Great Britain and the United States in 2005 by Kogan Page Limited Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms and licences issued by the CLA. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside these terms should be sent to the publishers at the undermentioned addresses: 120 Pentonville Road 22883 Quicksilver Drive London N1 9JN Sterling VA 20166-2012 United Kingdom USA www.kogan-page.co.uk © Robert Edenborough, 2005 The right of Robert Edenborough to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. ISBN 07494 4294 8 British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Edenborough, Robert. Assessment methods in recruitment, selection, and performance : a manager’s guide to psychometric testing, interviews, and assessment centres / Robert Edenborough p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7494-4294-8 1. Employees--Rating of. 2. Employees--Recruiting. 3. Employees--Psychological testing. 4. Psychometrics. 5. Employment interviewing. I. Title. HF5549.5.R3E32 2005 658.3’125--dc22 2005005136 Typeset by Datamatics Technologies Ltd, Mumbai, India Printed and bound in Great Britain by Creative Print and Design (Wales), Ebbw Vale 00_prelims_AMIR.qxd 16/06/2005 05:51 pm Page v Contents Preface xi Acknowledgements xiii 1 Why selection and performance management? 1 Introduction 1 Selection and performance management 2 Psychometrics, assessment centres and structured interviews 2 A range of settings 3 Individual differences 7 Inputs and outputs 9 Competency 9 The importance of objectivity 13 Plan of the book 14 2 Historical perspectives 15 Psychometrics 15 Interviews 18 00_prelims_AMIR.qxd 16/06/2005 05:51 pm Page vi vi Contents Assessment centres 21 Standard setting 22 Performance management 22 3 Testing explored 26 Personality measurement 30 Ability, aptitude and attainment 33 Interest inventories 39 Motivation 40 Educational testing 41 Clinical testing and its relation to performance 42 A special case: integrity testing 43 How psychometric tests are used in selection today 44 Introduction to practical issues in control and interpretation 45 Summary 46 4 Statistics and standards in psychometrics I 47 Introduction 47 Validity and reliability 48 Interpreting test results 51 Summary 66 5 Statistics and standards in psychometrics II 67 Regulatory issues 67 Competence and qualifications 69 Data protection 73 Equal opportunities 75 Disabilities 79 Copyright 79 Test design and construction 80 Afterthought on regulation 81 Summary 82 6 Tests and selection – the developing context 83 Mass testing to trial by sherry 83 Some favourite measures – club membership to age 84 Job definitions 90 Summary 95 7 Psychometrics and selection – the practice 96 Large-volume recruitment applications 96 One-off and shortlist assessment 112 00_prelims_AMIR.qxd 16/06/2005 05:51 pm Page vii Contents vii Psychometrics and internal selection 117 Summary 119 8 Implementing psychometrics 121 Introduction 121 Information flows – building the picture 121 Other assessment methods 131 Further practical issues 131 9 Assessment centres 141 Scope and use 141 Exercise types 145 Summary 159 10 Other aspects of assessment centre technology 161 Assessor choice and training 162 Preparation and training programmes: assessors 163 Preparation for other roles in the assessment centre 167 Development centres 169 Practical issues about using assessment centres in reorganization 176 Valuing diversity in assessment centre operations 178 Assessment centre elements used independently 179 Summary 179 11 Structure in interviewing: the scope of structured interviews 181 The focus on behaviour 185 Deriving interview models 186 Criterion-based, competency-based and critical incident interviews 190 Summary 195 12 More on structured interviews 197 Structured psychometric interviews (SPI) 197 The extended interview 205 The board or panel interview 206 Feedback and follow-up interviewing 208 Conclusion 210 Summary 210 00_prelims_AMIR.qxd 16/06/2005 05:51 pm Page viii viii Contents 13 Performance management – background and approaches to measurement 211 The meaning of performance management 211 The performance context – business plans and management of people to realize them 211 Practical issues in competency modelling 213 Stakeholder views – customer measures and 360 degree assessments 216 Rewards as drivers of performance 223 Role of the development centre in managing performance 224 Performance management day to day – controls and feedback 225 Other considerations 226 Summary 226 14 A variety of one-to-one interactions in performance management 228 Introduction 228 Appraisals 230 Performance improvement and disciplinary interviews 233 Staff development 234 Mentoring, coaching and counselling in performance management 235 Summary 239 15 Supplier and client relationships in assessment and performance management 241 16 The use of information and communication technology in assessment and performance management 250 Number crunching to norms 250 Selection and generation of items 251 Guidelines 252 Remote delivery 252 Assessment centres 253 Feedback 254 Use of the internet 258 360 degree 260 Summary 260 00_prelims_AMIR.qxd 16/06/2005 05:51 pm Page ix Contents ix 17 Current issues and future trends 262 Constructing teams for major change 262 Assessments linked to private equity initiatives 265 Future directions: integrating and optimizing contributions 269 Coda 272 Glossary and technical notes 273 References 280 Further reading 290 Index 297 00_prelims_AMIR.qxd 16/06/2005 05:51 pm Page x 00_prelims_AMIR.qxd 16/06/2005 05:51 pm Page xi Preface Assessment methods are often separated out into different approaches rather than being joined up into comprehensive means of understanding capability. My own previous books include the different but related sub- jects of psychometrics and interviewing and, indeed, by writing about these as separate subjects I could be seen as contributing to separation rather than integration of thinking, notwithstanding a degree of cross- referencing that I attempted. Linking these two areas up and adding to them the scope to examine a third related field – that of assessment cen- tre technology – is something that I first discussed at a conference on test use (Edenborough, 1999); the continuing pursuit of that idea is one of the objectives of this book. All of these areas represent ‘inputs’ to performance, but the outputs or behaviour implied by the various assessment methods but necessarily not directly measured by them and the resultant control or management of performance appear to be worthy of consideration too. Otherwise it is unlikely that a comprehensively organized range of meth- ods will be applied to the whole field of human resource management. 00_prelims_AMIR.qxd 16/06/2005 05:51 pm Page xii xii Preface Joined-up methods are, in fact, increasingly sought and considered in a range of fields and one of the organizing principles is that of the appli- cation of information technology. This latter has been a continuing theme, of course, for a number of years and I can recall seeing demonstrations of remotely applied test procedures as far back as the early 1970s. Very recently I have been struck by the scope and need for more integration of reference taking with other aspects of assessment in recruitment and in the field of HR due diligence applied to mergers, acquisitions and other major changes. Add to that the ongoing interest in objective understand- ing of ability, plus integrative philosophies as represented by, among oth- ers, Investors in People, the Management Charter Initiative and, indeed, the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) and there seems to be a range of approaches worthy of joint consideration. These views are underpinned by an increasing awareness of the variety of situ- ations in which assessment and performance are meant to be understood together. Work undertaken by firms in the consulting and professional services area is, more and more, reflecting this convergence and it is my own experience in working in several such firms that has provided the final impetus for the present volume. 00_prelims_AMIR.qxd 16/06/2005 05:51 pm Page xiii Acknowledgements A number of current colleagues at KPMG have contributed in one way or another to this book. However, any errors are mine and the views expressed should not be taken as representing those of KPMG. Special mention should be made of Caroline Laidlaw, who has assisted enthusiastically with the research and made technical inputs on a number of topics. Ongoing discussions with and specific inputs from Mandy Parker and Gareth Jones have stimulated and challenged some of my thinking and helped shape the scope and expression of ideas in several of the fields covered.

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