Employee testing
Discussion
Black5 said:
I'm looking for a couple of tests that I can use for prospective employees.
It will be for admin roles.
I have a typing test, but would like one or 2 others that will gauge their overall ability.
Can anyone help?
How about you get 'em to arrange some tickets and travel arrangements on the web.
Or buy a book off Amazon.
Sort an Excel spreadsheet into alphabetical order.
Print a letter.
etc
Black5 said:
I'm looking for a couple of tests that I can use for prospective employees.
It will be for admin roles.
1) filing documents on low shelf while wearing a short skirt.
2) leaning forwards while wearing a low-cut top.
3) making coffee while performing oral duties.
for starters.
Depends what tasks you want them to do, how often they will have to do it and how important those tasks are to the job. Once you know that you can say what you need to test for. Unless you are recruiting thousands I would avoid formal psychometric testing and go for a 'work sample test'. This will have both face validity and content vaidity if anyone complains your questions about their sex life were in fact proxy measures of their ability to file.
A work sample does what it says on the tin. Choose a typical example of the tasks that they will either be doing often, or which are critical (filing, creating a PPT presentation, checking stock codes, printing labels from a list of names). Decide what criteria to used (for example is filing about speed or accuracy, or both) and what the minimum standard you need is. Write ot down so you are not tempted to take someone who is weaker but prettier, who it turns out can't do the job or is slower/less efficient.
Produce a set of standard materials so thay all get the same. Don't forget to ask if they have any disabilities that might impact their performance in the testing.
Most folks would couple a work sample with an interview, based upon the kind of situation they will have to deal with. Again, set out the questions in advance and have an idea what you want to hear from the candidate. I suggest using questions that draw on previous behaviour rather than hypthetical 'what would you do if.." questions but these can work if you need to see how they might act if a rare but unique and important situation arose.
Behavioural questions go something like:
"Excellent customer service is important here at Acme Enterprises. Can you tell me about a time when you have had to deal with someone who was unhappy with the service they had been given, and then tell us how you handled that"
Situational questions might go: " Being able to act on your own initiative is key to our success. Suppose you came into work one day to find your manager was sick and the directors were in an important meeting and couldn't be disturbed. A large and valuable customer who spends £500,000 a year with us rings to say that a part ordered from us hasn't arrived and is now holding up production. What would you do?
A work sample does what it says on the tin. Choose a typical example of the tasks that they will either be doing often, or which are critical (filing, creating a PPT presentation, checking stock codes, printing labels from a list of names). Decide what criteria to used (for example is filing about speed or accuracy, or both) and what the minimum standard you need is. Write ot down so you are not tempted to take someone who is weaker but prettier, who it turns out can't do the job or is slower/less efficient.
Produce a set of standard materials so thay all get the same. Don't forget to ask if they have any disabilities that might impact their performance in the testing.
Most folks would couple a work sample with an interview, based upon the kind of situation they will have to deal with. Again, set out the questions in advance and have an idea what you want to hear from the candidate. I suggest using questions that draw on previous behaviour rather than hypthetical 'what would you do if.." questions but these can work if you need to see how they might act if a rare but unique and important situation arose.
Behavioural questions go something like:
"Excellent customer service is important here at Acme Enterprises. Can you tell me about a time when you have had to deal with someone who was unhappy with the service they had been given, and then tell us how you handled that"
Situational questions might go: " Being able to act on your own initiative is key to our success. Suppose you came into work one day to find your manager was sick and the directors were in an important meeting and couldn't be disturbed. A large and valuable customer who spends £500,000 a year with us rings to say that a part ordered from us hasn't arrived and is now holding up production. What would you do?
If you check with ( I Recall) Saville and Holdsworth ( SHL) they offer a couple of tests at different levels called numerical and verbal critical reasoning. Unlike personality tests ( OPQ , 16PF, Myers-Briggs etc) you don't need to do loads of training and be registered with the British Psychological Society to use them. They are. however, very good
A couple of years ago I was talking to an accountant who had a sideline in pschometric testing. I said that I thought that stuff was a load of nonsense. So, he tested me - asking me all sorts of abstract and weird questions (there was no right or wrong). About a week later I received the report and I read about this total b*****d of a chap. So I laughed it off. Later on I gave it to a couple of colleagues and asked them to guess who it was (there was no name on it). They burst out laughing and said "of course it's you". I took it home and gave it to the wife and she laughed and said "definitely you". As such, I was a cynic about such things but I'm less so now.
leftie said:
Depends what tasks you want them to do, how often they will have to do it and how important those tasks are to the job. Once you know that you can say what you need to test for. Unless you are recruiting thousands I would avoid formal psychometric testing and go for a 'work sample test'.
Spot on..
Best way to approach this is to do a little thinking about what behaviours/attitudes are exhibited by someone already doing the job well and work out a way to see if the person you are interviewing does the same. A good situational test wil increase the chances of hiring the right person by about 25% over and above other techniques.
As an example, some recruiting I advised ona few years ago was for airline cabing crew.
That was a fun job.. 
Anyway, key things needed were along the lines of ability to follow orders to the letter and not flap in an emergency, sociable and able to deal with awkward passengers quickly and efficiently. We did do some psychometrics with the candidates, but also undertook work sample tests to see if they fitted in with the profile. Pretty successful recruitment campaign all round as I recall..
Jasper Gilder said:
If you check with ( I Recall) Saville and Holdsworth ( SHL) they offer a couple of tests at different levels called numerical and verbal critical reasoning. Unlike personality tests ( OPQ , 16PF, Myers-Briggs etc) you don't need to do loads of training and be registered with the British Psychological Society to use them. They are. however, very good
You need a level A BPS competence certificate to buy the tests which will cost you about £1000, then you will need a manual £30+), test booklets (£5+ a time) and scoring sheets (unless you choose the online or PC based version).
You need a level B certificate for personality questionnaire. More expensive to train on ( £1200-£1500), and you have to do a conversion course to switch instruments: usually 2/3 days and £800. The 'tests' are difficult to interpet, cost more and really shouldn't be used a sa standalone decison making method.
For odd bits of testing it probably isn't worth it: best to buy someone in with the qualification (lots of personnell managers have level A and some have level B but make sure the questionnaires they are qualified to use are what you want). You will still need other methods, as the tests will generally tell you what they can do, not what they will do!
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