This week, I had the opportunity to work with a coworker on two different projects. The first was within her area of expertise, and I needed her help to complete my responsibilities. The second was in my area of expertise, and she came to me for assistance.  It occurred to me that in my job, I rarely accomplish goals by myself. I nearly always rely on others to help me get the job done, even if it is just bouncing ideas off of my boss before implementing a solution for a client.

In a previous posting, I wrote about the importance of developing employees to help make them productive team members. However, it is also important to look at an individual’s propensity for teamwork during the selection process. Assuming the job for which you are hiring does, in fact, require teamwork, you may benefit from using selection assessments and behavioral interview questions to identify job candidates’ tendencies towards collaboration and cooperation. Job candidates whose assessment results or interview performance indicate high levels of traits, such as extroversion and agreeableness may be more effective on the job-- simply because they are more likely to work with others to accomplish organizational goals.

Jocelyn Courtney-Hays

While personality and cognitive tests are often used for hiring and selection, another set of tests focus on an individual’s aptitude, or ability, to learn a set of tasks. Rather than assessing an individual’s knowledge, mechanical aptitude tests predict an individual’s ability to learn a job. Mechanical aptitude tests are most typically used in the hiring selection process to identity the most suitable candidates for training programs or entry level positions.

Probably the best known mechanical aptitude test is Pearson’s Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Test. Here, the applicant is presented with pictures that represent mechanical principles in everyday situations. For example, one question may show a lever and ask where it should be placed to make moving a heavy object easiest. The intent of the items is to assess mechanical reasoning, not specific knowledge. Other similar tests are the Hogrefe PPM for Mechanical Understanding,Pearson DAT for PCA Mechanical Reasoning, and the Ramsay Mechanical Aptitude Test. 

Mechanical aptitude tests are powerful tools when used for applicant screening into positions that require these skills. They have been used successfully for decades and are well-suited for hiring selection decisions for jobs that require mechanical ability or will involve training in these skills.

The American Psychological Association will be holding its annual convention next week in Toronto on August 5-9. Both Nate Studebaker and I were fortunate enough to be invited to speak. Nate will be chairing a symposium on the implementation of 360º feedback programs in decentralized organizations while I will be chairing a panel discussion on the ethical issues surrounding the management of assessment data. Two panelists in my session work for long-time pan content partners: Ryan Ross of Hogan and Julie Carswell of Sigma Assessments.

If you will be at APA, Nate and I would certainly be pleased to get together to either discuss business, socialize, or both. Please drop a note to either Nate or me so that we can sort out the logistics. We hope to see you in Toronto!

Reid Klion

I was on the SIOP website the other day and came across the “SIOP FYI on Workplace Topics” section which has some rather extensive information on both employment testing  and coaching. While I haven’t had a chance to review the coaching section in any detail, there is a wealth of descriptive information about assessment. Overall, the presentation seems quite balanced with a section on reasons to use  (as well as not to use) assessments, types of tests, and item formats. 

These pages provide an excellent, even-handed orientation which focuses on the pros and cons of various approaches to assessment. These resources would be quite useful to individuals who want to learn more about using assessments in the workplace. Interestingly, there is a “hit counter” on the bottom of each page. While I don’t know when the pages or counters were created, it appears that some have been viewed fewer than 1000 times. Let’s hope they find the audience that they deserve.

Reid Klion

While perusing Amazon.com for good books recently, I came across the Penn and Teller tome, How to Play in Traffic.  Generally, I wouldn’t mention such mundane details of my life, but I wanted to make note of it here.  You see, it has come to my attention that there are some people who make playing in traffic their full-time job.

You may remember from my previous post that I am an Indy 500 fan. However, the excitement here in town is that NASCAR will be at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend for the Brickyard 400. In almost any form of racing, a key part of any race are the pit stops where tires are changed, and…well, I actually don’t know what happens aside from the tires, but I’m sure it’s all very important and mechanical.  While I was at the 500, it occurred to me that the people who work in pit row are dealing with cars moving in and out of the pits at high speeds.  I have read stories of injuries, from the minor to the severe, occurring due to pit crew members coming too close to the racecars, and seeing the pit stops in person made me realize just how easily injuries could happen.

There are probably a number of important attributes that make for a good pit crew member.  I’m willing to bet that in addition to having a high level of mechanical skill and knowledge, you also need to be diligent, conscientious, and focused on safety – not only for your own well-being but also for that of your driver, fellow pit crew members, and competitors.  How many other jobs require this same commitment to safety?  I can think of a few-- assembly line employees, truck drivers, healthcare workers.  Given the inherent risk in these jobs, it is important to hire people who will be safe at work. While training is an important part of workplace safety, there are also a number of assessments that can help identify job candidates who are (and are not) well-suited for work in dangerous environments.

Jocelyn Courtney-Hays

When I was in high school Biology during the early 90s, my teacher spoke of a new emerging technology called the Internet. It had been around for a while but had not really caught on outside of scientific and academic circles as computers were for geeks, and most people didn’t see their benefit over using a typewriter. He spoke of the ability to access information about breakthroughs in science as if you you were down the hall from the actual experiment and having immediate access to information from all over the world. Most people thought this type of technology was for large companies like AT&T and IBM, and the idea a personal computer could retrieve information from some nebulous place on the other side of the world was completely foreign and pretty much inconceivable.

In my naiveté, I did not realize he was really referring to the emergence of the global community. The Internet is something which joins everyone together and enables interaction with someone across the world without ever leaving the comforts of the living room. Transactions can be conducted by anyone with access to a computer, and what was once an exotic item from a foreign country is now a few clicks away on sites like Amazon and EBay. All that is required is the belief that the person on the other side of the connection is legitimate.

In the past, the beginning of trust was largely based on who people commonly knew. If a friend endorsed someone, that person was probably trustworthy.

Benjamin Lahey has a recent American Psychologist article on the public health implications of neuroticism. While often viewed as a clinical construct, neuroticism is reliably found as a stable personality factor and often labeled as “adjustment,” “negativity”, or “emotionality stability.” In the personnel selection realm, high scores on this factor are often negatively correlated with occupational success. Similarly, Lahey outlines how neuroticism predicts both mental and physical health as well as response to treatment for both types of conditions. While it is certainly plausible that illness will increase an individual’s level of negative emotionality, there are also data to suggest that it predicts many health problems even when depression is controlled.

The article goes on to explore both the genetic and environmental components that may contribute to neuroticism as well as the interplay between them. Indeed, it is easy to understand how one’s propensity to respond negatively to environmental stressors can act in a self-perpetuating cycle. For example, if an individual reacts to a negative stressor (say the end of a relationship leads to increased social isolation as opposed to a healthier response of seeking social support), it is easy to see how the cycle can continue. While we often only consider personality traits in the context of personnel selection, it is also interesting to consider how they fit into the larger context.

Reid Klion

An organization will often employ a psychological testing assessment process as part of its pre-employment selection system. Employment personality tests are often used for this purpose because they often can provide a broader picture of a job candidate’s suitability for a position than do many of the approaches typically used such as resume reviews and non-structured interviews. While there are a number of ways that a psychological testing assessment system can be configured, it is critical that it be based upon a thorough analysis of the competencies required for success in a particular job or position. It is only in this way that an organization can be sure that it is basing its selection decisions upon criteria that are valid and will identify applicants who are truly qualified for the position at hand. The types of employment personality tests used in a psychological testing assessment process can include tools that assess personality and attitudinal factors as well as specific work skills.

Let me introduce myself, I am Gerry Groe, Managing Director of Business Development at pan.  I joined pan on March 16 of this year after restructuring myself out of my position at Denny’s as VP- Human Resources & Organization Development.  Denny’s is a fine company, but, like many consumer-oriented businesses, it has had to deal with a very tough, turbulent economy over the last two years.  Consequently, in my OD role I worked with several outside consultants and the Denny’s senior team to restructure the company to better facilitate achievement of the company’s business strategy.  As part of this new organization design, I actually suggested that my job be eliminated.  Why, because HR was “top heavy” and we had the necessary senior HR talent to lead a leaner HR function.  Fortunately, even before I left Denny’s I knew where I wanted to go - I wanted to join  pan.  While I have more than twenty years experience in VP and SVP – level HR positions with major corporations and as an OD consultant, by trade I am an industrial/organizational psychologist and I felt a strong pull to pursue a career with pan focusing on assessments - in my next posting I will explain why.

Gerry Groe

A few weekends back, I was at home watching a golf tournament on TV.  As I’m sitting on the couch, I see the familiar faces of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Anthony Kim making their way around the course.  But during one stretch of action, something caught my eye – player after player wearing Nike apparel.  I thought back to my junior (pre-Tiger) golf days when Nike had a limited golf line with just the basics – shirts, shoes, socks, hats, and the like. Now, though, you can head to your local sporting goods store and pick up Nike golf balls, bags, headcovers, and even clubs.  It is amazing what one endorsement contract has done for that company.

Thinking about what Tiger Woods did for Nike Golf, I wonder if organizations encounter the same situation. Can one superstar employee make a huge difference to a company? Probably so – a story in Inc. cited a case where a programmer at a technology company developed an idea that eventually became a seven-figure revenue generator. In light of stories like that, you have to wonder, What could the one right person do for my company?  And more importantly, how do you find that employee who can help take your business to another level?  

I think there are multiple answers to that question. First, organizations should use the right pre-hire selection criteria. Utilizing valid pre-employment assessments, behavioral interviews, and situational judgment tests can help you to identify high potential job candidates who possess characteristics such as diligence, creativity, and ambition. Once employees are on the job, it is important to foster an organizational culture that encourages idea sharing and open communication. You could host an online discussion forum for idea sharing or sponsor idea generation drives to motivate employees to “think outside the box.” Finally, it is important to invest in employee professional development. Providing opportunities for individuals to grow and learn may lead them to develop ideas they never would have thought of otherwise. In addition, investing in your employees’ development is likely to increase their organizational engagement and may motivate them to contribute at an even higher level to the overall success of the business.

Jenni Ginsburg