7/22/2019
1
Leveraging Your Hiring Assessment Team
To Better Support Your Organization
Presented by
• Leslee Pagenkopf – Manager, Testing & Selection Unit (TSU), California Department of Justice (DOJ)
Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from UC Davis
Three years of graduate study in Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology
11+ years of experience in selection at several State agencies
Management in selection field for almost five years
Teaching selection courses for the CA Department of Human Resources since 2016
Prior President & current Board Member of PTC-NC
Today’s Topic
• How did we get to where we are now in the selection field
• Where is the public sector headed in terms of hiring
• What we are doing at the CA Department of Justice to improve hiring
• How to implement position-based assessment within your organization
What’s the problem?
• California used to have the highest standards of testing
• Faster. Easier. Better?
Increasing emphasis on simplifying the testing process over time
California didn’t have the technology to administer rigorous online tests
Solution: Training & Experience questionnaires
o Pros: Fast, easy, majority of applicants end up in highest ranks (i.e., highest scores)
o Cons: Hugely inflated lists, no differentiation of candidate ability, all responsibility placed on the untrained hiring manager to uphold the merit principle
We want online tests!
How bad is it?
• The current Staff Services Analyst online exam (entry into the State from college) has 13,701 candidates on it
• 75% of the candidates on the list are in the top three ranks (eligible for hire)
• Now that candidates can apply online, they are mass-applying for jobs regardless of their qualifications
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Staff Services Analyst Online Exam
Impact on Supervisors
7/22/2019
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What is position based assessment and how does it solve the problem?
WHAT
• Administering one or more selection tools during the hiring process for one particular job vacancy
HOW
• By having candidates go through a customized assessment process, the likelihood of the hire being successful on the job greatly increases
How We Started
• Started working on small requests from programs for hiring interview questions
• Interest increased as more exams went online
• Generated appreciation from key people in management
• Word-of-mouth referrals spread the message of our services
• Administered surveys to hiring managers to assess desire for services
Survey Results
• In November 2018 TSU Conducted surveys of hiring managers within each DOJ division to assess future interest for hiring assessment
• 72% of hiring managers and supervisors who responded are “somewhat likely” or “very likely” to utilize this service, if offered
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Requests for Hiring Assessments
What are We Doing Now?
1. Slowly spreading the word through the Department’s personnel liaisons
2. Separated staff with the relevant skills from Exam Team to create Assessment Consultation Team
Entrepreneurs
Able to finish projects quickly and before deadlines
Good writers, able to write high quality items
Creative
3. Leveraged skills of current Exam staff to put together infrastructure for the new unit
4. Created Budget Change Proposal (BCP) to request new staff for the unit
5. Assumption: As the services become more valued, the Department will offer more resources to the unit
Types of Assessments We Offer
What’s Next?
• One Assessment Analyst assigned to each DOJ program
• Providing one-on-one consultation and advice for assessment needs
• Additional consultation on screening applicants and reference check questions
• Acquisition of online testing platform to administer assessments
throughout the State and accessible to anyone with an internet connection
• A fully functioning, independent unit