When, Why, and How to Use Assessments
Carolyn N. Turknett
Turknett Leadership Group 770.270.1723
www.turknett.com
2 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com 2 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
Assessment for Hiring is Increasing
76% of organizations
with over 100 employees
use assessment tools for
hiring.
That number is expected
to increase to 88% over
the next few years.
3 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com 3 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
Ace the Assessment!
4 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com 4 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
Try it - Work Ethic
Choose the most accurate statement below:
It is important for me to excel at everything I
do.
I am good at everything I do.
If you want to be successful, you can’t
always put others’ needs first.
Definition of Assessment
The evaluation or estimation of the nature, quality, or ability of
someone or something.
6 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com 6 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
Questions we will briefly cover
When and why are assessments used?
What are typical assessments?
How should assessments be used?
Best practices
Pitfalls
What’s new?
Resources
7 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com 7 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
When are assessments used?
Selection of new hires
Succession management
Development
8 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com 8 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
Why do we assess?
Pre
dic
t • Selection of new hires
• Selecting managers
• Succession at the top
• High Potential Validation
Sn
apsh
ot
Me
asu
re
• Merger – Assess management talent from two companies
• Current performance (Performance appraisal)
Dev
elo
p
• New supervisors
• Development planning for Identified high potentials
• Executive Leadership Development
9 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com 9 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
Why do top companies assess?
Allan H. Church and Christopher T.
Rotolo, “How are Top Companies
Assessing Their High-Potentials and
Senior Management Executives: A
Talent Benchmark Study,” Consulting
Psychology Journal, 2013, Vol. 65, No. 3,
199-223 14%
25%
36%
39%
39%
48%
50%
82%
25%
17%
34%
26%
47%
28%
30%
74%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
External recruitment/selection
Confirmation of skill acquisition
Internal job placement
Self initiated/Ad hoc
Succession planning
Confirmation of potential
Identification of potential
Development needs
Senior Executives
High Potentials
10 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com 10 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
Types of Assessment Tools &
Methods
Interview
Work sample test
Personality test
Multi-source (360) Feedback
Cognitive – Mental ability assessment
Situational Judgment Test
Assessment Center (Leadership group discussion, simulation, role play – actual challenges)
Physical ability
Job knowledge
11 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com 11 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
Types of Assessments Used in
Top Organizations
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Multisource (360) ratings
Personality Inventories
Interviews
Biographical data
Role Plays/Simulations
Cognitive Abilities
Career Achievement Inventories
Assessment Centers
Motivational Fit
High Potentials
Senior Executives
Allan H. Church and Christopher T.
Rotolo, “How are Top Companies
Assessing Their High-Potentials and
Senior Management Executives: A
Talent Benchmark Study,” Consulting
Psychology Journal, 2013, Vol. 65, No. 3,
199-223
12 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com 12 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
Try it: Situational Judgment
1. Congratulate the guest on his or her choice and make the booking
2. Make the booking without providing your opinion
3. Offer a couple of alternatives, explaining that they are probably better.
4. Share your opinion and say that several guests have been disappointed with the restaurant.
5. Pretend the restaurant is fully booked and offer to find an alternative.
From HBR, Ace the Assessment.
13 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com 13 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
Characteristics of Effective
Selection Tools
Valid
Predicts job performance – and in your
environment
Designed for workplace and for selection,
not development
Designed for job and level
Fair (tools and processes)and reliable
Lack of Adverse Impact
Ease of Administration
14 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com 14 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
Example - designed for front line
ESQ
15 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com 15 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
Example – Designed for
Management
HDS – Hogan Development Survey
16 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com 16 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
Example – Clinical vs. job-
related
MMPI HPI
My soul sometimes leaves my body.
I would rather not criticize people, even when they need it.
Dirt frightens me. I always practice what I preach.
MMPI – Minnesota Multiphasic
Personality Inventory
HPI – Hogan Personality Inventory
17 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com 17 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
Try it – EQ: Mind in the Eyes
Irritated Sarcastic Worried Friendly
18 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com 18 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
Try it – EQ: Mind in the Eyes
Apologetic Friendly Uneasy Dispirited
19 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com 19 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
Designing an Assessment
Strategy
Identify (and prioritize) job-relevant
competencies; for selection – position
analysis and validation of competencies
For selection – If possible, validate using
criterion-related study
Design an assessment strategy – what tools
and methods?
20 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com 20 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
Best Practice:
Use Multiple Methods Using multiple methods (more than one assessment,
data from multiple sources) produces more valid and
reliable data.
Management Competency
OPQ 32 360 Coaching Role Play
Watson-Glaser
Drive results X X
Make good decisions
X X X X
Develop and coach
X X X
Influence across organization
X X
Manage self X X X
21 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com 21 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
Example: Multi-method
Assessment of High Potentials
Assessment against identified leadership competencies
Gap Analysis and Development Plan for each person
Sample Assessment protocol:
Multi-Source (360) Feedback
Robust Personality assessment such as: Hogan Personality Inventory, 16PF,
SHL Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ 32)
Hogan Development Inventory – Measures Derailers - HDS
Hogan Motives, Values, and Preference – Values & Preferences
Watson-Glaser – Critical Thinking
Structured Behavioral Interview and life history interview
Interview with Manager
Experience Assessment
22 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com 22 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
Best Practice: Pay attention to
Reliability and Validity of tools
Reliability: the extent to which an
assessment tool is consistent or free from
random error in measurement
Validity: the extent to which an assessment
tool measures what it is intended to measure
Predictive Validity: the extent to which an
assessment tool predicts performance in the
workplace
Reliability is necessary but does not ensure
validity.
23 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com 23 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
Do unstructured interviews work?
“If you could be
any topping on a
pizza…”
24 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com 24 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
Best Practice: Structured
Interviews are more effective*
Structured (r=.51)
Unstructured (r=.38)
Interview Performance
Act
ual Jo
b P
erf
orm
ance
*Source: Schmidt & Hunter, 1998
25 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com 25 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
Pitfalls - Legal Liability
Selection Procedures are challenged when…
Unrelated to job
Overly subjective – not reliable
Inconsistent application or administration
Selection procedure results in:
Adverse Impact
Disparate Treatment
26 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com 26 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
Pitfalls
Selecting the “like me” candidate – easy in
hiring and succession settings
Using personality tests designed for
development in selection settings
The New
Frontier: DATA
Watson
Analytics Text
Analysis
Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
Watson
Analytics Text
Analysis:
John
Kennedy
Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
29 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com 29 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
Kennedy, Lincoln, and the Donald
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Openess Conscientiousness Agreeableness Extraversion Neuroticism/EmotionalRange
Kennedy
Lincoln
Trump
30 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com 30 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
Questions?
31 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com 31 Turknett Leadership Group • www.turknett.com
Turknett Leadership Group
Turknett Leadership Character Model ™
www.Turknett.com 770.270.1723