M7P5

Assessing competencies (continued)

Beside Interviews, the other tools available for assessing competencies are:

Work Sample Tests

360 Assessments

Assessment Centre Technology

Work Sample Tests

Work sample tests are just that. They present the candidate with samples of some of the actual tasks that will have to be performed in the job. For instance, a sales job may require reps to analyse sales data. The Sales Manager and HR Practitioner may put their heads together and create a table of actual sales data and then set several questions on them to see whether candidates are able to analyse the data correctly.

Work Sample tests are a good way of finding out whether a candidate has specific skills (competencies) related to the functional area of a job, e.g. HR related skills, Finance skills, Engineering skills etc.

However, standardised work sample tests are not generally available. This means that they cannot be purchased “off the shelf” from a test developer but have to be developed in – house. This can be a costly and time consuming exercise that requires the input of the subject matter expert (e.g. finance manager) and a suitably qualified person such a psychologist or psychometrist or HR Practitioner who has a good understanding of designing work sample tests.

360 Assessments

360’s that are well designed around the outputs of a job, or clear behavioural criteria, can be a good way to assess generic competencies.

360’s entail getting someone junior to a candidate, a peer and someone senior to a candidate to rate the candidate on behaviours associated with a competency.

The scores from the different raters can then be aggregated into an overall rating for the candidate on a competency.

For example, a competency such as Commercial Awareness will be broken up into key behavioral indicators such as :

1. Has an understanding of commercial and financial principles;
2. Is aware of issues such as costs, profits, markets and added value;
3. Understands the key success factors in the business.
4. Is aware of opportunities that will add value and increase revenue for the business

A rating scale such as the following may be used:

1. Emerging - little evidence of this behavior is observed
2. Developing - some evidence of this behavior is observed
3. Competent - sufficient evidence of this behavior is observed to demonstrate competence4. Strength - strong evidence of this behavior is observed.

The candidate will be rated on each behavioral indicator by all the raters to get an overall picture of his proficiency on the competency.

It is not without its hiccups though. It is not always easy to get raters who really have been in a position to observe a candidate’s behaviour on all the competencies being assessed, and therefore ratings can be a thumb suck. Raters are also always subjective. Often there can also be quite a time lag between sending out the 360 to raters and getting the completed ratings back.

Assessment Centre Technology (ACT)

ACT comprise activities such as:

⦁ In-tray exercise
⦁ Role play exercise
⦁ Case study based analytical exercise (here is an example - https://eqiq.yolasite.com/)
⦁ Presentations
⦁ Leaderless Groups

These exercises simulate the activities that a person would be required to do in a real job, with the view towards eliciting and observing the person’s behaviour during these activities in order to assess those Generic Acquired Competencies that are required by the job.

Overall ACT’s are a highly effective means to assess competencies, but their effectiveness depends on various factors such as:

⦁ How accurately the exercises simulate actual job functions or tasks. This means that ACT actitivies have to be designed to accurately reflect EACH JOB it is being used for.

While off - the - shelf generic ACT exercises can be purchased, they are generally discouraged as they do not comply with international assessment center standards.

⦁ The number of observers used – multiple observers are normally required to increase the “degree of accuracy” to which the person is assessed. When single raters are used these assessments tend to be very subjective

⦁ The extent to which observers have been trained in the exercises and how to assess candidate’s behaviours during the activities.

Due to these factors they tend to be very expensive to develop and also expensive and time consuming to administer.

BACK

Assessing competencies (continued)

Beside Interviews, the other tools available for assessing competencies are:

Work Sample Tests

Work Sample tests are a good way of finding out whether a candidate has specific skills (competencies) related to the functional area of a job, e.g. HR related skills, Finance skills, Engineering skills etc.

360 Assessments

360’s that are well designed around the outputs of a job, or clear behavioural criteria, can be a good way to assess generic competencies.

360’s entail getting someone junior to a candidate, a peer and someone senior to a candidate to rate the candidate on behaviours associated with a competency.

The scores from the different raters can then be aggregated into an overall rating for the candidate on a competency.

For example, a competency such as Commercial Awareness will be broken up into key behavioral indicators such as :

1. Has an understanding of commercial and financial principles;2. Is aware of issues such as costs, profits, markets and added value;3. Understands the key success factors in the business.4. Is aware of opportunities that will add value and increase revenue for the business

The candidate will be rated on each behavioral indicator by all the raters to get an overall picture of his proficiency on the competency.

Assessment Centre Technology (ACT)

ACT comprise activities such as:⦁ In-tray exercise⦁ Role play exercise⦁ Case study based analytical exercise (here is an example - https://eqiq.yolasite.com/)⦁ Presentations⦁ Leaderless Groups

These exercises simulate the activities that a person would be required to do in a real job, with the view towards eliciting and observing the person’s behaviour during these activities in order to assess those Generic Acquired Competencies that are required by the job.

Overall ACT’s are a highly effective means to assess competencies, but their effectiveness depends on various factors such as:

⦁ How accurately the exercises simulate actual job functions or tasks. This means that ACT actitivies have to be designed to accurately reflect EACH JOB it is being used for.

While off - the - shelf generic ACT exercises can be purchased, they are generally discouraged as they do not comply with international assessment center standards.

⦁ The number of observers used – multiple observers are normally required to increase the “degree of accuracy” to which the person is assessed. When single raters are used these assessments tend to be very subjective

⦁ The extent to which observers have been trained in the exercises and how to assess candidate’s behaviours during the activities.

Due to these factors they tend to be very expensive to develop and also expensive and time consuming to administer.

1. Has an understanding of commercial and financial principles;
2. Is aware of issues such as costs, profits, markets and added value;
3. Understands the key success factors in the business.
4. Is aware of opportunities that will add value and increase revenue for the business

ACT comprise activities such as:

⦁ In-tray exercise
⦁ Role play exercise
⦁ Case study based analytical exercise (here is an example - https://eqiq.yolasite.com/)
⦁ Presentations
⦁ Leaderless Groups