Common Criticisms of Staffing Assessments

1. Common Criticisms ofStaffing Assessments

2. Learning Objectives • Discuss why people believe assessments are not accurate • Explore if staffing assessments can be faked by applicant • Discuss if staffing assessments are not worth the cost required to use them • Discuss if staffing assessments pose a legal risk • Discuss if staffing assessments are an unfair way to evaluate people • Discuss if staffing assessments are offensive to candidates • Discuss if staffing assessments are to much time to the hiring process

3. Staffing Assessments: Are Not 100% Accurate • Staffing assessments are not perfectly accurate • Depends on the types, how it is used and the nature of the job • Assessment do not provide as much detailed information about a person from working with them

4. Group Discussion • Break into groups • Address and answer assigned questions of staffing assessment criticism • Report responses back to class

5. Criticism 1: Staffing Assessments Are More Accurate Than People • They take a highly systematic, thorough, objective and often very complicated approach toward collecting and interpreting information • They only focus on information gathered from the candidate and not influenced by non-job-relevant information • Hiring decisions are more accurate if they use assessment information as part of the decision-making process • Many evaluations depend on biases, perceptions and other characteristics and not attributes

6. Criticism 1: Staffing Assessments Are More Accurate Than People Question 1: What are some reasons researchers have found staffing assessments to be more accurate than people? Questions 2: What are the problems with discounting staffing assessment results if they do not align with our own personal knowledge and experience?

7. Criticism 2: Staffing Assessments Can Be Faked By Applicants • Applicant Faking Is Not the Same As Lying • Many Applicants Do Not Fake • Believe it’s Intentionally faking is ethically wrong • Believe they will be caught • Believe it’s best to describe themselves in a candid manner • Most Applicants Who Fake Are Not Very Good at It • Some Faking Is Not Faking But a Lack of Self-Awareness • Faking Can Significantly Affect Scores of Some Assessments

8. Criticism 2: Staffing Assessments Can Be Faked By Applicants Question 1: Based on empirical data, what reasons have been noted for applicants not distorting their responses on staffing assessments? Questions 2: What staffing assessments are susceptible to applicant faking? What affect do these staffing assessments have on the hiring process?

9. Criticism 3: Staffing Assessments Are Not Worth The Cost Required To Use Them • Avoiding “catastrophic” hires • Increased retention • Increased staffing efficiency • Reduced time spent reading through resumes • Leveraging the Internet to screen out candidates • Easier for candidates to apply for a job

10. Criticism 3: Staffing Assessments Are Not Worth The Cost Required To Use Them Question 1: What business case can be made to link the financial value of staffing assessments? Questions 2: What are specific benefits can be associated with these staffing assessments?

11. Criticism 4: Staffing Assessments Pose A Legal Risk • Apply the Four-Fifths Guidelines • Show job relevance and validity • Create legally defensible assessments • Design or deploy assessments for candidates to perceive them as job relevant

12. Criticism 4: Staffing Assessments Pose A Legal Risk Question 1: What specific reasons have found staffing assessments to be in violation of employment laws? Questions 2: What practices can be applied to create legally defensible staffing assessments?

13. Criticism 5: Staffing Assessments Are An Unfair Way To Evaluate People • Staffing assessments are to ensure staffing decisions are based on the best information available • Staffing assessments provide the selection process that is more accurate, fair, efficient and legally defensible

14. Criticism 5: Staffing Assessments Are An Unfair Way To Evaluate People Question 1: Do staffing assessments unfairly evaluate applicants? Question 2: If yes, make a case for why they are unfair in evaluating people. If you believe staffing assessments are fair, explain why.

15. Criticism 6: Staffing Assessments Are Offensive To Candidates • Attitudes of candidates fall into the following groups: • Indifferent • Enthusiastic • Anxious • Annoyed • Candidates will accept assessments if they believe they are valid tools for predicting job performance • Face Validity • Address candidate questions

16. Criticism 6: Staffing Assessments Are Offensive To Candidates Commonly Asked Candidate Questions: 1.) Why is the organization using assessments? 2.) Why are these particular assessments being used? 3.) How do the assessments work? 4.) How will the results be used?

17. Criticism 6: Staffing Assessments Are Offensive To Candidates • When candidate do not want to take assessments • Common complaint is a candidate not having feedback on their candidacy • Not sharing assessment results with candidates

18. Criticism 6: Staffing Assessments Are Offensive To Candidates Guidelines and Strategies for Completing Assessments: 1.) Respond positively to the request 2.) Don’t be afraid to ask about the assessment 3.) Approach the assessment in the same you approach a job interview 4.) Be honest 5.) Don’t be humble

19. Criticism 6: Staffing Assessments Are Offensive To Candidates Question 1: What attitudes do candidates have toward completing staffing assessments in the hiring process? Question 2: What are commonly asked questions about completing staffing assessments in the hiring process? What are appropriate responses to these questions?

20. Criticism 7: Staffing Assessments Add Too Much Time To Hiring Process • Assessments too Long = candidates drop out • Assessments too short = accuracy will be off It is not the length of an assessment that causes applicants to drop out, but the content !

21. Criticism 7: Staffing Assessments Add Too Much Time To Hiring Process • Assessments taking ninety minutes or can be more effective later in the process • Highly predictive staffing assessments require sixty minutes or more • Assessments should be designed to take a long as needed to get the information required

22. Criticism 7: Staffing Assessments Add Too Much Time To Hiring Process Question 1: What have researchers found out about the relationship of the length of staffing assessments and reasons applicants drop out of the hiring process? Question 2: What case can be made to incorporate longer staffing assessments into the hiring process?