Perspectives
Assessing
the Assessors
Choosing the Right Profiling Tool
For Your Training
by Mary
Anne Wihbey
The
Assessment Buzz…..EQ,
IQ, Validity, Ipsative, Normative, Psychometric, Type Indicator, Core
Character Traits …Evaluating the various assessment tools on the market can
easily become confusing. They
range from icebreaking or communication tools, such as “What kind of dog are
you?” to sophisticated performance-predicting psychological evaluations
rooted in science and statistical analysis. So how do you know which one is
right for your training program?
Mary
Anne Wihbey of Peak Performance Solutions® has worked with a variety of
communication and skill-based profiles. She asked Jason Kipps and Colleen
O’Brien-Wood, Ph.D. of the Self Management Group, Toronto, Canada to
contribute their thoughts on taking the mystery and confusion out of
assessment tools. Note, the assessments we are referring to in this article
are tools used to assess skills for selection, retention, and the development
of employees, versus behavioural or communication skill tools.
The
following 10-point checklist will help you make the right choice for your
business as you “assess the assessors.”
1. Determine your requirements: A good assessment company will work with you like an extension of your training team. The tool will aid in both selection and training. It will create a statistically valid baseline whereby you can build a coaching and development plan. If you are just looking for a tool that can be used for team building and communication, a “behavioural style type indicator” could be all you need. If you’re aiming to do deeper retention, coaching, and training, you’ll need a normative tool that can be validated and can stand up to scrutiny in the hiring process.
2.
Normative
or Ipsative?
Ipsative scores are found in any test or assessment in which the person
responding is forced to choose between a few different options or give either
a yes/no or true/false response. Ipsative
scales are only useful as the basis for discussion. A normative tool on the
other hand, will ask the person scoring the assessment to rate each response
on a scale typically from one to five. The numeric data collected from an
assessment like this can be used to develop norms that can then be compared
across individuals for employee selection, training, and development. The data
collected through a normative assessment can form an organization’s
succession plan and provides the base line for coaching, training, and ROI
studies.
3.
Can
the tool accurately predict performance? Make
sure your profile partner is committed to continuous improvement. The best
profiling companies proactively validate their performance predictions using
your company’s performance matrix. This
allows them to continuously refine your understanding of what the ideal
performance looks like for your company.
4.
Does
the profile provide development suggestions and feedback that can be used in
training and coaching? The
best assessments are packed with relevant information and suggestions for
further discussion. An effective tool can help you launch coaching and training
relationships, and will provide valuable insight into your people’s
strengths and growth opportunities. Complete with matching, mentoring
suggestions, and facilitation points, a good tool can be a real asset in your
work as an educator.
5.
What will you need the tool to assess? One size does not fit all. Trainers looking to provide
their students and organizations with a service that will have a lasting
impact will benefit from a tool that measures the core characteristics most
applicable to their trainees’ work. Measuring
job-specific factors rather than general variables helps make assessment tools
easier to interpret and will help position you as an expert.
6.
Is
the profile fair and free from bias? Make
sure that the profile you are using meets relevant anti-discrimination laws as
well as privacy legislation. Responsible profiling companies regularly conduct
research consistent with local legislation and work to demonstrate that their
profiles do not discriminate against minority groups when used in the
training, selection, promotion or succession planning process.
7.
Is the profile available
in a variety of languages?
This is of particular importance to trainers in large companies that operate
in several different parts of the world and want to build a consistent,
standardized process. If you are working with the head office team in Nebraska
and the company you are working for has offices in Italy and Mumbai, being
able to use an assessment in a variety of different languages may be important
to you. The best assessment companies will provide their services in dozens of
different languages and will allow you to flip from one language to another
with a simple click of the mouse.
8.
Will the profile detect
deliberate distortion?
A good tool cannot be fooled. Some tests will incorporate so-called lie
scales as they identify those subjects who try to fool the assessment and
present themselves in a more favourable light.
9.
Does
the assessment company provide a high level of customer service and support? Ask
for and check references. If you are an “outside trainer” a
good, supportive partner will bring a level of professionalism and accuracy to
your services. If you are
an inside trainer, make sure that the assessment company has a service
mindset, and that they are capable of getting you up and running quickly. If
you work within a larger company you will also want to make sure that the
assessment company is willing to provide you with a volume discount.
10.
Is
it Possible to “Brand” the assessment site to be an integrate part of your
organization?
Some companies will even go so far as to develop a vanity web site for you
that will allow employees to painlessly complete their assessment on-line
through your company’s career centre. This is important if you are
interested in demonstrating to employees that you and your department are
interested in their career development with your company.
The
bottom line is to know there are great tools out there to help you meet your
business goals. A great assessment tool will help you match the right people to the
right job, make your training dollars go farther, and help you maximize the
long-term effectiveness of those in your organization.
When choosing an assessor, review these key points and then trust your
gut in that you feel you are working with an organization with whom you can
trust and build a long-term partnership.
About the
Author: Mary Anne Wihbey is
owner and President of Peak Performance Solutions®, an international
training company specializing in sales, customer service, and management
training. She has been an active member of ASTD for over ten years. For more
information, visit www.peakperformancesolutions.com
or contact Mary Anne at (972) 715-2678.