TM - March 2008 - (Page 32)

of Rocket-Hire, a consultancy specializing in online screening and assessments. “For example, an employee who is very good at customer service will be of little value if he or she frequently misses work. You can measure these traits by combining assessment tools that predict different types of job performance. For instance, combining a personality test with an ability test can increase the overall predictive ability of your selection system by a significant amount.” Research clearly indicates personality testing in the hiring process works best and is most predictive when job requirements are well understood and characteristics most valuable to performance are assessed. Personality Testing: Science or Alchemy? Personality testing is a decades-old application of behavioral science undergoing a renaissance among both employers and researchers due to improvements in technology and a deeper understanding of its potential value. At its best, personality testing reliably predicts on-the-job performance. At its worst, companies may use poorly researched but well-marketed personality testing tools or use good tools (e.g., designed for team building) for the wrong thing (e.g., hiring). Only by carefully aligning testing programs with hiring needs will employers maximize prediction and ROI. Scientists have known or suspected for some 30 years there are just five major dimensions of personality, called the Big 5 factors of personality. • Openness: Appreciation for creativity, adventure, unusual ideas and variety of experience. • Conscientiousness: A tendency to plan rather than be spontaneous, to show self-discipline, caution and to seek achievement. • Extraversion: The tendency to seek stimulation and the company of others, energy, positive emotions. • Agreeableness: A tendency to be pleasant and accommodating in social situations. • Neuroticism: The ongoing tendency to experience negative emotional states. Within these broad factors, additional characteristics can be tested, such as dependability, a part of conscientiousness, and stress tolerance, a part of neuroticism. The effective use of personality testing in the hiring process can lead to a workforce that is more motivated, more disciplined and better with customers. For example, a major high-end retailer needed help hiring managers and staff whose personal motivation was to sell, not steal. Sales locations staffed with associates who scored high on a conscientiousness http://thetrainingassociates.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of TM - March 2008

TM - March 2008 Editor's Letter Contents Human Performance - The Paradoxically Gifted Leading Edge - Reverse Engineering: Shifting Focus to HR's Cause Learning Connection - Sharing Talent On the Hunt for Talent Unlock Employee Motivation Through Personality Testing HR Crucial to Executive Compensation Process Downtown Management: Surfing May Not Be Slacking Think Tanks Aid Government in Talent Management Creating Consistency: Enterprise-Wide Succession Plans Battle Retention Deficits With On-Boarding Sunbelt Rentals: A Mid-Level View of HR From the Trenches Butterball: No Chicken When It Comes to Talent Management Advertisers' Index Editorial Resources Full Potential - Choosing Change

TM - March 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.