It’s not a very complicated task for a Human Resources (HR) manager or a senior executive to determine when an assessment tool is reliable and valid. These are two important factors about assessment tools, because if the tool you purchase isn’t reliable and valid, you’re going to be in real trouble.
It takes some degree of knowledge to properly use assessment tools, but it’s something almost anyone can learn to do because it’s not very complicated. Put it this way, if psych students can learn it in one lecture and you can read about it in the test manual, all you need to do is be a sophisticated consumer.
You can’t run your business if you can’t read a balance sheet or a cash-flow tally. The same reasoning applies to assessment tools. You need to take them seriously. You need to ask tough questions when you’re researching which assessment tool to purchase.
And if you don’t understand something, you need to find an expert to explain it to you. Using an assessment tool is not something you want to do off the top of your head.
Two Common Mistakes Employers Make
Two common mistakes many employers make regarding assessment tools are they don’t ask the right questions and they’re often seduced by things they don’t understand.
For example, the most widely used test in the world is the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), which is a personality test, but there is absolutely no evidence to show that you can predict on-the-job performance using it. I keep up with research literature on a regular basis and there’s nothing out there that proves you can use this test for that reason, and yet so many companies still buy it to help predict on-the-job performance.
I think people’s main attraction to the MBTI is the fact that it’s fun. After employees take the assessment, they get to walk around and tell people, “I’m an ISPJ” or “I’m an ESTJ.” [The MBTI identifies 16 psychological types that a person can be, such as Extraversion, Sensing, Thinking, Judging.]
While it’s nice to be able to explore your employees’ differences in interpersonal styles, this assessment tool won’t help you predict their future on-the-job performance.
So rather than purchasing assessment tools they’ve heard about or read about in the popular press without first doing research, employers need to learn to ask tough questions about the assessment tool they’re planning to buy, such as “Will using this instrument help me manage my company more effectively?” which is really the only reason to use them.
Steps to Take
If you’re in the market for assessment tools, there are some steps you should take to ensure you’re properly prepared to make a buying decision. Once you’ve narrowed down your selection down, you should:
- Ask the person representing the assessment tools company for information regarding the tool’s reliability, validity and norms.
- Next, you should ask them to tell you about how successful the assessment tool has been with their previous customers. You want them to convince you that this tool will work for you and your company.
- Finally, you want to ask them to help you make sure that particular assessment tool is going to work for you.
These are critical questions to ask. And if you don’t get clear-cut answers, forget making the purchase.
You’re going to save yourself both money and aggravation if you make a purchase when you have all your questions answered and feel comfortable knowing that assessment tool is the right one for you.