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The Right Person For the Job?
September 08, 2009
ACT, a provider of workplace skills assessments with its WorkKeys system and National Career Readiness Certificate, enhanced the WorkKeys Talent assessment to expand the instrument's capability to assist employers in assessing applicants and employees for key personality traits affecting workplace performance.
The enhanced Talent assessment is equipped with an expanded reporting package that evaluates an individual's non-cognitive abilities in four areas—Work Discipline, Teamwork, Customer Service, and Managerial Potential—that are directly related to success in a range of workplace roles. These are measured by four new Talent Indices that combine elements of the twelve personality traits already measured by the assessment.
According to ACT researchers, cognitive tests measuring work-related knowledge and skills continue to be the best predictors of job performance. However, adding non-cognitive measures that evaluate personality traits related to job functioning provide a broader picture that encompasses work-related attitudes and behaviors.
"Given today's economy, and the number of applicants competing for each employment opportunity, it's important that employers who are hiring select the right individuals," says Martin Scaglione, president and chief operating officer of ACT's Workforce Development Division. "Using one of ACT's Personal Skills Assessments such as Talent, along with a battery of WorkKeys cognitive skills tests, can provide a more complete picture of the applicant's suitability for a particular position."
ACT says personality testing has long been used as a predictor of work performance. The vendor points out a study by the American Management Association that revealed that nearly 40 percent of companies surveyed use personality testing as part of their hiring process, and another 30 percent administer personality tests to current employees for developmental purposes.
The Talent assessment measures a set of twelve personality characteristics that reflect a spectrum of behaviors and attitudes common in the workplace. ACT says these characteristics are important for employee selection, coaching, and development:
• Carefulness: Tendency to think and plan carefully before acting or speaking.
• Cooperation: Tendency to be likable and cordial in interpersonal situations.
• Creativity: Tendency to be imaginative and to think "outside the box."
• Discipline: Tendency to be responsible, dependable, and follow through with tasks without becoming distracted or bored.
• Goodwill: Tendency to be forgiving and to believe that others are well intentioned.
• Influence: Tendency to impact and dominate social situations by speaking without hesitation and often becoming a group leader.
• Optimism: Tendency toward having a positive outlook and confidence in successful outcomes.
• Order: Tendency to be neat and well organized.
• Savvy: Tendency to read other people's motives, understand office politics, and anticipate the needs and intentions of others.
• Sociability: Tendency to enjoy being in other people's company and to work with others.
• Stability: Tendency to maintain composure and rationality in situations of actual or perceived stress.
• Striving: Tendency to have high aspiration levels and to work hard to achieve goals.
The four new Talent Indices combine scores on traits associated with job performance. As an example, five traits measured by Talent —Carefulness, Cooperation, Goodwill, Optimism, and Stability — have been shown in ACT research to be closely related to teamwork in the workplace. Aspects of these traits were incorporated into a new Teamwork Index. The enhanced version of Talent provides a substantial amount of additional information even though assessment content, length, and cost are unchanged.
The four indices added to Talent Assessment score reports at no cost include:
Work discipline:
Dependability, productivity, and discipline are some of the traits demonstrated by exceptional workers. This scale measures the inclination to meet deadlines, produce accurate work, follow procedures, and overcome obstacles, qualities that are vital to success in high-performing business environments.
Teamwork:
People who work well with others are inclined to behave in a pleasant, helpful manner, are respectful of other perspectives and willing to compromise, and are empathic. This scale measures these kinds of qualities, along with behaviors that relate to communication skills and positive attitudes.
Managerial potential:
Charismatic and persuasive leaders rely on strong communication skills and project enthusiasm about their work and the organization. This scale measures these attributes and others related to problem-solving and the willingness to invest extra effort in achieving personal and business success.
Customer service orientation:
Meeting the demands of customer service emphasizes the ability to build personal relationships. This scale measures interpersonal skills, perseverance, and problem-solving as tools for resolving customer needs and providing excellent service.
"Employers across the nation are using cognitive tests as part of the employee selection process," says Scaglione. "These are important in establishing what an applicant knows, and can help an organization reduce turnover and training time. By adding a personality assessment such as Talent, that takes less than an hour to administer, an organization can have a much clearer picture of the applicant."
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