Are Assessment Centers Secure?
Assessment security is always a high priority concern. Agencies and companies go to great lengths to ensure that those who take tests are who they say they are and that they don’t have access to the test items or answers before the assessment. A breakdown in test integrity can affect the validity of the test and the perceived fairness of the process.
Most of the research and concern in this area focuses on the integrity of multiple choice tests and un-proctored internet tests. Less attention has been spent on the integrity of assessment centers (AC) or simulation exercises. While it is true that candidates cannot necessarily share the right answers with others, they can potentially give them helpful knowledge regarding the scenarios. Such knowledge could help latter participants give more thought to their responses and manage their time better than previous participants.
For the last three years, we’ve helped a small college run a one-day AC used for selecting students into a special scholarship program. Each year students attend in two groups (one Friday and one Saturday). With the presumption that the students talk about the assessment between days and get information from their peers from year to year, the questions are:
- Do those who attend on Saturday have an advantage over those who attend on Friday?
- Are scores getting higher from year to year?
The short answers are no and no. Why? Part of it is that the participants don’t know what the “right” answers are. So, unlike a multiple-choice test, there’s no solid information on which to base a response. The other issue is that since two of the three exercises are interactive, each participant has a slightly different experience. That means that information from a friend may not be very usable.
This data suggests that the integrity of ACs is consistent over time as they measure the candidates’ skills and abilities rather than that of their friends. As such, alternate forms are not required as long you don’t plan on the same person going through the process twice. The results also confirm the validity of the process where the same AC is administered over time.
For more information about test integrity and assessment centers, please contact Warren Bobrow.
Watch Out for the Downside of High Potential Promotions
Are you considering a program to develop and promote your high potentials into management as part of your succession planning or to retain your top performers?
While your intentions are good, there may be some unforeseen potholes in your road to success. There are often unexpected and negative consequences of these programs:
- Excellent individual contributors who are not suited to management (who feel pressured to accept the opportunity or just want the experience on their resume) wreak havoc in their departments that takes months or years to un-do.
- Solid performers who are overlooked (in favor of the “elite or chosen” few) recruit others in a smear campaign or reduce their productivity to demonstrate their dissatisfaction (and some may leave).
- Morale plummets and complaints or grievances increase which further taxes the management ranks.
While development opportunities are critical to maintaining an effective work environment, directing people into the management ranks may not be the right solution. Contact Kammy Haynes for help with creating a high performance work environment and solving your morale issues.