Managing Assessment into the New Millennium
22nd Annual IPMAAC Conference on Professional Personnel Assessment
June 21-25, 1998
Holiday Inn City Centre
Chicago, Illinois
Our 1998 conference was another great one. Thanks to Jean Tozer and the rest of the program committee for putting together a great bunch of sessions...and to Renee Jones and the host committee for planning the extracurricular activities.
We're keeping the program online as our "conference proceedings." Presentations that are currently available online are highlighted and marked with an icon.
Note: Because IPMAAC members use different operating systems and application software, we're using the Adobe Acrobat "portable document" format for the conference presentations, so that everyone can view and print them. If you don't already have it, you'll need to download the free Acrobat reader software.
See you in Tampa Bay in 1999!
Program
- Pre-conference Workshops
- Job Analysis, Validity, Personality Tests, T & E's, Performance Dimensions and Performance Planning and Review
- Monday, June 22
- Keynote Address by Wayne Cascio, Testing Innovations, Computer & Video Tests, Test Security, Job/Person Matching, Emergency Communications Simulation, Multi-Rater Feedback, Assessment Centers, Automated Self-Screening for MQ's
- Tuesday, June 23
- Featured Speaker: Diane Halpern, Bemis & Student Paper Awards, Legal Issues, Technology & Security, Police & Fire Selection, Oral Exams
- Wednesday, June 24
- Featured Speaker: Leaetta Hough, IPMA & IPMAAC Presidential Address, Scoring Issues, Police Selection, WorkKeys, Affirmative Action News, Management Issues
- Thursday, June 25
- Closing Address by Frank Landy, Assessing Leadership, Multi-media testing, Reference Checking, Mechanical Aptitude, Performance Appraisal
Sunday, June 21
Half-day workshops: 8:30 to 11:30
Job Analysis: Why Do It, and How Should It Be Done?
James P. Clifford, Human Resources Systems Institute
This workshop presents a model job analysis process which has been designed to comply with legal and good management standards. The process has been in use with great success for more than twelve years. Measured against the eight principles of job analysis, this process receives high marks. It has successfully been used to design training and staff development programs, as a basis for performance evaluation, to determine relative value of jobs, set appropriate compensation, construct job progression patterns and restructure jobs. Personal computer technology makes this approach to job analysis accessible to nearly everyone. It has received high praise from both managers and rank and file employees who have worked with it. This job analysis approach was designed to accommodate the rapid changes which jobs undergo in the current workplace environment. Participants will learn through hands-on exercises, as well as group dialogue addressing both the theory and the practical aspects of job analysis.
Validity--Basics and Interpretation
Chuck Schultz, Consultant
Oscar Spurlin, Ergometrics & Applied Research, Inc.
Basic concepts of validity, how to portray validity, and how to decipher the evidence form the core of this workshop. Two test specialists discuss with participants ways to show that a test relates to job performance. They delineate the connection among validity strategies, for example, how content validity meshes with criterion-related validity. They describe the various factors that affect the outcome of criterion-related validity research including the following:
- the effects of representing job performance by products, or supervisors' or customers' ratings, turnover, or other factors important to management,
- the makeup of the applicant group or the work group assessed,
- how selected candidates are utilized.
They consider what test validity does not show, and the implications of validity for the utility of selections. Decision schemes, or how the tests affect employment actions, are considered in terms of how tests combine and how candidates are selected once a list is made.
Louisiana's New Performance Planning & Review System
Anne S. Soileau and Vikki Riggle, Louisiana Department of State Civil Service
Cathy Schweitzer, Board of Commissioners, Port of New Orleans
View/download this presentation (Adobe Acrobat format, 93K) and accompanying manual (Adobe Acrobat format, 195K)
On July 1, 1997, the Louisiana Department of State Civil Service implemented a new Performance Planning and Review System to be used for all 67,000 classified state employees. This workshop will provide information on why and how the system was developed. The person primarily responsible for the development and implementation of the system will tell the story of how 13,000 supervisors were trained in two months and how the system was implemented. Attendees will then participate in the training used in Louisiana for supervisors so that they will be able to use the system or some modification in their own jurisdictions. This training involves video tapes and group exercises. After the training, the Human Resource Director of the Port of New Orleans will show how she adapted Performance Now Software so that she could use the personal computer to implement the new system in her state agency. Finally, the instrument being used to evaluate the new system and early results of this evaluation will be presented.
Half-Day Workshops: 1:00 to 4:30
Constructing Valid Performance Dimensions for Multiple Applications in Human Resources Programs
Edward Z. Hane, Ph.D., Personnel Consulting Group
Many human resource applications are designed largely around a set of job performance dimensions intended to express the principal aspects of a job. It is desirable that performance dimensions be derived out of thorough systematic job analysis, with documentation of the linkages between performance dimensions and related job information. It would be useful to have standardized procedures for conducting and documenting this performance dimension design process.
This workshop will describe specific practical methods for constructing performance dimensions based on the results of a detailed job analysis, which includes lists of tasks and KSA's. The objectives of the workshop will be to provide a structured framework for analysts to use in the design of job-related performance dimensions, and to provide guidance in dealing with issues that arise in the process. The structured design method will rely on conventional task analysis, and procedures will be presented for grouping and combining various similar tasks and work behaviors to provide meaningful performance dimensions.
Personality Assessment for a New Millennium
Robert Hogan, Ph.D and Joyce Hogan, Ph.D., Hogan Assessment Systems
View/download this presentation (Adobe Acrobat format, 269K)
This workshop will introduce participants to some recent developments in personality assessment. The session will cover five areas, including personality-based job analysis, the Big-Five personality dimensions, dysfunctional dispositions, motives/values/preferences, and interpretations. The Hogans will discuss their suite of instruments, the conceptual model on which they are based, and practical applications for selection as well as individual and team development.
Using Ratings of Education and Experience to Assess Applicant Competencies
James C. Johnson, Ph.D., Department of Personnel, State of Tennessee
"Rating of applicant education and experience" continues to be a common method of assessing the competencies of candidates for employment and promotion in public organizations and is a method attracting the interest of some private organizations. Participants will gain an understanding of why and how these methods evolved in public organizations, an overview of the diverse methods used, and recent research evidence supporting use of some methods, in some circumstances. Use of education and experience as a "minimum qualification," and as a means of ranking or "grouping" candidates will be considered. Portions of the IPMAAC three-day workshop materials on this topic are included. Participants are expected to have some background in use of job analysis and statistical methods.
Monday, June 22
Welcoming Remarks and General Session
8:30 to 10:00
Jeff Feuquay, IPMAAC President
Jean Tozer, IPMAAC Program Chair
Renee Jones, IPMAAC Host Chair
Keynote Address
Scientific and Social Issues in Assessment
Dr. Wayne F. Cascio,
Professor of Management University of Colorado Graduate School of Business
Psychologists as a group have been hesitant to enter debates on public policy, but courts sometimes need expert advice on the proper use and interpretation of psychological assessment procedures. The need is particularly acute when test scores are used as one basis for implementing a policy of equal employment opportunity. This presentation will describe one such case, involving the use of test score banding by the City of Chicago in the selection of firefighters.
In this highly contentious case, psychologists testified on opposite sides of the issue, with the court ultimately having to decide if and to what degree test score banding is legal and appropriate in light of the City's EEO record.
Concurrent Sessions
10:30 to 11:30
Panel Discussion
Testing Innovations: "There's Got To Be A Better Way"
Donna Gregory, Karen Johnson, and Jill Hansen, U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Karen Coffee, California State Personnel Board
Lora Lovasky, State of New Jersey
In an era where technology rules, staff is declining, and the challenge of test validation and reduction of adverse impact still prevails; there must be a better way to assess candidates. This panel presentation will discuss what Federal, State, and local governmental entities are doing separately and together to develop valid assessment tools which are defensible and economical. The discussion will cover ways that current technology is being used (e.g., Internet, phone, etc.) to assess candidates in their own homes. In addition to technology, we will look at how we can combine resources to develop valid occupational databases that link tasks and competencies which form the foundation for our assessment tools.
Symposium
Simulation of Emergency Communication Skills in Multi-Tasking Work Environment
Carla Swander, and Oscar Spurlin, Ph.D., Ergometrics & Applied Personnel Research, Inc.
Many organizations have difficulty hiring and retaining talented emergency communications personnel. Modern communications environments require employees to integrate high-level human interaction with technical and analytic skills. This new simulation exam uses video and computer based animation to realistically portray emergency situations. Candidates must make good decisions and display sensitivity to caller problems while being attuned to background events and keeping accurate notes. Dispatching problems are also simulated. We will discuss key components of the job and how the critical skills are simulated. Presentation will include sample test problems, discussion of innovations used in this unusual exam and validation results.
Symposium
Leadership Assessment Through Multi-Rater Feedback
Stephen A. Laser, Ph.D., Jean Anderson, M.S. and Kenneth Oehler, M.A., Stephen A. Laser Associates, Psychologists to Organizations
View/download this presentation (Adobe Acrobat format, 41K)
As multi-rater or "360 degree feedback" has become somewhat of a fad these days, its proper use and potential abuses need to be discussed. Topics addressed by this symposium include valid construction of multi-rater questionnaires, differential validity of feedback sources (i.e., peers, subordinates, superiors,) proper feedback session methods, and use of scores for promotional decisions. Additional information may include the use of technology in the collection and statistical analysis of feedback ratings.
Concurrent Sessions
1:00 to 2:00
Symposium
Assessment Centers as a Catalyst of Organizational Change
Warren Bobrow, Ph.D., The Context Group
Dafna Gutterman, Ph.D., John Mulholland, Ph.D. and Nancy Farrand, M.A., Southern California Edison Company
This presentation will describe how an assessment center was used in an organization to facilitate a change in organizational culture. Deregulation has forced Southern California Edison to go through a major cultural shift into a competitive environment. The Customer Service Business Unit initiated a program to develop its sales force to fit this new challenge. The program included processes to select new employees into a newly designed Account Manager position and to develop a certification program to prepare existing employees for working in the new environment. The Performance Assessment Services Unit assisted in the transition by developing and administering an assessment center for sales and marketing representatives. The assessment center was used for both selection and development purposes. Presenters will discuss how the assessment center became the symbol and the catalyst of the cultural change.
Paper Presentations
Matching People With Jobs
Development and Implementation of a Realistic Job Preview for Child Protective Service Workers
Michelle I. Graef, Ph.D., and Bruce A. Doll, M.A., University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Center on Children, Families & the Law
This presentation highlights the development, implementation and evaluation of a video-based Realistic Job Preview for Child Protective Services Workers. The challenges we have encountered with the project will be discussed, including the difficulties inherent in producing a relevant and meaningful representation of a job and state agency that are in transition.
Designing Recruitment, Assessment and Selection Practices to Ensure an Effective Job/Person Match
Roy Amato, Ph.D., Orange County Superior Court
Glen Earl, Ph.D., National University
Data collected from a Fortune 500 company and from a government agency supports that understanding the variables of organizational conformity, commitment, vision and role conflict is instrumental to designing recruitment, assessment and selection practices to ensure an effective job person match. Findings are presented within the context of contemporary employer/employee work values.
Symposium
Computer-Administered Assessment of Job Applicants
James C. Johnson, Ph.D. and Robert A. Perry, Tennessee Department of Personnel
The benefits and challenges presented by use of computers to administer traditional "tests," not so traditional multi-media assessment methods, and not so traditional "ratings of applicant training and experience" and "minimum qualifications," are the subjects of this session. Software developed in the State of Tennessee to achieve the goal of converting most candidate assessment methods to this strategy will be demonstrated, and issues faced to complete implementation by the year 2000 will be outlined.
Concurrent Sessions
2:30 to 3:30
Paper Presentations
The Human Element
Employment References: Who are we talking about?
Michael G. Aamodt, Ph.D., Mark S. Nagy, and Naceema Thompson, Radford University
View/download this presentation (Adobe Acrobat format, 45K)
The results of a series of studies suggest two problems with references. The first is that reference providers project their own personalities or values into the references they provide. The second is that reference seekers project characteristics of the reference provider onto the applicant.
The WMTA: A New Test of Mechanical Aptitude
Joel P. Wiesen, Ph.D., Applied Personnel Research
View/download this presentation (Adobe Acrobat format, 28K)
A new test of mechanical aptitude is reviewed in terms of its rationale, development, reliability and content, criterion-related and construct validity. Initial data indicates the test has less adverse impact on women than is seen with other such tests.
Development of a Task-Based Performance Appraisal System
Edward Z. Hane, Ph.D., Personnel Consulting Group
An agency-wide performance appraisal system was designed, based on task information from specific jobs. Detailed task lists were generated in focus group meetings with SME's. Performance factors were then prepared from the task lists by appropriate grouping of specific tasks and work behaviors. A software system was designed for selection of performance factors as well as recording of appraisals.
Panel Discussion
Test Security Nightmare: A Survival Tale of Lessons Learned at the Front
Bill Rowe and Kirk Smith, Louisiana Department of State Civil Service
View/download this presentation (Adobe Acrobat format, 28K)
Kristine Smith, Darany & Associates
Terry McKinney, City of Phoenix
When a test center is burglarized and multiple exams stolen, how do you recover? Topics discussed range from preserving list integrity, to insurance coverage, managing publicity, etc. And, of course, suggestions for reducing your risks are shared by the survivors to help keep you from learning the hard way!
Multi-media Presentation
Automating Minimum Qualifications Screening: Successful Self-Assessment Through Technology
Troy Wintersteen, Sigma Data Systems, Inc.
View/download this presentation (Adobe Acrobat format, 380K)
In today's environment of rapidly advancing technology, government agencies are under more and more pressure to make the best use of human and technological resources to save tax dollars. Automation of the minimum qualifications screening process is one area where huge gains in productivity can be realized. Careful consideration of the available methods, coupled with leverage of existing job analysis data and software systems, can provide substantial benefits including reduction of the exam analyst's workload, less turnaround time to hiring departments and savings of the cost of testing unqualified applicants. The presentation will include discussion of issues and problems associated with automating minimum qualifications screening as well as an in depth analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of various implementation strategies.
Tuesday, June 23
General Session
8:30 to 9:30
WRIPAC Invited Speaker Thinking Critically About Critical Thinking Assessment
Dr. Diane Halpern
Professor and Chair, Department of Psychology, California State University San Bernardino
General Session 10:00 to 11:30
Awards Ceremony
Stephen E. Bemis Award
Congratulations to Donna Denning, 1998 Bemis Award Recipient!
IPMAAC Student Paper Award Co-Winners:
Rating Differences in Multi-Rater Feedback: A New Look at an Old Issue
P. Gail Howard, Ph.D.
University of Georgia
View/download this presentation (Adobe Acrobat format, 79K)
Understanding rater disagreement in multi-rater (360) feedback efforts is important to both scientists and practitioners. This study used structural equations modeling to test for the presence of (a) construct definition differences and (b) rating scale point differences in each of sixteen performance dimensions. Data used were from the Center for Creative Leadership's "Benchmarks®" instrument.
In this sample, the construct validity of fourteen of the sixteen Benchmarks® dimensions was upheld across groups. Because construct validity is necessary for comparing mean ratings of one rater group to those of another, these results provide evidence that well-constructed scales can exhibit similar factor structure across groups.
The remaining fourteen dimensions exhibited rating scale point definition differences. This is problematic, because in multi-rater feedback efforts, each rater group needs to define rating scale points similarly in order to compare mean ratings across groups. Implications of this finding are discussed.
Harnessing the Predictive Power of Concientlousness: A Validation Study of a Biographical Data Measure
Amie D. Gee (co-authored with Andrea F. Snell, Ph.D.)
University of Akron
For a copy of this paper, please email Dr. Andrea Snell at ASnell@uakron.edu
Personality factors, especially conscientiousness, have shown great promise in their ability to predict job performance. However, few readily available instruments exist which measure the subfacets of personality for use in applied as well as research settings. In this study we (a) developed a biodata measure of conscientiousness, (b) developed specific subfacets for this construct, (c) established construct and criterion-related validity evidence for the biodata instrument, and (d) compared the predictiveness of the biodata instrument to a Big Five personality based measure of conscientiousness (NEO PI-R). The results support the utility of the new biodata measure.
Concurrent Sessions
1:00 to 2:30
Symposium
Legal Jeopardy
Deonda R. Scott, City of Orlando
David S. Orr, Federal Election Commission
"May you live in interesting times." - a Chinese curse. These are certainly interesting times in the assessment field. Many of us chose this field with little or no idea that testing would be the target of so much litigation or that we would be caught up in highly-charged affirmative action politics. Like it or not, we've been pitched headlong into the maelstrom and we need to stay on top of court decisions. During this symposium we'll get you involved in a game of legal jeopardy - literally. The categories will include: selection and promotion, assessment centers, job analysis, testing in public safety, validity, affirmative action and the court's three-step process.
Panel Discussion
Data Confidentiality in LAN/WAN Architectures: Assessment Process Improvement Implications
Jason R. Olson, University of Wisconsin Classified Personnel Office
Shared computer networks are transforming the landscape of public personnel assessment. This presentation will provide a brief overview of the technical and operational Local and Wide Area Network (LAN/WAN) environment of Wisconsin State Government. Significant legal and policy questions that the state has addressed or still faces will be discussed. Wisconsin's State Human Resource System, an enterprise-wide integrated application, will be profiled. Interim HRIS approaches at the agency level will also be covered. The audience will also be asked to share successes and challenges in implementing LAN/WAN based recruitment, assessment and selection functions in their organizations.
Half Day Tutorial 1:00 to 4:30
Oral Examinations
Kristine Smith, Darany & Associates
This tutorial is designed for assessment professionals interested in understanding the basics of research and practice for job related oral assessment procedures. Course content will provide an overview of considerations in developing and using oral exams, sources of interviewer rating error; job analysis strategies for oral exam development; oral exam design and interview formats; scoring approaches; oral exam interviewer training and quality control; and oral exam validity and fairness.
Concurrent Sessions
3:00 to 4:30
Symposium
Examination Security 101: Back to the Basics
Gregg D. Colton, Colton and Associates, Inc.
View/download this presentation (Adobe Acrobat format, 188K)
This session will provide a basic overview of security measures which should be taken to protect the validity and integrity of the assessment process. This session will also provide a unique insight into the global exam security problems of the testing industry, as well as providing a unique insight into the world of high-tech approaches used by preparatory (cram) schools to breach examination security for huge profits. Undercover and covert investigations which have been conducted on cram schools will also be discussed, along with cram schools methods of operation and the "Black Market" for exam materials.
Paper Presentations Police and Fire Selection Innovations
A Synergistic Alternative to Traditional Police Promotionals
Jeff Prewitt and Anne Russo, Louisville Civil Service Board
View/download this presentation (Adobe Acrobat format, 15K)
Based on recommendations from Police Officers, focus groups, supervisors, professors, union leaders, and others, Civil Service proposed an innovative synergistic approach to the promotional process and career development for Police Officers. The development of a training/testing/mentoring combination should provide the Police Department with better promotional candidates, as well as address concerns raised by candidates.
Criterion Validation of a Work-Style Inventory for Firefighter Selection
Joel P. Wiesen, Ph.D., Applied Personnel Research
Personality measures usually have no adverse impact, but their validity has been questioned, especially in operational settings. This study will present criterion related validation data from a large scale operational use of a forced-choice personality measure.
Wednesday, June 24
General Session
8:30 to 9:30
MAPAC Invited Speaker
Directions in Personality Testing
Dr. Leaetta Hough
Co-Founder of Personnel Decisions Research Institutes, Inc., Co-editor of the Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology
Concurrent Sessions
10:00 to 11:30
Symposium
Reports from the Field: Applications of the Work Keys System
Helen T. Palmer, Ph.. D. and Joyce McLarty, Ph.D., ACT, Inc.
Karen Coffee, California State Personnel Board
Craig Immerfall, Iowa Workforce Development
Edward Z. Hane, Ph.. D., Personnel Consulting Group
ACT, Inc. developed Work Keys to measure and improve the skills of current employees, while helping educators ease the transition of the future workforce from school to the workplace. Presenters describe recent applications of the system and its benefit to employers' assessment strategies. The first presentation reviews Work Keys' use to evaluate qualifications and diagnose training needs for social worker jobs. The second discusses Work Keys use to select individuals into an entry level professional job. The final presentation reviews implementation by Iowa's Workforce Development in a variety of employment services settings.
Symposium
Development and Validation of Law Enforcement Officer Selection Systems
Robert F. Ard, Dennis Selvig, Psy.D., and Kenneth Oehler, M.A.
Stephen A. Laser Associates, Psychologists to Organizations
View/download this presentation (Adobe Acrobat format, 88K)
This symposium will discuss the valid selection of law enforcement officers. Topics include psychological interviews, development of a valid, legally defensible written test that predicts successful on the job performance, and practical concerns of administration of these selection systems. Discussion will provide insight into selecting law enforcement candidates based on a combination of competencies. Presented will be a written test which assesses "common sense" to ensure that candidates not only have "book smarts" but the social skills and judgment which are required for law enforcement officers on-the-job.
Paper Presentations
Scoring Issues
Sliding Scale: A Technique to Optimize the Assessment of Knowledge Level through Ordering Theory
Celina Byers, Ph.D., University of South Dakota
View/download this presentation (Adobe Acrobat format, 20K)
Ordering theory can be used both to validate the learning hierarchy of a domain and to modify the order of its elements, making possible the use of a minimal number of questions to determine the learner's knowledge level. A sliding-scale technique of calculating the knowledge level provides more accurate assessment.
Departures from Linearity in the Relationship Between Applicant Personality Test Scores and Performance as Evidence of Response Distortion
Doug Haaland and Neil D. Christiansen, Ph.D., Central Michigan University
View/download this presentation (Adobe Acrobat format, 48K)
Although personality tests are widely believed to be susceptible to intentional distortion, practical methods for examining the effects of faking are rare. We will examine how this problem can result in a departure from a linear relationship with performance, as illustrated with data from applicants to a state police academy.
An Exploratory Study on Selection Ratio: The Effects of Selection Strategy and Model
Tim Vansickle and Shin-Chin Lee, ACT, Inc.
View/download this presentation (Adobe Acrobat format, 42K)
The effect of the compensatory and conjunctive selection strategies on selection ratio was investigated using eight different selection instruments. Results and implications will be discussed.
General Session
1:00 to 2:30
Presidential Address
Jeff Feuquay, IPMAAC President
Charles Blockett, IPMA President
IPMAAC Annual Business Meeting
IPMAAC Town Meeting
Committee Activity Highlights and Plans for the 1999 Conference
Concurrent Sessions
3:00 to 5:00
Symposium Assessing Promotional Fitness of Police Officers Through the Use of a Personnel Records Evaluation Process
Paul G. Torres, Edward Sullivan and Glenn A. Tapia, Denver Civil Service Commission
David Morris, Ph.D., J.D., Morris & McDaniel, Inc.
For years, law enforcement agencies, merit systems, and human resources agencies have shown a strong interest in developing a system that allows a formal evaluation of a candidate's background, education, and experience for promotional purposes. Traditional testing methods focused primarily on the combination of written knowledge tests and assessment centers. Experts in the field of public safety personnel selection acknowledge the importance of assessing knowledge of department procedures as well as management and interpersonal skills. But what is left behind by using only these two methods is the past performance of the candidate, quite possibly the most effective predictor of promotional success.
This presentation will describe the development and implementation of a Personnel Record Evaluation system successfully used by the Denver Police Department in which candidates' background, education and experience are systematically evaluated by a panel of command officers.
Panel Discussion Affirmative Action Today: Walking the Razor's Edge
Richard T. Sampson, Jonathan R. Topazian and Mark D. Laponsky, Labor and Employment Law Practice Group of Semmes, Bowen & Semmes
The debate over affirmative action has become one of the most divisive social and political issues as the twentieth century draws to a close. This interactive panel discussion will provide an in-depth review of hot topic areas, including legislation and recent court decisions on affirmative action, as well as targeting legal pitfalls surrounding diversity issues in the workplace.
Paper Presentations
Managing the Assessment and Selection Functions
Capitalizing on Technology to Accelerate Selection Processes
Bruce W. Topp, Ph.D., City of Oakland, California
View/download this presentation (Adobe Acrobat format, 482K)
The City of Oakland has successfully tested technology to significantly reduce manual data entry in testing. Techniques include scannable applications, multiple-choice supplemental questionnaires, real-time entry of ratings at interviews and assessment centers, scannable rating systems for large oral interviews, and uploads from off-site laptop computers to allow rapid candidate notification.
Return for Investment Revisited: Establishing the Practicality and Economic Utility of INS' Promotional Assessment System
Ilene Gast, Ph.D. and Paul Valdivia, Immigration and Naturalization Service
View/download this presentation (Adobe Acrobat format, 197K)
The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), following its "Return for Investment Model," is addressing both monetary and non-monetary benefits that accrue from its new competency-based promotional assessment system. This presentation describes how INS staff used customer feedback to refine the assessments and how they incorporated meta-analysis into the calculation of the system's economic utility.
Michigan's Assessment Program: Adding Value by Bringing Timeless Assessment Qualities to Modern Interpretation
Ron Moffett, Michigan Department of Civil Service
View/download this presentation (Adobe Acrobat format, 269K)
Through the years multiple choice, true/false, and written in-basket type assessment instruments served the profession well. However, today's environment has placed new demands on such human resource assessment services. The Michigan Department of Civil Service is currently piloting several new programs, including the use of alternative selection methods and, an automated human skills management system to identify skills, match qualified candidates to positions, and rank the list of eligible applicants for referral. This presentation shares the state's evolving experience with these non-traditional assessment techniques.
Virtual HR: Human Resources Management in the Digital Age
John W. Jones, Ph.D., NCS/London House
View/download this presentation (Adobe Acrobat format, 414K)
This presentation is for human resource professionals who want to better understand the most promising technology-enabled human resource applications and services (e.g., HR Intranets, Web-assisted training and virtual career centers). An eight-phase curriculum is also presented for traditional HR personnel who want to transform themselves into "techno-strategic" HR professionals.
Thursday, June 25
Concurrent Sessions
8:30 to 9:30
Symposium
Using Computer Based Multi-Media in Design and Administration of Selection Tests
Carla Swander and Oscar Spurlin, Ergometrics and Applied Personnel Research, Inc.
The current generation of computers offers a great deal of power for the presentation of complex graphics, animation and video. This power allows for the development of highly realistic and interactive work simulation tests. Demonstrated will be a new test that incorporates the use of video, graphics and complex programming to simulate both customer relations problems and technical problems, including cash transactions. A major focus of the presentation will be a discussion of the issues in the design and development of multimedia applications. This discussion is intended to benefit managers of computer based test development projects.
Paper Presentation
Wanted: 600 Corrections Officers With Common Sense
Stephen Berkley, Pennsylvania State Civil Service
View/download this presentation (Adobe Acrobat format, 96)
At the 1997 IPMAAC Conference, Pennsylvania reported the results of a Correction Officer Trainee test validation study. This is the sequel. A video-based written test, which is inexpensive to administer, will be presented. The test includes a novel approach to assessing sound judgment. How's the test working?
Paper Presentations
Assessing Leaders to Manage
Management Problem Solving Ability: Are Higher Quality Solutions Linked To This Thing Called Systemic Thinking?
Pilar Sixto and Sherrie Timmes, S&T Management Consulting
View/download this presentation (Adobe Acrobat format, 79K)
The implications of systemic thinking for training and selection of management staff are examined. Executives and business undergraduates were given a business scenario to solve. Solutions were compared to a panel of five expert problem-solvers and were also scored for systemic thinking. Results and implications discussed.
A Virtual Assessment Center: Better Than The Real Thing?
Dick L. Moody, Ph.D., City of El Paso
This presentation involves a brief demonstration of a new kind of Assessment Center methodology and an analysis of its validity for entry level professional/managerial positions.
General Session
10:00 to 11:00
Closing Address
You Can't Get to Heaven Without Dying
Frank Landy, Ph.D.
Landy, Jacobs and Associates
Personnel testing is the dog being wagged by the tail of "efficiency." Nowhere is this more obvious than in the procedures used for processing large groups of applicants, as in civil service testing. If efficiency and economy continue to rule the assessment process, adverse impact will remain intractable. Unless we want applicant assessment to join the public high school and the prison system as the major embarrassments of the 20th century, we will need to think outside of the box. Dr. Landy will present some data and propositions that might assist in innovation in the assessment model we use to evaluate large groups of applicants.