Holistic Psychometric and Competency Based Assessment
Kirsten Halcrow
Founder Emigrate 2 USA | Co-Founder/ Director Encapsulate Consulting I Founding Member Lekker Network
WHY APPLY AN HOLISTIC ASSESSMENT APPROACH?
As a strong believer in an Holistic Psychometric and Competency Based Assessment Methodology approach I know it to be a proven and best practise way of looking at talent and getting an accurate all encompassing picture for selection, development and succession planning.
Human beings are both complex and unique and thus their behaviours cannot be confined to one measure or even a few traits.
An holistic assessment approach means that one does not rely on one measure, like personality for example, rather we look at a variety of role and level appropriate competencies across a number of tools/ measures, like cognitive, ability, reasoning, personality, behavioural, emotional intelligence, integrity and values, just to name a few.
A cognitive ability test is a measurement of a mental performance. This can be a very specific one, such as solving a mathematical sum, or a very broad measurement such as determining someone's general intelligence. They are able to:-
2. PERSONALITY ASSESSMENTS
Pre-employment personality tests are empirical assessments that measure a candidate’s non-behavioural characteristics.
Based on the results, you can get a better understanding of a candidate’s underlying characteristics like motivations, communication style, temperament, character, interpersonal skills, and more.
For example, a personality test can reveal how someone prefers to interact with others, their preferred way of handling a stressful situation, or how flexible they are to change.
3. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Emotional intelligence (EI) is the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions and handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.
Research studies have shown that Emotional Intelligence (EI) contributes to several factors of interpersonal effectiveness and leadership capability. Employees who demonstrate high levels of EI are better at understanding themselves and others, making confident decisions and expressing their views. They have also been found to effectively manage their emotions and have the drive, energy and optimism to succeed. Furthermore, they are more capable of being sensitive to interpersonal and organisational dynamics and relate to others with diplomacy and tact.
4. INTEGRITY
An integrity test is a specific type of personality test designed to assess an applicant's tendency to be honest, trustworthy, and dependable.
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A lack of integrity is associated with such counterproductive behaviours as theft, violence, sabotage, disciplinary problems, and absenteeism.
Integrity tests can also be valid measures of overall job performance. This is not surprising because integrity is strongly related to conscientiousness, itself a strong predictor of overall job performance.
Like other measures of personality traits, integrity tests can add a significant amount of validity to a selection process when administered as part of holistic battery.
5. ON-THE-JOB SKILLS
Skills assessment tests are often used by employers to gauge the abilities of job applicants. These tests are designed to assess whether individuals have the skills necessary to perform various and essential aspects of a job.
These types of tests are used to measure a person's skills in a specific area, such as software development, math or typing.
The results of hard skills testing provide valuable information about the proficiency of candidates when completing frequently performed work activities.
6. IN-BASKET/ ROLE-PLAYS
An in-basket or role-play is a simulation exercise. In such an exercise a candidate is presented with “case study” type material where they are asked to imagine that they are part of a specific company, they are provided with background information about the company, their role and an organisational structure diagram. They are then presented with emails and requested to respond. They need to use the information given to them combined with their experience to respond to these emails to either solve a problem or deal with conflict or provide guidance.
This assessment does not have wrong or right answers but rather is an indication of the way the candidate may actually deal with these types of work situations.
PULLING EVERYTHING TOGETHER:- Holistic and Integrated
People are intricate, interesting, and multidimensional.
An holistic assessment approach strives to understand and translate this through the use of complementary assessment tools that measure all the relevant competencies and dimensions:- cognition, reasoning ability, personality, EQ, integrity, on-the-job skills, and role/ level specific competencies.
Reports are integrated and holistic, based on the merits of the individual and bespoke to our client’s requirements, strategy and culture.
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