Handbook of Workplace Assessment (1st Edition)

Book Preface

There has been a marked trend over the past few years for organizations of all sizes to streamline their workforces and focus on selecting and retaining only the “ best and the brightest ” employees. Couple this with the skills gap that will soon emerge due to the magnitude of baby boomer retirements, and it is no surprise that organizational priorities have been steadily shifting toward talent acquisition and retention. As organizational consultants, we are continually engaged in dialogue about how assessments can best be leveraged to achieve a company ’ s talent management objectives. Specifically, human resource (HR) and line leaders want to know if assessments should be used and, if so, what specific instruments would be applicable, whether they can be administered online, whether they need to be proctored, what the costs are, whether there are specific legal constraints, whether they can be implemented in multiple languages in multiple countries, how an assessment program should be managed, how to know if the process is working, and what the expected return on investment is. And these are just a few of the questions that need to be answered to ensure that an assessment program meets stakeholder needs, achieves the organization ’ s goals, and has a positive impact on its bottom line.

The field of assessment has advanced rapidly over the past decade due in part to advancements in computer technology. By leveraging technology, organizations can reach across the boundaries of language, literacy, and geography to reliably assess a vast catalogue of candidate skills and abilities. Organizations can now harness the capabilities of sophisticated, Web – based assessment tools to simulate actual work environments — effectively measuring candidates ’ ability to perform under real – life conditions. Technological advances have also fostered a number of assessment methodologies such as adaptive testing that have led to signifi cant improvements in measurement precision and efficiency.

Despite these advances, there remain some fundamental questions and decisions that each organization must grapple with to en sure it is maximizing the potential of its assessment program and taking advantage of well – researched theories and state – of – the – art practice. This book presents sound, practical guidelines that are steeped in empirical research for implementing an asse ss ment process that will effectively drive an organization ’ s critical talent decisions.

The Audience

This book is designed for a broad readership, from HR professio nals who are tasked with implementing an assessment program to assessment professionals and practitioners of industrial – organizational (I – O) psychology, who advise, build, validate, and implement assessments. In addition, this book is intended for the users of assessments, including hiring managers and organizational leaders, who are looking for direction on what to assess, what it will take, and how to realize the benefits. This book is also intended for assessment researchers as well as instructors and graduate students in disciplines such as I – O psychology, HR management and organizational behavior, consulting psychology, and organizational development.