Introduction
A work test is an exercise or piece of work that a candidate
is asked to perform, which is similar to real work that would be
required in the job. It is a sample of behaviour that can be used
to predict future performance in similar work situations. It is
also a tool that provides supplementary information relating to
skills that may be difficult to assess in other ways. The
teaching seminar, mandatory for selection of teaching staff, is a
form of work test. By watching candidates conduct the seminar,
the panel is able to see and assess the ability of the candidate
to meet the key selection criteria of teaching skills.
Work tests may consist of such things as written work,
computer tests, presentations, role plays, in-basket exercises
and other exercises that test for an applicant's speed, skill,
accuracy and dexterity at manual tasks. The work test can also
involve cognitive exercises that test the applicant's ability to
analyse statistical or budget information . Candidates are told
in advance that they will be asked to do an exercise, what it
will consist of and how long it will take. Normally a work test
is done on the day the candidate attends the interview, and would
either precede or follow the interview. Examples of work tests
are:
- Design then give a five minute presentation, explaining to
potential students the benefits of enrolling in a course at
UWA.
- Create an Excel spreadsheet, using the information
supplied.
- Draft a letter to a Head of School explaining that an
important procedure has not been followed.
- Deliver a fifteen minute presentation explaining how key
elements of the strategic plan can be advanced within the
School.
- Involvement in simulated group
discussions and decision making exercises where the applicant
is expected to discuss a particular topic with others, or work
together on a task, while their performance and interactions
are assessed. These simulations are intended to reflect the
nature and duties of the position, and can be used to test a
range of the applicant''s interpersonal skills.
- Draft a press release about a prestigious award that the
University has won.
- Read and summarise a document into a form that your Head of
School could use to inform Academic Council of the key issues
raised in the document.
Work tests have fairly high validity between 40%-50%. Because
they involve the practical application of skills, they can be
very useful in providing objective information to balance the
subjective experience of the interview (Blake, 2001).
Work tests can be used only with applicants who know the job
or have been trained for the occupation or job (Schmidt &
Hunter, 1988) so are an appropriate evaluation tool for essential
selection criteria.
Advantages and Disadvantages
The HR Guide to the Internet (2001) lists some advantages and
disadvantages of work tests. Advantages of work tests
include:
- High reliability
- High content validity since work samples are a sample of
the actual work performed on the job
- Can constitute an objective assessment of the applicant's
abilities, in a manner that is consistent for all those being
tested.
- Because of their relationship to the job, these tests are
typically viewed more favorably by examinees than aptitude or
personality tests
- Difficult for applicants to fake job proficiency which
helps to increase the relationship between score on the test
and performance on the job
- Work tests use equipment that is the same or substantially
similar to the actual equipment used on the job.
Disadvantages of work tests include:
- May be costly to administer; often can only be administered
to one applicant at a time
- Although useful for jobs where tasks and duties can be
completed in a short period of time, these tests have less
ability to predict performance on jobs where tasks may take
days or weeks to complete
- Less able to measure aptitudes of an applicant thus
restricting the test to measuring ability to perform the work
sample and not more difficult tasks that may be encountered on
the job.
Other benefits of work tests include:
- Applicants develop positive attitudes toward selection
procedures that include work tests
- Applicants report that such tests appraise their potential
fairly and allow them to self-assess their own performance.
This may result in higher job refusal and lower turn over.
- Applicants report that work tests allow them to show what
they can do in a way that an interview cannot (Robertson &
Kandola, 1982).
Creating the work test
Tasks chosen for the work test should be generally
representative of the job (Robertson, 1982). The test should
include important aspects of the task or job that can be measured
by clear criterion e.g. number completed within a time limit
and/or number and type of errors (HR Guide to the Internet,
2001). The best source for tasks to include in the work test are
the people who currently do the job and those who supervise them.
Consistent assessment of the results of the work tests against
the established criteria will increase their predictive validity.
While the tasks chosen should be as authentic as possible, issues
of confidentiality must be considered carefully.
Care should be taken to ensure that the work test does not
disadvantage an applicant with a disability, and the test should
be adjusted to accommodate the applicant's disability if
required.
Examples
These examples are provided, in addition to those mentioned in
the introduction, to illustrate potential work test processes you
might be able to use in staff selection. In developing your own
versions, rather than using these examples, you will gain the
most valid predictor of future job performance.
Notifying all applicants that a timed test is involved,
providing the necessary tools in an environment where they will
be uninterrupted and delivering the same instruction set to each
applicant will ensure that the test is equitable.
Example 1
For a position that required skills in desktop publishing and
Web authoring, each applicant is given written instructions that
include:
- Take the copy from the email attachment in the supplied
email and paste it into the Pagemaker newletter template.
Format and correct the text as appropriate.
- Select a graphic image to illustrate the copy and include
within the newsletter.
- Print the newsletter.
- Create an HTML file with the text and image used in the
Pagemaker file. Format appropriately.
- Time required:
- 30 minutes per applicant either before or after the
interview
- Resources required:
- A computer with Pagemaker and the Web editing software
normally used
- Access to an email message with file attachment
- Access to a selection of graphic image files
- A floppy disc (so the saved work of one applicant is not
available for viewing by the next applicant).
- A staff person to administer the test and answer
questions
Example 2
For a position that required skills in spreadsheet
construction, filing and email, each applicant is given written
instructions that include:
- Devise a spreadsheet to record invoice details that will
produce a monthly summary.
- Enter details from all invoices supplied.
- Send the spreadsheet results by email attachment to the
email address provided.
- Sort invoices alphabetically by supplier for filing.
- Time required:
- 30 minutes per applicant either before or after the
interview
- Resources required:
- An unordered file of supplier invoices
- A floppy disc (so the saved work of one applicant is not
available for viewing by the next applicant).
- A computer with Excel and email software
- A staff person to administer the test and answer
questions
Example 3
For a position that requires accurate typing skills and email
familiarity, each applicant is given written instructions that
include:
- Transcribe the supplied handwritten committee meeting
minutes using the provided template.
- Format the minutes using the style guide provided,
correcting any errors.
- Send the minutes by email attachment to the email address
provided.
- Time required:
- 20 minutes per applicant either before or after the
interview
- Resources required:
- Handwritten committee meeting minutes
- A computer with word processing and email software
- A word processing template for meeting minutes
- A staff person to administer the test and answer
questions
Example 4
For a position that will require frequent use of the telephone
consider using a phone interview as an initial screening tool.
Advise applicants in the job information package that the first
contact the prospective employer will have with applicants is by
telephone, and that this will constitute part of the selection
process.
- Time required:
- 20 minutes per applicant
- Resources required:
- A staff person to administer the phone interview
Example 5
For positions that will require high level analytical and
communication skills, advise each applicant that they will be
required to deliver a 15 minute presentation to the selection
panel as the first component of the interview process. Each
applicant is given written instruction prior to the interview
that indicates:
- You are required to deliver a 15 minute presentation at the
beginning of the interview. The instructions for this
presentation are:"You have been invited to attend a high level
committee of the University to outline ways in which the
Faculty of X can contribute to the organisation's
Internationalisation policy, and specifically, its desired
intention of producing 'graduates of the globe' are asked to
put yourself in the position of ..."
- In your presentation you should identify a range of
strategies that could be adopted by the faculty, indicating a
level of priority to each of the strategies. You should
indicate what possible impediments there may be in the
implemntation of these strategies and suggest some possible
ways of overcoming these impediments.
- You should also indicate the possible gains for the
University that will flow from these strategies, as well as
possible implications in terms of funding, resources and
preparedness of other key University stakeholders to work
collaboratively on this plan.
- Time required
- 15 minutes at the beginning of the interview
- Resources Required
- An ovehead projector
References
Blake, V. (2001). What is a Work Test?, Staff Selection Skills
for Panel Members. Crawley, Western Australia: Centre for Staff
Development, UWA.
HR Guide to the Internet. (2001). Personnel Selection:
Methods: Work Sample Tests, [WWW]. HR-Guide.com. Available:
http://www.hr-guide.com/data/G316.htm [2002, 29 January].
Robertson, I. T., & Kandola, R. S. (1982). Work sample
tests: Validity, adverse impact and applicant reaction. Journal
of Occupational Psychology, 55, 171-183.
Schmidt, F. L., & Hunter, J. E. (1998). The validity and
utility of selection methods in personnel psychology: Practical
and theoretical implications of 85 years of research findings.
Psychological Bulletin, 124(2), 262-274.
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