Testing People At Work: Competences In Psychometric Testing

Description: 'Testing People at Work' is an authoritative, practical text on selection and assessment. It explains psychometric testing in occupational settings and also covers other methods of selection such as assessment centres and e-selection. The book systematically covers all the topics required for the BPS Certificates of Competence in Testing Levels A and B. It is designed for students taking selection and assessment courses. The book covers the whole process of testing, from job analysis to reporting results; uses new theoretical frameworks for the topics of personality and motivation; features an extensive discussion of ethics in selection and assessment; includes questions testing understanding and suggestions for further reading; and, incorporates many tables and diagrams giving practical help to users of psychometric tests. It is also accompanied by supplementary online material. Review: 'Comprehensive, authoritative, and readable, a combination that is almost impossible to achieve in an introductory upwards text to a scientific and practical discipline such as employee selection. This text retains its independence throughout from any single test publisher, yet covers all the competency areas laid down in the BPS framework, and is an absolute goldmine of information on testing and selection procedures more generally. Anyone even thinking of booking onto Level A or Level B test training courses should buy this book first.' Neil Anderson, PhD, Professor of Organizational Psychology, University of Amsterdam 'At last! A superbly practical book which takes you through the stages of psychometric testing sequentially, but also integrates theory and statistics into the story. The Smiths have provided all would-be practitioners with an indispensable tool for their learning, development, and reference.' Peter Heriot, Visiting Professor, University of Surrey and Open University Business School 'This is a much needed text that provides an excellent grounding for anyone aiming to achieve any of the BPS Certificates of Competence in Occupational Testing. It also represents the ideal source of reference for those using tests in the workplace. Each chapter is written in a clear, non-threatening style that takes the pain out of understanding the use of occupational tests.' Dr Caroline Limbert, University of Oxford, BPS verified assessor for Certificate of Competence in Occupational Testing Table of Contents: Preface.Acknowledgements.1. Competence in Occupational Testing.Part I Preparation for Testing:.2. Job Analysis and Person Specifications.3. Introduction to Intelligence & Cognitive Ability.4. Introduction to Personality.5. Introduction to Motives (Needs, Interest and Values).6. Attracting Applicants.Part II Psychometrics.7. Basic Statistics 1.8. Basic Statistics 2.9. Sensitivity of Selection Measures.10. Standard Error and Reliability.11. Validity.12. Bias of Measures.13. Calculating the Sterling Value of Selection (utilities analysis).Part III Assessment Tools.14. Choice of Selection Methods.15. Psychometric Tests 1.16. Psychometric Tests 2.17. e-Selection.18. Other Scientific Methods of Selection.19. Assessment Centres.Part IV Using Tests.20. Test Administration.21. Norms and Profiles.22. Interpreting Scores.23. Face-to-face Feedback.24. Written Reports.25. Telephone Feedback.26. Ethics and Data Protection.Bibliography.Author Index.Occupation Index.Subject Index.Tests and Measures Index Author Biography: Mike Smith is based at Manchester Business School. His previous publications include Personnel Selection and Assessment: Individual and Organisational Perspectives (co-edited, 1993), Advances in Selection and Assessment (co-edited, 1993) and Analysing Organisational Behaviour (edited, 1991).