PSY FPX 8711 Assessment 2 Proposal For Training And Development Specialist

PSY FPX 8711 Assessment 2 Proposal For Training And Development Specialist

Student Name

Capella University

PSY FPX 8711 Principles of Industrial/Organizational Psychology

Prof. Name:

Date

Abstract

This assessment presents a proposal for conducting candidate screening for Company T, a large global organization with 5,000 employees across multiple locations. The company is seeking candidates for its Operations Coordinator position and intends to screen applicants using a series of tests to evaluate critical thinking, active listening, time management, problem-solving, instruction skills, and cross-cultural knowledge. Additionally, Company T will implement a structured interview as part of the screening process.

Proposal for Company T: Screening Job Candidates

Selecting a candidate for a job position is a crucial process for any organization. Hiring the right candidate can enhance overall organizational performance, while hiring the wrong one can have the opposite effect. The goal of the selection process is to choose the most suitable candidate who meets the job requirements and aligns well with the current team. An organization’s hiring practices should assess a candidate’s skills, knowledge, abilities, and personality to ensure they are a good fit. This proposal, prepared for Company T, outlines a process for screening candidates for the Operations Coordinator role. It includes three standardized tests and a structured interview process designed to assess candidates effectively. The specific skills Company T seeks in a candidate include critical thinking, active listening, time management, problem-solving, instruction skills, and cross-cultural knowledge.

Screening Job Candidates

Standardized testing is a valuable tool in the hiring process, allowing organizations to assess whether potential candidates possess the necessary skills. Based on Company T’s requirements, the following tests have been selected: the Hogan Personality Inventory, the Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment, and the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument. The following sections provide an overview of these tests.

Hogan Personality Inventory

The Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI), first developed in the 1980s and updated in 1995, measures six personality dimensions that impact personal and social effectiveness. It is used in personnel selection, individualized assessment, and career-related decision-making (Axford, 1998). The HPI provides scores on seven primary scales, six occupational scales, and a validity scale. It takes approximately 20 minutes to complete and is suitable for individuals aged 16 and older (LoBello, 1998). The HPI is designed for business and administrative purposes, focusing on social outcomes rather than psychopathology (Axford, 1998). Norm development involved 30,000 participants, representing a diverse demographic in terms of gender and race (LoBello, 1998). Validation studies support the HPI’s validity through correlations with other validated tests, peer ratings, and organizational performance measures (Axford, 1998). The assessment’s reliability is well-documented, with strong internal consistency for the personality scales (LoBello, 1998).

Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment

The Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment (HCTA), published in 2010, assesses critical thinking skills in individuals aged 18 and older. One suggested use of the HCTA is to improve employee selection and promotion within business and industry (Porter, 2014). The HCTA measures five areas: verbal reasoning, argument analysis, thinking as hypothesis testing, likelihood and uncertainty, decision-making, and problem-solving. There are two forms (Form S1 and Form S2), which use the same 25 scenarios but differ in question types, with no time limit for completion (Porter, 2014). Form 1 takes 45-80 minutes to complete and is scored by both the test administrator and a computerized program, while Form 2 takes 15-25 minutes and is scored by the computerized program (Porter, 2014). The normative sample consisted of 450 adults from the United States, aged 18 to 72, with no significant gender differences in scores (Porter, 2014). The assessment demonstrated high interrater reliability and internal consistency (Porter, 2014). Validity studies provided evidence related to content, construct, and criterion sources (Porter, 2014).

Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument

The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI), originally published in 1974 and updated in 2007, assesses behavior in conflict situations for individuals aged 13 and older. It is commonly used in workplace settings for training and development activities (Cellucci, 2017). The TKI evaluates conflict-management preferences across five modes: competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding, and accommodating. The assessment consists of 30 forced-choice items, with no time limit, and is available in both pen-and-paper and computerized formats (Cellucci, 2017). The 2007 normative update included 8,000 full-time employees from various fields, aged 20 to 70 (Cellucci, 2017). Although the TKI’s psychometric properties are challenging to evaluate due to its format, it remains a valuable tool for discussing conflict management, leadership styles, and negotiation training (Cellucci, 2017).

Job Characteristics

The assessments selected above were chosen based on their ability to measure the specific job characteristics that Company T seeks in its candidates. By using these assessments, Company T can screen candidates to determine their suitability for the role and fit within the company. The job characteristics of interest to Company T include critical thinking, active listening, time management, problem-solving, instruction skills, and cross-cultural knowledge. The following table outlines the tests and the job characteristics they measure.

Structured Interview

A structured interview is an effective tool for hiring new employees. It involves a fixed set of questions and a specific format, allowing interviewers to reliably compare responses across candidates (Wilson, 2014). Structured interviews consist of seven key components: rapport building, question sophistication, question consistency, probing, note-taking, use of a panel of interviewers, and standardized evaluation (Roulin, Bourdage, & Wingate, 2019). To minimize interviewer-related measurement error, Company T should carefully plan its structured interviews, ensuring that all candidates are asked the same questions in the same manner. Additionally, the company should use a consistent scale to evaluate each candidate’s responses. The structured interview should include questions relevant to the Operations Coordinator position. By conducting the interviews in this way, Company T will be better able to analyze the results and compare candidates. The following 15-question structured interview can be used alongside the selected assessments to screen candidates for the Operations Coordinator role at Company T.

Example of Structured Interview

Questions Related to the Position

1. What particular skills or experiences make you the best match for this position?
2. What does successful communication between different organizational functions/departments mean to you?
3. How do you manage to remain calm and productive when dealing with multiple tasks at once?
4. Tell me about a mistake that you made at work. What happened, and what did you learn from that experience?
5. Tell me about a time you had to delegate. What was the result?

Time Management Questions

1. Describe a typical day at work. What’s your morning routine?
2. How do you plan your schedule for the day?
3. What productivity tools (e.g., time-management or project-management software) have you found useful?
4. This role involves managing multiple objectives simultaneously. How do you manage your time and prioritize tasks?
5. Describe a time you successfully delegated tasks to your team.

Cultural Questions

1. Do you prefer working alone or as part of a team? Why?
2. Describe the type of work environment in which you are most productive.
3. How would your bosses and co-workers describe you?
4. How would you change an institutional “this is how we always do it” attitude if you felt there was a better approach?
5. What are the positive aspects of your current job and work environment, or the last position you held before coming to this interview?

Ethical and Diversity Standards and Considerations for Testing

It is important to consider ethical and diversity standards when conducting assessments. The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing were developed to ensure the sound and ethical use of tests and provide a basis for evaluating testing practices (Plake & Wise, 2014). The standards most relevant to workplace settings are found in Chapter 10, while Chapter 3 addresses fairness in testing, focusing on ensuring fairness for all examinees (Plake & Wise, 2014). As Company T screens candidates, they should adhere to these standards to ensure high-quality outcomes and make appropriate decisions during the screening process (Plake & Wise, 2014).

Conclusion

The hiring and screening process involves several critical considerations for an organization seeking to hire or promote the best candidate. This can be achieved by administering standardized tests that assess the desired skills. Additionally, structured interviews allow for consistent comparison and evaluation of candidates. The screening process must also align with the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing to ensure fairness and ethical treatment of all candidates.

References

Axford, S.N. (1998). Review of Hogan Personality Inventory [Revised]. In The thirteenth mental measurements yearbook. Retrieved from http://library.capella.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mmt&AN=test.1530&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Cellucci, T. (2017). Review of the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument [2007 Normative Update]. In The twentieth mental measurements yearbook. Retrieved from EbscoHost http://library.capella.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mmt&AN=test.6524&site=ehost-live&scope=site

PSY FPX 8711 Assessment 2 Proposal For Training And Development Specialist