Category: Newsletter articles

• Is cognitive testing failing to identify the best graduates for your business?
• Are you concerned about the risk of cheating?
• Are you having to adjust your benchmarks to reach your annual graduate intake?

Many organisations use online cognitive or aptitude tests for the initial screening of candidates in high volume graduate recruitment programs.  This makes good sense given the large body of research that consistently demonstrates the relationship between cognitive ability and job performance.  But is cognitive testing delivering on its promise?  Some employers say that the brightest graduates are not necessarily their best employees.

Why test if the brightest graduates are not the best employees?

There is a simple answer to this question.  Job performance requires more than cognitive ability.  Cognitive ability accounts for about 25% of the difference between your high and lower performers.  It may not sound much but, when converted to dollar savings and compared with other selection methods such as interviews and assessment centres, cognitive testing stacks up very well – and is much less labour intensive.  The research is clear:  cognitive tests are a very cost effective component of most employee selection programs. 

But what about the other 75% of job performance that can’t be explained by cognitive ability?  This is where the assessment of personality, motivation and other personal attributes becomes important.  Job performance is a complex phenomenon that cannot be measured by looking at the person only.  We need to also consider the demands of the job and job-person fit.  This requires a highly structured assessment process in which the attributes measured in the candidate are closely aligned with those that will be required in the job.  Cognitive ability is a critical factor for success, but not the only one.

Is cheating a problem? 

Cheating is always a potential risk when cognitive tests are administered unsupervised.  That risk may be higher when used as a screening tool in high volume campaigns where applicants may consider asking a peer to complete the test for them.  But the research on faking and cheating suggests it may not be the big problem we expect it to be.  Some useful ways of reducing the likelihood of this happening include:

• Warning candidates that their results may be verified by re-testing
• Having candidates confirm that their results are their own
• Requiring candidates to make a video recording of their test taking.

Where to set cut-off scores 

Setting a high cut-off score is very tempting for graduate employers.  They often want only the brightest – those who are most likely to learn quickly, contribute great ideas, think on their feet, and manage complexity.  But there is no golden rule for where the bar should be set.  It will depend on the norm group against which candidates are compared.  An appropriate benchmark will also depend on the size of the applicant pool and the timing of the recruitment program (other employers may have already made offers to high scorers).  The cognitive test results also need to be considered alongside other information about applicants collected in interviews, assessment centres, job applications, etc.

Low scores do not mean the graduate cannot do the job. 

The actual meaning of high and low scores on cognitive tests is often mis-interpreted.  Low scores do not mean that the person cannot do the job.  Most graduates will, of course, be able to do the job if they have had appropriate skills training.  As much as we can say is that those that return lower scores are less likely to perform as effectively as those who return higher scores.  Cognitive tests help to minimise the risk of a mis-hire – a costly mistake for organisations.  They do not tell us if someone can or cannot do a job.

So, where does that leave us?

• Based on the research evidence, cognitive tests are effective predictors of job performance and are worthy of a place in most graduate recruitment programs.
• Don’t expect cognitive ability tests to predict everything.  Job performance is multi-faceted.  A multi-faceted approach to recruitment and selection is required. 
• Cheating is a risk when testing is conducted unsupervised, but it can be managed and may not be the problem we think it is. 
• Cognitive testing is a risk management tool.  While we aim for good person-job fit by testing and profiling job candidates, it is the cost of making the wrong decision that organisations want to avoid. 

Well-structured recruitment processes based on valid selection tools and methods are the first step to getting it right.  Let’s not overlook those, such as cognitive tests, that we know can add value. 

Do you find it difficult to switch off and unwind after a busy day in the office?

Are you checking your emails long after you’ve left the office for the day?

Do you lie awake at night thinking about the day that awaits you?

If you answered ‘yes’ to one or more of these questions you may not be psychologically ‘switching off’ from your day.  In this blog we discuss the benefits of disengaging from your work day.  Regardless of whether you’re highly satisfied or highly dissatisfied with your job, not disengaging from your work day can have short and long term effects on your wellbeing and productivity at work.

What are the benefits of psychologically disengaging from your work?

Psychologically disengaging or ‘switching off’ from your work day is essential for leisure and recovery time after work and has been shown to enhance mood and lower fatigue.  Psychologically disengaging from your work day can impact positively on work place performance, leading to reduced levels of burnout and an increase in life satisfaction and job enthusiasm. Psychologically disengaging from work can be particularly beneficial to performance and wellbeing in highly stressful situations as it may build resilience and allow you to cope better.

Why can it be difficult to psychologically disengage from our day?

Mood. We tend to be more effective at ‘switching off’ when we’re in a positive mood.  If you find you feel down often, it may be more difficult or it may take you longer to ‘switch off’ after work.

Workload. A heavy workload and unrealistic deadlines can often mean that some tasks go unfinished.  If this happens to you, you might find that these tasks can often remain in your mind long after you’ve left the office.  This can prevent you from psychologically disengaging from your work.

Insecurity.  If you’re feeling insecure in your job, you may feel like you need to work harder and longer in order to meet deadlines to impress your superiors.  This can lead you into the same trap detailed above. You may also experience anxiety and stress about returning to work the next day.

How can you psychologically disengage from work?

Don’t leave tasks unfinished. Try to finish your tasks before leaving work. This should stop you from thinking about them.

Take regular breaks.  Taking regular breaks away from your work should encourage you to switch off for short periods of time.

Avoid working through the evenings.  Working evenings is setting up a bad habit which may interrupt sleep patterns. Give yourself time to wind down at night. Be sure to switch off from electronic devices at least 30mins before you intend on going to bed.

Manage your workload.  As workload can decrease the likelihood of psychological disengagement, try delegating or prioritising tasks when you find your workload becomes too heavy.

Don’t bring your worry to bed.  Try writing down your daily worries at a time much earlier than bedtime. Take a moment to think about and deal with those issues you would normally worry about at night.

Do something for yourself.  Whether it’s playing sport, attending book club or practicing meditation and mindfulness.  Find a hobby that makes you look forward to psychologically disengaging from your work day.

References

Sonnentag, S. (2012). Psychological Detachment from Work During Leisure Time: The benefits of mentally disengaging from work.  Current Directions in Psychological Science. 21(2), 114-118.

Sonnentag, S., Binnewies, C. and Mojza, E. J. (2010). Staying Well and Engaged when Demands are High: The role of psychological detachment, Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(5), 965-976.

These days, it seems that almost everyone is either being coached or being a coach.  So, what’s it all about and what are some simple and effective things managers can do when coaching their staff?

What is coaching?

Many definitions abound, but to put it simply, coaching involves a planned approach to helping someone do something better.  It is a genuine attempt to foster the development of another person and to unlock their potential.

The coach is not necessarily a problem-solver, a teacher or an expert in the field of the coachee.  Rather, the coach may act as a facilitator or a sounding board, and might also offer advice on a range of things including how to work through problems and provide feedback to people in a variety of settings.

Whether a manager is coaching staff in order to agree performance expectations, to help an individual solve problems, or to review their progress, some key skills demonstrated by the coach should help build awareness and responsibility in the individual – awareness of the issues to be addressed and responsibility for bringing about desired changes.

The following skills may sound familiar, but doing them well could be the difference between being an average coach and a great coach.

1. Effective questioning techniques

Ask open and relevant questions.  These questions typically start with words such as what, when, where, who.  They cannot be answered with a simple yes or no.  Open questions allow the individual to express their point of view, allow discussion to develop and encourage the individual to come up with their own solutions.

Also ask probing questions to gain more understanding about the issue being discussed.  Probing is continuing a line of questioning to get down to specifics.

2. Effective listening skills

Listening enables you to understand the individual’s point of view and hence coach more effectively.

Attend – do not distract the person talking.  Pay attention and show an interest in the conversation.  Keep an open body posture and maintain eye contact with the person.

Follow – acknowledge the person’s contributions using non-verbal encouragement such as nodding, smiling, pausing and verbal encouragement such as “ah-ha’s”, “really”, etc.

Reflect – paraphrase your understanding of the conversation and summarise the key points.  This shows the individual that you have understood what they have said and helps to reinforce agreements made.

3. Skills in giving feedback

To keep an individual’s performance on track, give praise or confirming feedback when something is done well, and constructive feedback when something needs to be improved.

When giving feedback, make sure that it is:

• clear and specific
• free of labels or judgements
• factual
• given with eye contact
• timely
• focused on behaviours

Of course, there’s a bit more to coaching than asking questions and listening, but developing or refining these basic skills is a good start.