PsyAsia International invites you to a complimentary webinar that will cover the questions HR Professionals should and should not ask when evaluating psychometric tests. The facilitator will show you the materials referred to in the questions that you need to ask and show you how to evaluate a test distributor’s response.

This free webinar is open to all HR and related professionals based in Asia. It is not open to competitors.

You’ll go away knowing the top-5 questions to ask when evaluating a psychometric test and how to evaluate those responses at a basic level. You’ll also find out what questions are frequently asked but really should have no bearing in test choice. There will be ample time for participant questions.

REGISTER HERE: http://www.psyasia.com/hr_seminars.php

It’s not news that fatigued workers perform less well and are less safe on the job.  However, according to the Monitor on Psychology (January 2011), it is more difficult than we think to adjust to shift work or lack of sleep.

This is a pertinent issue. With the demands of the modern workplace, more and more workers play hard after work and sleep less. The lack of sleep not only results in eye bags and wrinkles, but makes the body less effective at reducing toxins and more susceptible to illness and disease. This is true for all regular day workers. For night workers, the dangers are multiplied because they are forcing their body’s circadian rhythm to change. It’s possible to have the circadian rhythm gradually adjust and realign, but for many shift workers, their hours are irregular.

For example, many hotel staff will work overnight one day and then work a day shift the next. The body never has time to realign its rhythm. 
Human Resources staff need to take this issue seriously when planning and training because it can lead to safety issues in addition to increased absenteeism, poor moods at work and lower overall performance. There are no permanently effective solutions to this issue, but the following research backed advice may assist:

1. Try to have staff work regular night shifts and educate them as to the importance of trying to keep their circadian rhythms in their adjusted state. They can do this by spending their day off on the same time episodes as their night shift days. This however may not be sellable to the employee who perhaps wants to spend time with friends or go out shopping.

2. For non-shift staff, ensure they understand the effects of not sleeping enough. It impacts on everybody at work due to mood, motivation and performance deficits. Try to make their work more interesting and fun so that they look forward to it each night and thus don’t feel they need to use up every minute of spare time having fun rather than sleeping.

Written and Published by PsyAsia International’s Psychometric Tests and HRM News Team

Introduction
Those without training in psychometrics can never effectively evaluate a psychometric test.
The following very briefly gives an overview of the questions HR should be asking when contacting test vendors.
This brief presentation is not intended to replace competent training in psychometrics.

What is the test’s rationale?
Is the vendor clear on the model behind the test?
What was the test designed to assess?
Who designed the test?

Technical data: Reliability
How consistently does the test measure what it purports to measure?
Are there documented studies to support for example test-retest reliability and internal consistency reliability? Look for .7 for personality scales and .8 for aptitude.
Does the vendor have a clue as to what you are talking about?

Technical data: Validity
Are there documented studies which show the test is “fit for purpose”?
Is there evidence for criterion validity if you will use the test to predict performance directly? Look for significant and meaningful correlations between test score and performance. How does this compare with competitors?
Is there evidence for construct validity if you will use the test to assess various aspects of personality or aptitude that you will compare to others in the belief that higher scores in these areas will lead to performance in your job? Look for significant correlations between this test and another established test assessing similar constructs.

Other aspects of validity
Content Validity
Face Validity

What about training?
If no training is required it’s either a simple test which may not suit your needs or a test that may lead you to make errors in interpretation and decision-making due to insufficient training!
Who runs the training? Is it an expert in psychology/psychometrics whose competence has been assessed by external bodies (government registration and psychological societies)?

More information
www.psyasia.com Knowledgebase
www.psychometricassessment.com/blog
www.psychometricassessment.com/training
http://dates.psyasia.com
Hong Kong(+852) 8200 6005
Singapore (+65) 6521 3131
Malaysia (+60) 03 2782 6928

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