Because of the nature of appraisal information and the dangers of its misuse, this report must be kept confidential and its contents restricted to those who have direct responsibility for decision making. This Selection Report should not be shown to or discussed with the candidate. The ASSESS Developmental Report has been designed for this purpose.

• Since everyone has strengths and weaknesses, special caution must be exercised to view this report as a whole. Be careful not to overemphasize specific statements, but rather consider this person's overall suitability for a particular position in your organizational environment.

• Many of the characteristics described in this report could be assets in some circumstances and liabilities in others. You will notice that a characteristic may appear as a strength in relation to one competency, but a weakness when considered in relation to another competency.

• The report does not take into account the candidate's background, training, or technical skills or experience. Therefore, the results do not measure personal effectiveness or the quality of job performance; rather, they describe characteristics that (along with these other factors) may influence job performance. To minimize the chances of erroneous decisions, the contents of this report should be combined with information from other sources (for example; interview impressions, references, work experience, job competence, work habits, background, etc.) to gain a complete picture of this person.

• Over time, people and organizations change. If several years have passed since the date of this report, it may be valuable to reassess the candidate. Remember, this person was evaluated at a particular age, stage of development, level of experience, etc. With the passage of time, the characteristics measured by ASSESS may have changed.

ASSESS is a computerized expert system that interprets test scores and writes reports for our clients in the same manner that Bigby, Havis & Associates psychologists would. The reports are designed to be read by managers without regular assistance from a professional. Occasionally, however, you may need additional interpretation assistance. See the ASSESS coordinator for your organization to make arrangements.

Developmental Report: In addition to the Selection Report, a Developmental report is available. It is designed to be given directly to the individual and provides constructive feedback on test results, specific developmental suggestions, and a guide for writing a personalized developmental plan.

Competency in an area is the result of many factors working together, which include innate characteristics (natural ability, personality) and learned characteristics (knowledge, experience and skills) as is presented in the following chart. People who have the right competencies or who have a good potential for developing these competencies will be able to do the right things (behaviors) to produce the desired results (effective outcomes).

The following report provides detailed results and judgments about how these innate characteristics may facilitate or hinder the display or development of the desired competencies and, ultimately, job effectiveness. Also provided is a competency-oriented interview protocol to use to evaluate the skills, knowledge and other learned characteristics important to this job, as well as a general model for making a good decision from all sources of information.

The following results are based on the candidate's performance on standardized ability tests. They are presented as percentile comparisons to general population norms (people who, for the most part, have a high school education) and to professional norms (people who, for the most part, have an education at or beyond the college undergraduate level).

• The Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal is a measure of her ability to analyze complex, multifaceted written information and to draw accurate conclusions. This capacity includes the ability to evaluate information and to recognize assumptions, facts, and situations where there is not enough information to arrive at a valid conclusion.

• The Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices (Abstract Reasoning) is a measure of her ability to reason through complex, abstract, nonverbal information and to grasp new ideas. This capacity includes the ability to solve problems in new situations where one has little experience upon which to draw.

General Population Norms:   0%   100% Critical Thinking       Abstract Reasoning        Professional Norms:         Critical Thinking       Abstract Reasoning

 

She should have little difficulty solving problems that involve complex, abstract information. She should also be quick to grasp new ideas and solve problems that are outside her usual experience.

• For each personality characteristic, a distribution of possible scores (from less to more) is displayed in deciles (1-10% = 1st decile, 11-20% = 2nd decile, etc.) using ten graph blocks.

• This distribution is based on a professional norm group of approximately 40,000 respondents.

• The candidate's score on each personality characteristic is represented by the graphic character .

• Overlaid on the normative distribution, the colors and shading on the graph represent desirable and undesirable ranges on each characteristic for a particular competency.

• Ranges in which a characteristic may hinder are marked with least shading ( ).

• Ranges in which a characteristic may be a potential concern are marked in intermediate shading ( ).

• Ranges in which a characteristic may help are marked with most shading ( ).

• You will notice from the pattern of shadings that low scores are not necessarily bad and high scores are not necessarily good.

• Also notice that the Helps and Hinders ranges for a characteristic may differ by competency. For example, a higher level of assertiveness may be more desirable for one competency than another.

Seeking opportunities to improve current processes, systems and methods to promote reliability, quality and efficiency of output.

Solving difficult problems through careful and systematic evaluation of information, possible alternatives and consequences.

Effectively organizing and planning work according to organizational needs by defining objectives and anticipating needs and priorities.

Maintaining a high level of commitment to personally getting things done.

Effectively working and collaborating with others toward a common goal.

Effectively persuades others to follow protocol and inspires accountability throughout the plant. Influential in driving change initiatives for quality improvement.

For additional, more detailed information on conducting good behavior-based interviews, please visit the ASSESS managers resource website at http://www.bigby.com/systems/assessv2/System/Reports/www.bigby.com/systems/assessv2/resources/manager.

Interview Date: __________

Before the Interview

Review the Competency Model definitions and representative behaviors.

Review the candidate's resume and be familiar with his/her background and experience.

Review the candidate's ASSESS results.

Review the interview questions and additional personality probes.

During the interview, remember to:

• Use open-ended questions
• Ask probing follow-up questions
• Focus on specific examples and behaviors
• Postpone judgment: don't rely on your first impression

  
   

Start the interview by discussing the details of the candidate's educational and work history.

Walk me through your educational background.

Listen and probe for accomplishments, grades, how he/she chose college/major, classes he/she liked or disliked, involvement in outside activities, work experience during school, etc., and probe for how they relate to the job.

Walk me through your work history.

Listen and probe for milestones, accomplishments, relationships with co-workers and supervisors, tasks he/she liked or disliked, work environments he/she liked or disliked, reasons for leaving each job, etc. and probe for how prior experience has prepared him/her for this job.

NOTES:

Quality Improvement:  Seeking opportunities to improve current processes, systems and methods to promote reliability, quality and efficiency of output.

• Give me several examples from your recent work experience in which you improved a process or procedure. What did you do? Why?

• In the past, have you developed or helped develop work processes, process measurement procedures or performance metrics? Explain the situation(s) and your involvement.

• What special training, education or experience do you have in the areas of Process Improvement, Continuous Improvement and Quality?

Additional special probes based on ASSESS results:

• Give me some examples from your work of specific activities that could be changed or improved to bring about higher standards or improvements. (Listen for the candidate's ability to see and identify the type of details that are the basis for high standards and continuous improvement.)

• Tell me about the most recent process changes affecting your work. What steps did you take to implement these? What was the result? (Listen for how the candidate's organizational ability, or lack thereof, impacts the ability to adapt and implement changes.)

• Tell me about a time when you felt frustrated by excessive rules or restrictive policies in your work. What was the situation? What did you do? (Listen for an ability to follow prescribed rules and procedures, even if inconvenient.)

NOTES:  (details of the situation, actions by the candidate, and the resulting outcomes)

In-Depth Problem Solving And Analysis:  Solving difficult problems through careful and systematic evaluation of information, possible alternatives and consequences.

• Tell me about two complex and difficult work problems you have faced. What were the circumstances? What steps did you take to solve the problems? What analyses did you make? How did you make your final decisions? What were the outcomes of your decisions?

Additional special probes based on ASSESS results:

• Tell me about a complex problem you recently faced in an area in which you did not have prior experience. How did you find a solution? (Listen for an ability to look for new and different approaches rather then simply modifying or using current practices.)

• Describe a situation where you were too quick to draw a conclusion in your problem analysis. What were the circumstances and the result? (Listen for a tendency to find a quick solution.)

NOTES:  (details of the situation, actions by the candidate, and the resulting outcomes)

Planning And Organizing:  Effectively organizing and planning work according to organizational needs by defining objectives and anticipating needs and priorities.

• Tell me about a successful project or initiative that you had responsibility for planning and organizing. What did you do? Why was this project successful?

• Tell me about a project where you had responsibility for planning and organizing that did not go as smoothly. What did you do? What could you have done better?

Additional special probes based on ASSESS results:

• Describe a situation that illustrates the kind of techniques that you use to stay organized and focused in your own work. (Listen for an ability to keep work organized.)

• Tell me about a time when you had to coordinate and manage several projects at once. What was challenging? How did you prioritize? How successful were you? (Listen for difficulty juggling multiple tasks at once.)

NOTES:  (details of the situation, actions by the candidate, and the resulting outcomes)

Delivering Results:  Maintaining a high level of commitment to personally getting things done.

• Describe two recent situations in which you met an aggressive goal. What types of obstacles did you face? How did you overcome them?

• Describe a situation in which you were unable to meet an aggressive goal. Why did this happen?

Additional special probes based on ASSESS results:

• Tell me about one of your projects that had an aggressive deadline for completion. How did you get it done? (Listen for an ability to accomplish things quickly.)

• Describe two situations in which you were unable to thoroughly complete a project. What happened? Why? (Listen for an ability to follow-through on commitments.)

NOTES:  (details of the situation, actions by the candidate, and the resulting outcomes)

Teamwork And Collaboration:  Effectively working and collaborating with others toward a common goal.

• Describe for me your last assignment in which you were part of a team. What was your role? What aspects of working as part of a team did you do well? With what aspects were you less successful? Why?

• In what types of situations do you prefer to work independently and in what types of situations do you prefer to work as part of a team? Why?

Additional special probes based on ASSESS results:

• In your previous jobs, have other people done their share of the work? Did you get fair credit for your efforts? (Listen for a tendency to be critical of others, or expect others to not perform.)

• We all have conflict or disagreements when working closely with others. Tell me about two situations in the past where you had a conflict with a co-worker or team member. How did the conflict affect your relationships and your work effectiveness? (Listen for a tendency to be disagreeable versus cooperative.)

• Give me several recent examples of work situations in which you asked others for assistance and situations in which you could have asked for assistance but did not. In each case, why or why not? (Does the candidate avoid collaboration?)

NOTES:  (details of the situation, actions by the candidate, and the resulting outcomes)

Influencing And Persuading:  Effectively persuades others to follow protocol and inspires accountability throughout the plant. Influential in driving change initiatives for quality improvement.

• Tell me about a recent work situation in which you were able to convince a group of people to do something that they did not want to do. How did you do this? What would you do differently next time?

• Tell me about a recent work experience in which you tried to persuade someone of something and failed. What was the situation? What did you do? What would you do differently next time?

Additional special probes based on ASSESS results:

• Describe a time when you tried to convince your boss to do something he or she did not want to do. What did you do? What was the result? (Listen for a tendency to be too forceful or pushy.)

• Tell me about a time when you needed to really excite people about your ideas in order to persuade them. How did you do it? Tell me about a time when you failed to generate enthusiasm. (Does the candidate have the energy to generate enthusiasm, and will he/she do the work to convince others?)

NOTES:  (details of the situation, actions by the candidate, and the resulting outcomes)

Courage Of Convictions*:  Having the personal courage to address difficult issues in the face of potential opposition.

• Tell me about your values at work. What sorts of things are important to you about how you and others behave and about how business should be conducted?

• Give me several examples of business situations in which you said or did things you thought were right when others disagreed.

• Give me several examples of business situations in which your work group initially opposed your ideas, but you were able to turn their point of view because of your tenacity.

NOTES:  (details of the situation, actions by the candidate, and the resulting outcomes)

Quality Control Knowledge And Skills*:  Having the ability to develop, implement, and audit the quality programs necessary to ensure consistent adherence to established quality specifications.

• Please describe for me how your education and training have prepared you for this job. What courses have you taken and how do they apply to this job?

• Please describe your previous job experience and how it prepares you for the technical requirements of this job. Try to give specific examples of what you have learned and how you learned it.

• What are you doing on an on-going basis to maintain and improve your technical skills and abilities?

NOTES:  (details of the situation, actions by the candidate, and the resulting outcomes)

Low Critical Thinking

This person scores somewhat low on the measure of critical thinking ability. People often develop critical thinking abilities as a result of college studies, but some people who have college backgrounds can still have poor skills (they have just never learned to think critically). A low score suggests poor critical thinking skills; however, strong abilities in other areas can contribute to an individual being an effective problem-solver in her work.

Interview Probes:

During the interview, attempt to assess whether his test performance is consistent with other indicators of intellectual capacity (for example grades in school).

• Ask him to describe the types of problems he enjoys solving versus those he finds difficult to handle. Listen for responses that suggest he may not do well in situations that require him to logically sort through complex verbal or written information.

• Ask him to describe what he feels are his major strengths and weaknesses in solving problems. In what types of situations is he at his best, and in what types of situations is he not as effective?

Reference Probe Questions:

When talking with his references ask the following types of questions.

• "Compared to his peers (other people in similar positions), how would you describe this person's ability to critically evaluate complex information and draw conclusions which are accurate?"

• "Would you say that this person could comprehend complex information as well as most people in similar positions? Was he better? Was he worse?" (Probe for examples.)

• "In what types of problem-solving situations is (was) this person at his best, worst?" (Probe for details.)

Your goal is to bring the interview smoothly to a close.

Ensure that the candidate feels that he/she has been able to give you a complete and accurate picture of him/herself.

Explain the next steps in the process and timeframe as appropriate.

Thank the candidate for his/her time and close the interview.

Good selection decisions require careful consideration of all the available information (education, training, experience, skills, abilities, personality, etc.) from as many different credible sources as possible (interviews, reference checks, background checks, ASSESS results, etc.) against a clear specification of what is needed or desired in the job.

Use the following chart to evaluate the candidate on each of the competencies of the Model. Carefully consider each competency before making your overall judgment.