Contents
This month's PZ Direct features Assessment and Testing and addresses aspects of the subject ranging from an article that says it is very likely that people can and will cheat to one that says it is virtually impossible to do so. There is some company news in this area, a case study plus some academic research.
We start the issue with an interesting article by Martin Milner, who is the Marketing Director of Thomson Prometric. He says "Assessment should be an instrument that is used to significantly improve engagement with business goals and objectives. Imagine a business that wasn’t focused on how its strategies, investments, resource allocations and reporting systems need to be aligned to produce growth. In many instances these unfocused businesses suffer from turnover, productivity declines and customer defections that all put pressure on the bottom line. By focusing training, learning and assessment on business needs, you align your human capital with the future of your business. In this way, assessment provides the measures by which you define success and the method by which you achieve it." The full article inside.
The case study is based upon work done at Poole Hospital - During 2002/2003, Poole Hospital introduced 360-degree feedback - based on the GMC Guidelines - for all its Consultants, with around 85% of the Consultant population voluntarily participating. Using external consultancy support and with the active participation of the Human Resource Directorate, the Medical Director and Medical Staffing Committee, a suitable questionnaire was developed, piloted, evaluated and modified. The questionnaire evaluated 23 items and gave both rated and free text feedback. Read on for the full story.
Psyfactor, a team of Birmingham-based psychologists, has developed comprehensive team management software that they claim will save public and private sector HR departments thousands of pounds. Find out more.
Our white paper this month is from PSL, Psychometric Services Ltd and examines the theory and practice of Item Banking and Randomised Tests. Well worth reading.
"Organisations that do not embrace psychometric testing to recruit staff risk losing a competitive edge," says John Rust, the UK's only Professor of Psychometrics and founder of a new Psychometrics Centre at City University. Details of his lecture inside.
People who are more ambitious and energetic than others, and who like to say and do things which are socially acceptable, are more likely to cheat or fake on unsupervised online recruitment tests. These are the findings of a study of an online graduate recruitment system in a financial services company by Anthony Miles, Sean Keeley and Ian Newcombe, of Psychometric Services Ltd.
Oakwood Consulting and Software Limited has been acquired by the owners of Occupational Performance Solutions Ltd (OPSL). The acquisition brings together two of the UK's leading providers of assessment, development and HR consulting services products and software. We have more details inside PZ Direct.
In the rest of PZ Direct this month, we look at a new service that cuts workplace absenteeism by an estimated 30 per cent has launched in the UK. Active Health Partners, the company behind the launch, says it will reduce the impact of employee absence, ill health and health-related litigation. Must be worth reading.
Research into trends in continuous professional development (CPD) suggests that mandatory development will be required by over 85% of professional bodies within the next five years. The research by consultancy-led learning publisher, Echelon Learning, sought to determine the current provision of CPD, the future requirements of these bodies for professional development, and whether and how they will want to publish, distribute and track CPD in the future. See what you think.
Jeremy Stranks in his column, this month writes about Human Error and Accidents.
The IPPM column this month begins - The pre-Budget report 2003 brought us the announcement of a new delivery from the Inland Revenue in the shape of a new tax and NICs relief for employer supported childcare. Naturally both childcare voucher providers and parents lobbying groups have warmly welcomed it. But for employers, welcome as it may be, there is the need to understand the detail behind the announcement if they are to implement schemes that meet the qualifying conditions.
Legislation News and Update looks at Random Drug Testing by way of a piece by Croner.
Product and Company News revisits the dangers of being a lone worker and Diary Dates is looking to events beyond the summer recess.
