Staffing assessments are nothing new, and tools for assessment are widely available in the HR marketplace. These range from simple prescreening questions asking about salary expectations and work eligibility to complex
“talent measures” that assess underlying motives, traits, and soft skills.
Research has shown that well-designed assessment tools predict job suc- cess with much greater accuracy than traditional employee-selection prac- tices such as résumé reviews and unstructured interviews. In addition, because staffing-assessment tools can often be administered via computer, they can also increase the efficiency of the hiring process. For example, Sherwin–Williams estimates that its use of automated assessment tools reduced the number of employment interviews conducted each year by more than 5000. This increased accuracy and efficiency can have a big impact on organizational performance and costs.
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So the question is not whether conducting assessments of competence is a good idea; the question is what tools to use for the assessment. HR experts recommend that, to be effective, staffing-assessment tools should meet three key conditions:
1. They must be chosen on the basis of a clear definition of perfor- mance for the job in question.
2. They must effectively measure the key candidate characteristics that influence job performance.
3. They must be deployed in a standardized, consistent fashion that ensures that all candidates are assessed in the same way.
Common types of staffing-assessment tools (the first three are pre- employment; the second three can be used for hiring or for “tuning up”
the existing workforce):
1. Qualifications screens. These questionnaires screen out candidates who do not meet minimum requirements, such as relevant expe- rience or educational degrees.
2. Structured interviews. A systematic process for evaluating candi- dates on the basis of their responses to predefined questions built around key job competencies. Structured interviews can be con- ducted face-to-face, by phone, or over the Web.
3. Job simulations. These evaluate how people respond to work- related situations. Job simulations can be “paper-and-pencil” exer- cises (such as analyzing and responding to cases), role-playing, or computer simulations. In addition to assessing competence, simu- lations can provide candidates with a realistic preview of job roles.
Labor intensive to create, simulations may require extensive training to administer (especially the role-playing option).
4. Knowledge and skills tests. These assess knowledge and skills in specific technical knowledge areas such as computer programming or business applications such as project management.
5. Talent measures. These measure personal characteristics that have been associated with success for the role in question. Problem- solving ability, work ethic, leadership characteristics, and interper- sonal style are a few areas that are frequently tested for in business.
These measures predict two kinds of performance: (1) what a person can do (abilities) and (2) what a person will do (behaviors).
When appropriately matched to the job, these kinds of measures are the best predictors of superior job performance. They are also the most difficult to develop because they require looking below the surface.
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6. Values/culture inventories. These help determine how well an applicant will fit into a particular work environment. While not indicative of the individual’s abilities, they may indicate how those abilities will function within the specific organizational context.
This is a useful measure for predicting retention.
The best competency assessment programs use multiple assessment tools.19
What Project Manager Competency Assessment Looks Like
Once competencies are defined, it is time to conduct an assessment of the identified project management populations. A communication plan about the assessment should precede administration of the tests in order to inform the candidates about what will be expected of them and the reason behind the assessment. It is human nature to view something like this as a way to justify an organizational realignment. The assessment process should clearly focus on building strengths, not eliminating staff;
mitigating fear of assessments through open communication is critical.
As much care should be given to the appointment of a project manager for a mission-critical project as is given during the hiring process for a key position in corporate leadership, according to Boston University’s project management program leaders.20 Yet most organizations have no process for choosing project managers, and little idea what skills and personality traits are needed by project managers to help them succeed.
Poor project manager competency accounts for 60 percent of project failures, according to IT research firm Gartner, Inc. Lost profits due to late, over budget, and failed projects have encouraged more business decision makers to look at project manager competency assessment pro- grams. These in-depth evaluations help executives make better, more infor- mative decisions about project manager recruitment and training initiatives.
The best way to demonstrate how to assess pr oject management competency is to look at an existing model in detail. The model co- developed by PM College and Caliper International, a leading human resources assessment firm, The Project Manager Competency Assessment Program (PMCAP) provides us with a ready example.21
The PMCAP gives organizational leaders a holistic view of an individ- ual’s current project management knowledge and skills, along with his or her potential to effectively fill a project manager role. Armed with this diagnostic information, companies can determine which individual project managers have the highest potential to grow and excel. The assessment results also help organizations target training only where deficiencies are
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recognized, thus eliminating unnecessary training programs and ensuring more productive results from training investment.
Like other effective competency assessment systems, the PMCAP has three components: (1) a multilevel knowledge test, (2) a personality and cognitive assessment, and (3) a multirater survey reviewing the current workplace performance of project managers. These three instruments address three aspects of competence: (1) knowledge of project manage- ment concepts, terminology, and theories; (2) behavior and performance in the workplace; and (3) personal traits indicative of the individual’s project manager potential. (Sample questions from all three instruments are included in the Appendices.)
Knowledge
The knowledge assessment tool measures the level of an individual’s project management knowledge. It tests the candidate’s working knowledge of the language, concepts, and practices of the profession with questions based on the Project Management Institute’s PMBOK® Guide, the ISO- approved industry standard. The advantage of using this standard is that the PMBOK Guide has created a uniform language of project management that can be used across all industries. Knowledge assessment should address both the five process areas (initiating, planning, executing, con- trolling, and closing) of the PMBOK Guide as well as the nine knowledge areas (integration, scope, time, cost, quality, human resources, communi- cations, risk, and procurement management).22 Figure 3.2 is an example of results from a completed knowledge assessment test. On an individual basis, the candidates can see how they scored on each knowledge area, how they compared to the highest score, their percentile ranking, and how many areas they passed. For the organization, an aggregate table provides insight into the areas of strengthened areas that need improve- ment for their entire population. This information is used to begin devel- oping a targeted education and training program designed to meet those needs.
Behavioral Assessment
A second area of assessment is of behaviors exhibited in the workplace.
This approach requires the use of a multirater tool (sometimes called a 360-degree tool), which allows the acquisition of feedback on the project managers’ behavior from a variety of sources — typically peers, subordi- nates, supervisors, or clients — but always someone who has first-hand
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knowledge of the candidate’s behavior in the workplace. This type of assessment should focus on the desired behaviors that effective project managers exhibit in the execution of their jobs. For example, it might examine the creation of a stakeholder communication plan, the develop- ment and distribution of a team charter, or the execution of a risk management plan. Individuals also rate themselves on their competency in several key performance indicators. The independent assessors then rate the individuals on those same criteria. Ratings are compared. A multi- rater assessment provides a holistic view of the individual’s project man- ager behaviors and serves as a gauge for determining which behaviors are present or absent, how well the behaviors are displayed, and which behaviors demonstrate areas for potential growth.
There is a dual focus to this assessment: confirmation of behaviors and analysis of competency. The analysis of this assessment looks for significant gaps between the candidate and rater. These gaps are created either by the candidates rating themselves higher than the rater or the candidates rating themselves lower than the rater. When there is little or no gap found, the important thing to review is the level of agreement.
FIGURE 3.2 Example of a completed Knowledge Assessment report. Dotted line represents a passing score.