DEFINING JOB PERFORMANCE

AND
ITS RELATIONSHIP TO
ASSESSMENTS

Learning Objectives

Define and describe job performance

Describe how to use job performance information
to determine which assessments to use
Learn how to use competencies to define job
success
Discuss how to monitor assessments over time
to ensure they optimally predict key aspects of
job performance
Discuss the process for designing and
implementing a staffing assessment system
Examine the guidelines for evaluating
assessment vendors

Understanding Performance
Defined as the total expected value to the organization of
the discrete behavioral episodes that an individual carries
out over a standard period of time.

Source: Handbook of Psychology, Volume 12

Understanding Performance
What is.

Behavior?

Performance?

Results?

Source: Handbook of Psychology, Volume 12

Components of Job Performance

What assessments
measure
Who you are

What you do

What you achieve

Attributes

Competencies

Personality & Ability

Motivation
Knowledge, Skills &
Experience

Listening
Initiating Action
Managing Time
Presenting Ideas

Results
New Contracts
Sales Leads
Customer Satisfaction
Renewed Contracts

Environmental Influences and Constraints

Defining Talent Requirements

Work Backward from results

Effective Staffing Assessment System

Step 1.
Identify key performance outcomes

Identify Key Performance Outcomes

Use of assessments depend on the desired

business outcomes
Employee Retention

Increase Productivity

Candidates who excel in one aspect of a job will

invariably be less effective in other areas
Desired business outcomes should be realistic
Design good jobs and competitive total
compensation

Effective Staffing Assessment System

Step 2.
Use job analysis to define and describe critical
employee behaviors

Step 2: Using Job Analysis to Define

Employee Critical Behaviors

Systemic process to identify knowledge, skills,

abilities and other
Quick and accurate job-analysis used to define
behaviors
Job-analysis methods require the participation
of subject-matter experts

Subject-matter experts provide examples of

effective and ineffective behaviors = critical
incidents

Decrease legal exposure

What Are Competencies?

Describe a set of behaviors that reflect a unique

combination of knowledge, skills, abilities, and
motivations associated with exceptional performance
in an organizational role.

Competency Model
A competency model refers to a complete set,
or collection, of different competencies.

Competencies

Sample Competency Library

Action-oriented
Intellectual
Competencies
Competencies

Interpersonal
Competencies

Driving results
commercially

Setting directions

Thinking

Following procedures

Building Relationships Interpreting complex

information

Taking decisive action

Display ethical behavior

Applying technical

Job Analysis Key Consideration

Balance different types of performance

- to focus on one behavior

Attend to the changing nature of performance

- Job performance can change across work
situations overtime

Distinguish between maximal and typical

performance
- Understand the behaviors for top performers
and average performer

Effective Staffing Assessment System

Step 3.
Choose an assessment that is valid for predicting
critical employees behaviors

Choose An Effective Assessment

Does it predict employee

behaviors
Does it predict the right
performance outcomes that
drive job success
Carefully interview and selection
assessment vendors
Let vendors determine the
best tool
Obtain evidence on utilization
of the tool
Examine what matters the
most, criteria validity !

Quality Assessment Vendors Provide

Summaries of Criteria Validity studies of tools tested

Types of jobs, descriptions and companies in the
study
Number of employees and candidates used
Performance criteria used to validate the assessment
Statistics indicating relationships between scores
and relevant job performance criteria
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
statistics addressing scores across various
demographics

Quality Assessment Vendors Provide

Summaries of Content Validity studies of tools

tested
What processes were used to ensure the right
questions are used on the assessments relevant
to qualifications, knowledge and experience
What actions are used to keep the content
up-to-date and reflect current qualifications,
knowledge and experience
What questions have been collected to
ensure the assessment questions are at an
appropriate level of difficulty

Assessment Meeting Key Operational

Requirements

Will hiring Managers accept the assessment?

Use assessment with higher level of face validity

Use assessment managers have experience
Communicate how an assessment was select

Is the assessment easy to administer?

Is the assessment easy to interpret?
Is the assessment affordable?
How well will candidates react to the
assessment?

Effective Staffing Assessment System

Step 4.
Appropriately collect and interpret assessment
data

Appropriately Collect and Interpreting

Assessment Data

Make sure assessment are used effectively

Systematically Collect and Interpreting Assessments
Use computer-based systems that automatically
administer and score assessments (self-report
measure and KSA test)
Make sure all candidates go through the same
process
Tracking and Improving Assessment Performance
Over Time
Establish ongoing criteria validation process to test
existing assessments

Exercise

Break into assigned groups

Read the job description

Read the list of competencies and select the

top six that will drive the right employee
behavior for job success

Exercise
Unnecessary
necessary
Competency
not
necessary for job
success

Essential
Competency is
essential to perform
the job successfully

Useful, but not

Competency maybe useful in the role
but not necessary for Job success

Absolutely Essential
A person could not survive in this role
Without this competency

Study Guide
Different types of validity
Different staffing assessments and what the
measure
Different types of interview questions
Behavioral Versus Direct Assessments
Performance Variance