Validation and Profile Studies

Some organizations have positions that have a large number of job incumbents and they continually need to assess new candidates for a variety of reasons. How do you know with any certainty that the selection tools being implemented are appropriately measuring what they are supposed to be measuring and the results of the assessments are producing consistent results over time? A validation study will help your organization demonstrate with confidence that the skills and abilities being assessed are necessary for success in that particular role.

Validation studies are scientific studies that compare assessment data against performance data to determine which assessment data best predict effective performance. Therefore, current incumbents complete an initial assessment battery. These results are compared to performance data for each incumbent that is provided by your organization. Those assessment areas that prove to be the statistically significant predictors of performance are identified and then used to compare against future candidates. After a significant number of candidates have been assessed, we do another analysis to determine performance and turnover of the candidates who were hired. 

Profile studies are similar to validation studies but are appropriate in situations where there is a smaller number of incumbents. We use a very similar methodology as a validation study to determine the most predictive assessment data for performance. 

Ultimately, validation and profiles studies help organizations demonstrate that their selection system is able to effectively predict future job performance of potential candidates. Essentially, the stronger the relationship between the assessment and performance, the more likely your selection tool will be at identifying successful employees. 

Interested in learning more about validation or profile studies? Contact us!