About twenty years ago talent selection assessments were mostly paper-and-pencil. During the last two decades these assessments have moved online to be accessed by laptops and desktops. More recently we see a trend toward mobile-phone enabled assessments that utilize more gaming and artificial intelligence (AI). Early users of innovative assessment technologies need to review the technical manuals prior to deploying new talent selection assessments.

Critical Competencies are Changing

Employees must be able to keep themselves relevant in a constantly changing business environment. Determining a candidate’s ability to be adaptable, open and flexible plays a much bigger role than it used to. More companies are interested in assessing candidates for qualities such as learning speed and adaptability. The business environment is changing so rapidly that you almost have to be in a constant state of continuous development and skills acquisition. The ability to collaborate is becoming much more important today than it was in older hierarchical organizations. Stress management and emotional resilience are also more important today. The ability to bounce back from rejection, communicate your emotions and manage stress effectively are seen as adaptability. Many organizations are turning to off-the-shelf talent assessments to save time and money. Research reveals that valid and reliable talent selection assessment results in significant productivity increases, cost savings and decreased attrition.

Computer Adaptive Testing

Computer adaptive testing (CAT) methods are becoming very popular because it allows for dynamic selection of questions from a large set of items based on how each candidate is responding. If a candidate responds correctly, the next item will be more difficult. If a candidate responds incorrectly, the next item will be easier. A CAT assessment with a unique combination of items focuses individually on each candidate’s level of ability and knowledge. CAT creates more secure and more efficient assessments, with fewer items in less time, to meet the demands of candidate focused hiring. CAT represents a new innovation in online assessments.

Future Technology Innovations

Technology innovations will create changes in candidate assessment methods and practices. The ability to target candidates from a wide variety of sources will lead to dramatic changes in hiring processes. Today, applicants apply for positions based on job postings, but tomorrow organizations may search data for key talent in ways that bypass job postings. This will require new HR policies on privacy, legal and ethical considerations. As hiring practices focus more on global markets, HR professionals will have to become familiar with the employment laws and regulations in the countries where they hire.

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