Test Use in Work Settings

Abstract

Chapter 14 describes the various tools used in selecting employees in the workplace, such as cognitive ability tests, personality tests, and situational judgment tests, among others. Globalization of business has resulted in the adoption of mostly Western testing procedures by the rest of the world. The research base supporting some tests, especially cognitive ability and personality tests, is extensive; however, the use of tests seems to be more a function of their cost and the availability of skilled personnel to administer and interpret the test scores. Validation research has been conducted mostly in the United States and Europe and has sometimes focused on methods (e.g., interviews, assessment centers) rather than a more important concern with the constructs represented by these methods (e.g., cognitive ability, conscientiousness). Of particular concern is the observation that some constructs or methods of measurement produce large differences between gender or racial/ethnic subgroups.