Validation

We regularly get the following question from clients, and you may be asking the same thing:

How do I know your assessment will work for my job and/or organization?

Our answer, simply put:  Validation.

We take steps to validate every assessment tool that we develop specifically for each job or job family for which it will be used.  Select International employs a team of Industrial/Organizational Psychologists who are experts in the development and validation of personnel selection tools.  We take this very seriously.  We know that proper validation not only helps ensure that we are providing the most accurate tools possible, but also that we are protecting our clients against legal challenge.

How do you validate a test?  Most clients are assigned a project consultant to oversee the implementation of the selection tools and/or process being used.  During the set-up or implementation phase of the project, some validation process will take place. 

The validation process establishes a clear link between what it takes to be successful on the job and what is being measured in the assessment(s).  The type of validation we use depends on the assessment being implemented and the level of legal defensibility required.

One of the strongest, in terms of legal defensibility, types of validations we offer to our clients is called criterion-related validity.  To establish a direct relationship between the assessment tool and the job, we will work with the client to run a study where assessment data and performance information are collected from a group of incumbents.  This is called a concurrent validation approach. 

Statistical analyses are conducted to show a relationship between the test and performance on the job.  The results of the analysis provide a validity coefficient as well as company- and job-specific information that allows us to customize the assessment to work best for that organization.

Other types of validity that we employ are:

• Content validity
• Criterion-related validity  -  predictive design
• Validity Generalization/Transfer validity

Please contact Select International to learn more and to discuss the validation approach that best suits your needs.