The Federal Government has spent extensive time and resources trying to reform the overall competitive hiring process. However, little attention has been paid specifically to how agencies assess their applicants. Past research by the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) indicates that agencies often use assessment tools that are not the best predictors of future performance. In addition, recent hiring reforms have made it easier for applicants to apply, increasing the volume of applicants. MSPB has long recommended that agencies improve their applicant assessment processes and that Congress appropriate funding for Governmentwide assessments. This perspectives brief summarizes MSPB research on applicant assessment and identifies 10 factors for agencies to consider when investing in better assessment:

• Consider how to improve the process more than merely automate it
• Aim for a high return on investment rather than the cheapest assessments
• Ensure assessments are valid, reliable, fair, and appropriate to the situation
• Develop processes that are applicant friendly, easy to understand, and related to the job
• Use a combination of assessments that provide a comprehensive evaluation of applicants’ knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors necessary to successfully perform the job
• Use a set of assessments successively to manage and narrow the candidate pool, thereby making efficient use of agency resources
• Ensure the agency has assessments that cover a wide variety of positions and grade levels
• Determine the mode of delivery (e.g., computer-based, pan and paper, interactive) that best meets the agency’s needs
• Determine whether proctored assessments, or a combination of the two are most appropriate’Ensure assessments easily integrate with the agency’s recruitment and staffing system

This brief also reiterates the business case for Congress to appropriate funds to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for the development, validation, and administration of Governmentwide applicant assessments… [For the rest of the report, click here]

Which of the ten factors do you think would be most helpful when it comes to improving the overall competitive hiring process? Why?