cs3.1.1 profiling, benchmarking and selecting effective project managers through the use of...

CS3.1.1

Profiling, Benchmarking and Selecting Effective Project

Managers through the use of Psychometric Testing

GERARD FERRARATUESDAY 9 OCTOBER, 2007Project Management - Setting the StandardAustralian Institute of Project Management National Conference 2007Hobart Tasmania October 7 – 10, 2007

Gerard Ferrara, Senior Consultant ferrara@acer.edu.au

Selecting Effective Project Mangers

Through The Use Of Psychometric Testing

AIPM Conference 2007

Presenter: Gerard Ferrara, Psychologist

Gerard Ferrara, Senior Consultant ferrara@acer.edu.au

Presentation Outline

• Background to PM testing study

• Psychometric tests

• Profiling PMs

• Benchmarking PMs

• Selecting PMs

Gerard Ferrara, Senior Consultant ferrara@acer.edu.au

Background to psychometric testing PMs

• Approached by a major recruiter of Project Directors and Project Managers who wanted to select and place high quality people in a range of key PM roles across Australia and overseas

• Desire to improve their selection process and use “best practice” methods

• Agreed that some form of objective testing of applicants should be part of the process

Gerard Ferrara, Senior Consultant ferrara@acer.edu.au

Psychometric tests – current state of play

• Increasingly being used in the selection and development of employees across Australia and the world

• The internet and online testing have resulted in a dramatic increase in the use of testing

• Most testing poorly conducted

• Great deal of misunderstanding, confusion, mystery, suspicion, scepticism and fear associated with psychometric testing

Gerard Ferrara, Senior Consultant ferrara@acer.edu.au

Research supporting the use of tests in selection

• Meta-analysis of 85 years of research in personnel selection

• Found that the 2 most valuable and valid approaches to predicting future job performance were:

– The use of General Mental Ability (GMA) and integrity / conscientiousness testing (.65)

– The use of GMA testing and a structured interview (.63)

Schmidt and Hunter (1998) Psychological Bulletin, American Psychological Association

Gerard Ferrara, Senior Consultant ferrara@acer.edu.au

Types of tests

Skills Ability

Temperament / Personality

(behavioural style)

Motivation

(interests / values)

Performance

Typical Behaviour

Gerard Ferrara, Senior Consultant ferrara@acer.edu.au

Selection of tests used to assess PMs

• Combination of Verbal, Numerical and Abstract Reasoning to measure General Mental Ability (GMA).

• ACER Select and TAR - “Professional” level of difficulty

• Personality test to measure key personality traits associated with managerial performance

• Total testing time approx. 1 hour 45 minutes.

Gerard Ferrara, Senior Consultant ferrara@acer.edu.au

Work Personality Index

The WPI measures 17 personality traits that research has shown are related to work performance. These are:

• Teamwork

• Democratic

• Dependability

• Persistence

• Analytical Thinking

• Initiative

• Concern for Others

• Attention to Detail

• Ambition

• Leadership

• Self-Control

• Flexibility

• Outgoing

• Rule-Following

• Energy

• Innovation

• Stress Tolerance

Notes: p.4

Gerard Ferrara, Senior Consultant ferrara@acer.edu.au

PM Testing Process

1. Initial ability and personality profiling of the ideal PM

2. Benchmarking and validating of ability and personality scores of ideal PM profile

3. Confirmed ability and personality PM profile

4. Testing PM candidates against the PM profile

5. Review results and next steps

Gerard Ferrara, Senior Consultant ferrara@acer.edu.au

WPI

Ideal range of scores

Actual scores compared with ideal

Gerard Ferrara, Senior Consultant ferrara@acer.edu.au

Test results – Ability (ACER Select and TAR)

Verbal reasoning – 57% mean percentile rank

Numerical reasoning – 54% mean percentile rank

Abstract reasoning – 42% mean percentile rank

Average reasoning score – 51% mean percentile rank

Gerard Ferrara, Senior Consultant ferrara@acer.edu.au

PM mean reasoning test results, compared to the Australian population

V

NA

Gerard Ferrara, Senior Consultant ferrara@acer.edu.au

Test results – (WPI) Personality

Mean score Mode score

Ambition 7 8

Flexibility 7 6

Rule Following 6 5

Dependability 7 8

Concern for others 5 6

Teamwork 8 9

Self-control 7 9

Stress tolerance 7 8

Analytical thinking 5 5

Sten scores

– out of 10

Gerard Ferrara, Senior Consultant ferrara@acer.edu.au

Thank you