Statement on Testing & Personality Profiling
Winter People provides management consultancy services to organisations in a wide range of industries. These services include recruitment and development activities, where we regularly assess employees, job applicants, and others, using tools generally referred to as 'psychometric tests'.
This policy sets out our position on the use of these tools both as an employer, and in providing our services to other companies.
Winter People believes that many organisational processes which involve people, can helpfully be supplemented by the use of carefully developed and validated tools. They can bring greater objectivity than is often possible through other means.
Psychometric tests and questionnaires are research-based instruments, which can be used to help measure abilities, aptitude, behaviour preferences and likely behaviour. They can be a valuable aid to activities such as recruitment, selection for promotion, management development and team building.
The incorrect use of these tools can give rise to unfair decisions and the misuse of information gained through testing can damage unfairly an individual's reputation. This statement is intended to reassure clients of Winter People that their individual rights are protected and that the company will do all it can to ensure our management of testing remains in line with best practice.
Choice of Tests.
Instruments will be chosen so as not to discriminate on the basis of non-relevant factors including gender, race, sexual orientation etc.
We will only use tools for which an extensive research base is published, and will only use the most up to date versions of these tests.
Normative data will be the basis for comparison of all scores derived from normative tests.
Where questionnaires are being used in assessment for selection of existing employees, personality questionnaire data will only be used to supplement data from existing on-the-job performance. In particular personality questionnaires will not be used as the sole means of screening individuals.
No organisational or personal decisions will be based solely upon interpretation of data from one personality tool.
Test Administration.
Proper briefing and administration of psychometric tools is critical to the quality of the data produced. If these instruments are not administered with due regard for recommended procedure, or if the questionnaire takers are coerced, or if they are inadequately informed about the purpose of the assessment, this may affect their attitude in completing the questionnaire. This in turn may affect their responses, and distort the information which is produced about their abilities or personality.
Those taking part in these forms of assessment will be told in advance of the nature of what they are to be asked to do, why the tests are being used, the conditions under which the session will take place, and the nature of the feedback they can expect to receive. Their informed consent in taking part in the process will be obtained. If an individual declines to undertake whatever questionnaires are planned, they will not be obliged to proceed.
The recommended administration, scoring and interpretation instructions will be followed at all times.
Questionnaire administrators will gather relevant background information on those taking the questionnaire. Relevance is judged by the importance of the data in making accurate and meaningful interpretation of the data.
Questionnaire data will not be used for purposes other than those for which the questionnaire taker has given consent.
Feedback.
Normal practice will be for face to face feedback to be given on the questionnaire results by an appropriately trained person to any participant, except where they decline to receive it. Feedback should be carried out as soon as possible after the assessment has been completed. Where face to face feedback is not practical, where possible telephone feedback will be offered, supplemented as appropriate by written reports.
Questionnaire takers and those making assessment decisions will be given an indication of the status and value of the information obtained and how it relates to other information about the questionnaire taker's abilities and personality.
Confidentiality.
All candidates will be informed as to who will see their personality data, and reports written on the basis of these data.
The candidate will have control over the disclosure of the data i.e. the candidate's personality data will only be revealed to others with the candidate's prior informed consent.
Where scores and other data from testing are stored, they will be accessible only by named persons who have been trained in the interpretation of the relevant questionnaires.
When scores are held on computer, care will be taken to restrict access as above. We will abide by the requirements of current data protection legislation.
Test users.
Users must have specific training in any instruments they use. The Directors of Winter People will be responsible for overseeing this and for keeping a register of relevant certification of individuals within the organisation.
