| S. No
|
Employability Skill
|
Test Name
|
| 1
|
Numeracy
|
Quantitative Ability
|
| 2
|
Problem Solving
|
Analytical Ability
|
| 3
|
Literacy & Communication
|
Verbal Ability
|
| Written English Test 3.0
|
| English Communication Test 3.0 (ECT)
|
| Listening Comprehension Test
(British Accent)
|
|
|
Customer Care
|
Customer Service Orientation Questionnaire
|
| 6
|
Initiative and enterprise
|
General Personality Questionnaire
|
| 7
|
Self-management
|
| 8
|
Teamwork
|
| 9
|
Learning
|
| 10
|
Planning and organizing
|
| 11
|
Punctuality
|
| 12
|
Enthusiasm/passion and commitment
|
| 13
|
Positive attitude
|
| 14
|
Ethics
|
1. Numeracy
1.1 Quantitative Ability Test
Numeracy is a proficiency which is developed mainly in mathematics, but also in other subjects. It is more than an ability to do basic arithmetic. It involves developing confidence and competence with numbers and measures. It requires understanding of the number system, a repertoire of mathematical techniques, and an inclination and ability to solve quantitative or spatial problems in a range of contexts. Numeracy also demands understanding of the ways in which data are gathered by counting and measuring, and presented in graphs, diagrams, charts and tables.
Quantitative Ability Test measures the use of and reasoning with numbers or mathematical concepts.
It measures the various ranges of magnitudes, which can be solved by using natural or acquired knowledge. It includes calculation, quantification, consideration of the propositions and hypotheses and carrying out of mathematical operations
The various areas in which the test taker is assessed are:-
- Percentages, Profit, Loss & Discount
- Ratio & Proportion
- Puzzles
2.Problem Solving
2.1 Analytical Ability Test
Analytical Ability involves reasoning that helps in analyzing and synthesizing information, applying broad analysis to arrive at conclusions, understanding complex relationships, using systems perspectives while handling a problem or a situation.
Analytical Ability refers to:
- Understanding
- Thinking logically on the basis of a set of rules
- Analysing situations using common sense
- Synthesizing
- Relating complex information and abstract variables
- Drawing logical conclusions and/or providing reasonable and creative responses
3.Literacy & Communication
3.1 Verbal Ability Test
Verbal Ability Test seeks to assess the degree of English language proficiency of the test takers.
Verbal ability refers to the ability of putting ideas into words, orally as well as while writing. This verbal ability is inherent in every human being, but varies in degree from person to person. It involves possessing not only a strong working vocabulary but also the ability to choose the right words to convey nuances of meaning to a chosen audience and also encompasses the ability to organize words in coherent ways.
Verbal ability is important, as it is at once a proxy for general academic ability as well as the basis for effective communication, which is an essential part of any job. Verbal Ability Test has been devised as the ultimate solution to all kinds of 'pre-recruitment language assessment' challenges.
Features:
- Evaluates English language skills
- Uses Grammar, Vocabulary and Comprehension as parameters
- Focuses mainly on use and usage of the English language
- Is a selection type/Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) test.
3.2 Writing (Written English Test)
Written English Test (WET) is designed as a quick diagnostic assessment tool to evaluate written English skills of a test taker. It is a scientific, objective, quantitatively defined assessment tool that provides valuable inputs about a candidate's written English skills.
WET consists of a single writing exercise, either an e-mail response to a given scenario or a brief descriptive writing section. WET evaluates a candidate's ability to respond to different situations (e-mail writing) or his general written English skills (descriptive writing).
WET 4.0 is the latest version of Written English Test. WET evaluates a candidate's written English abilities on four parameters, on a scale of 1 to 6 on all four, where 1 is the lowest score and 6 is the highest. The parameters are –
| Parameters of Measurement
|
| Grammar
|
Ability to write without grammatical errors
|
| Content
|
Ability to write relevantly and logically
|
| Vocabulary
|
Ability to write using appropriate words
|
| Spelling & Punctuation
|
Ability to write using correct spelling and punctuation
|
Each parameter is evaluated independent of the other parameters. The parameters are evaluated on a quantified rating scale to ensure minimal subjectivity in scoring. A low score on one of the parameters does not necessarily mean an equally low score on other parameters.
The duration of WET is 5 to 7 minutes.
3.3 English Communication Test (ECT)
English Communication Test (ECT) is designed as a quick diagnostic assessment tool to evaluate English communication skills of Indians, in situations where both the speaker and the listener are Indian. It is a scientific, objective, quantitatively defined assessment tool that provides valuable inputs about a candidate's English communication skills.
ECT consists of a single verbal exercise, where the candidate introduces himself and then speaks on a given topic for two-three minutes. ECT evaluates a candidate's ability to articulate his thoughts regarding the topic and speak intelligently about it.
ECT 4.0 is the latest version of English Communication Test. ECT evaluates a candidate's English communication skills on
<>three parameters, on a scale of
1 to 6 on all three, where 1 is the lowest score and 6 is the highest. The parameters are –
| Parameters of Measurement
|
| Articulation
|
Measures a candidate's ability to translate thoughts into words
|
| Relevance
|
Measures a candidate's ability to confine his speech to the important details
|
| Grammar
|
Measures a candidate's ability to speak using correct grammatical structures
|
Each parameter is evaluated independent of the other parameters. The parameters are evaluated on a quantified rating scale to ensure minimal subjectivity in scoring. A low score on one of the parameters does not necessarily mean an equally low score on other parameters.
The test is administered telephonically.
| Rating
|
Rating Description
|
| 6
|
Excellent candidate: Perfect on the evaluated parameter
|
| 5
|
Good candidate: Makes a few errors, requires minimal training
|
| 4
|
Good candidate: Makes some errors, but is trainable
|
| 3
|
Average candidate: Makes several errors, but is trainable
|
| 2
|
Poor candidate: Makes several errors, may be trainable
|
| 1
|
Poor candidate: Makes many errors, may not be trainable
|
3.4 Listening Comprehension Test (LCT)
Listening Comprehension Test (LCT) is designed as a quick diagnostic assessment tool to evaluate listening comprehension skills of non native speakers of English. It is a scientific, objective, quantitatively defined assessment tool that provides valuable inputs about a candidate's functional receptive language skills by testing the extent to which he can comprehend information that is listened to. LCT aids companies to quickly and accurately arrive at high-potential applicants and increases the productivity of hiring teams significantly. LCT evaluates the listening comprehension skills of a non-native speaker of English.
| Parameters of Measurement
|
| Listening Comprehension
|
Effective listening, understanding and processing of information
|
| Accent
|
Familiarity with Native/Non Native Accents in English
|
| Idioms
|
Familiarity with Native/Non Native idioms in English
|
The duration of the LCT is 15 minutes. Each voice clip is followed by a question (for short conversations) or a set of questions (for long conversations and passages), which the candidate must answer based on the information available in the dialogue/passage. The total number of questions is 15.
LCT would be administered in Online mode: Web-based
4. Technology
4.1 Computer Awareness (PC Skills)
PC Skills test seeks to assess the degree of proficiency in basic computer usage. This is a scientific, objective, quantitatively defined test with a judicious mix of questions from 3 topics
- Computer basics
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
There are 25 questions with a time limit of 30 minutes in the MCQ format.
5. Customer Care
5.1 Customer Service Orientation Questionnaire
Purpose - The CSOQ is designed to appraise the "Customer Service Orientation" of employees who interact directly with customers. Customer Service Orientation implies a desire to provide satisfactory service to customers.
Test Parameters - The test assesses 3 Customer Service Orientations. A description of the 3 Customer
Service Orientations is given below:
Customer service Orientation Description
| Customer Service Orientation
|
Description
|
|
Personalized Service (Personalized Service is required to make a favorable impression, discover, understand the customer's needs and build rapport with the customer.)
|
The Personalized Service measures an individual's desire to communicate and
develop a rapport in personal interactions with others. An individual who
receives a high Personalized Service rating typically prefers:
• Taking an interest in people
• Listing Attentively
• Remaining Patient
• Socializing and seeking closeness to people
|
|
Persuasive Service
(Persuasive Service would be required to convince the customer to commit to some desired course of action, in order to move the sales forward.)
|
The {Persuasive Service measures an individual's desire to convince others if a certain product or idea and effectively handle objection. An individual who receives a high score on Persuasive Service typically prefers:
• Convincing others of a certain viewpoint in order ti gain co-operation and agreement for particular plans, ideas or products
• Acknowledging objections but offsets these against specific benefits
• Highlighting overriding ad vantages of product/service/solution
• Negotiation in order to reach a compromise incase of a disagreement
|
|
Helpful Service
(Helpful Service would be required to ensure that customers are fully satisfied, and build trust so as to retain customers.)
|
The Helpful Service orientation measures an individual's desire to respond to others needs by taking proactive steps to assist him. Such an individual would be naturally helpful towards customers, and has a desire to assist others. A candidate who receives a high score on Helpful Service typically prefers:
• Going out of this way to satisfy others
• Deriving satisfaction out of helping others
• Offering extra help to customers
|
Number of Questions and Item Format - The CSOQ has 30 questions. The distribution of questions across the three Customer Service Orientations is shown in the following table:
| Customer Service Orientation
|
Number of Items
|
| Personalized Service
|
10
|
| Persuasive Service
|
10
|
| Helpful Service
|
10
|
Each item is followed by two response options A and B. The scoring is a 0, 1 format.
General considerations - Decisions using the information in the Test should not be made in isolation; instead it should be used in conjunction with other sources of data, such as interviews & biographical data results. The Test only assesses a test taker's inclination/desire towards providing satisfactory service to customers. It is not an actual measure of the test taker's behavior in a face-to-face interaction with a customer. The accuracy of results is therefore, dependent on the test taker's openness in answering the questions and his level of self-awareness.
The results should be viewed as hypotheses to be validated during the interview.
Application
1. Employee Selection: The results of the CSOQ should be interpreted by referring to the report provided, which summarizes the candidate's scores on the 3 customer service orientations and provides descriptive feedback about the candidate's likely responses to provide satisfactory service. It is important to consider and remind the client that the results are based on the candidate's description of his/her own personality and behavior. Therefore, results should be viewed as hypotheses to be validated during the interview. In an employee selection context, the CSOQ results can be applied in the following ways to make the selection process more effective.
a) To structure the Interview Process - When used as part of a structured selection process, the results on the 3 customer service orientations can be used to segregate candidates into groups to be interviewed in order of preference. Feedback provided in the report can be used to highlight areas to explore further during interview, eliciting a more comprehensive picture of each candidate's strengths and development needs. E.g.: Candidates with high scores on all 3 customer service orientations can be categorized as "first preference" candidates to be interviewed; those with a mix of average and high scores can be categorized as the "second preference" candidates to be interviewed, while those with low scores can be categorized as "third preference" candidates to be interviewed.
b) The feedback provided in the report can be used as guidelines to collect additional information about the candidate's customer service orientation.
The interviewer can probe the candidate to describe situations or critical incidents when he/she has demonstrated or not demonstrated that behavior on their job (for candidates with work experience) or not related to job (for candidates without work experience). While interpreting average scores on the three parameters, the interviewer must remember that the interaction between personality characteristics and specific situational opportunities and constraint are likely to have a greater effect on the candidate and should try to probe into situational factors that influence his/her behavior.
c) To benchmark scores against an Ideal candidate profile. An Ideal Candidate profile can be arrived at by considering the mean scores of the .Top Performers Group.. The ideal candidate profile can be used to compare each candidate's scores against this benchmark. Thereafter, candidates equal to or above the benchmark group can be categorized as "first preference" candidates to be interviewed; while those below the benchmark group can be categorized as the "second preference" candidates to be interviewed.
2. Employee development -
CSOQ results can be used to provide candidates with an essential understanding of their own behavior and how their style impacts on customers/others. Developmental feedback can be provided to the candidate.
6. Behavioural Traits – Employability Skills 6 to 14, Initiative and enterprise, Self-management, Teamwork, Learning, Planning and organizing, Punctuality, Enthusiasm/passion and commitment, Positive attitude, Ethics
6.1 General Personality Questionnaire
Rationale of the Generic Personality Questionnaire:
The Generic Personality Questionnaire is designed to assess a test taker on 5 personality traits of a human being. Applied in corporate, business and personal situations the Generic Personality Questionnaire can lead to professional and personal insights. The generic Personality Questionnaire directly and indirectly assesses Employability Skills: Initiative and enterprise, Self-management, Teamwork, Learning, Planning and organizing, Punctuality, Enthusiasm/passion and commitment, Positive attitude, Ethics
| Core Traits
|
Descriptive characteristics of 'High' scorers
|
| Conscientiousness
|
Dependable, hardworking, organized, self disciplined, persistent, responsible
|
| Emotional Stability
|
Calm, secure, happy, unworried
|
| Agreeableness
|
Cooperative, warm, caring, good natured, courteous, trusting
|
| Extraversion
|
Sociable, outgoing, talkative, assertive, gregarious
|
| Openness to experience
|
Curious, intellectual, creative, cultured, artistically sensitive, flexible, imaginative.
|
The Big Five Model is designed to measure 5 major dimensions of normal personality namely:
1. (Neuroticism - Emotionally Stability): - Neuroticism identifies individuals who are prone to psychological distress. On the opposite end of the spectrum, individuals who score low on Neuroticism are more Emotionally stable and less reactive to stress. They tend to be calm, even tempered, and less likely to feel tense or rattled.
- Relevance of Emotional Stability in an Organizational Context -Research Study:
A study was conducted to investigate the relationship between work team effectiveness and two distinct aspects of the personality composition of teams: (a) the average level of a given trait within a team, referred to as team personality elevation (TPE); and (b) the variability or differences in personality traits found within a team, or team personality diversity (TPD). Retail assistants (N = 328) working in 82 teams were assessed on a broad range of traits organized around the framework of the Big Five personality factors. Across the set of Big five traits, TPE and TPD predicted unique variance in ratings of team job performance. For each specific trait of the Big Five, either TPE or TPD predicted team performance. For the traits of Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and Openness to experience, TPE was positively related to team performance; TPD of Extraversion and Emotional stability was positively related to team performance.
2. (Extraversion – Introversion): Extraversion refers to the quantity and intensity of energy directed outwards into the social world. Extraverts are gregarious, assertive, and generally seek out excitement. Introverts, in contrast, are more reserved, less outgoing, and less sociable. Extraverts take pleasure in activities that involve large social gatherings, such as parties, community activities, public demonstrations, and business or political groups. They tend to "fade" when alone and can easily become bored without other people around.
- Relevance of Extraversion in an Organizational Context - Research Study:
Using the five factor model with an emphasis on Extraversion, a study was conducted to investigate how personality is related to Composition, process, and performance in self-managed groups. Graduate students (N = 289) assigned to 4 - and 5 -person teams in 61 groups engaged in a series of creative problem-solving tasks over a period of several weeks. Extraversion was associated with group processes and outcomes at both individual and group levels of analysis. At the individual level, extraverts were perceived by others as having greater effect than introverts on group outcomes.
3. (Openness to Experience – Closed to Experience): Openness to Experience refers to the active seeking and appreciation of experiences. This term assesses an individual's willingness to explore, consider, and tolerate new and unfamiliar experiences, ideas, and feelings. High scorers on this factor tend to be curious, imaginative, independent individuals, Low scorers are considered to be closed to experience. They tend to be conventional and traditional in their outlook and behavior. They prefer familiar routines to new experiences, and generally have a narrower range of interests. They could be considered practical and down to earth.
- Relevance of Openness to Experience in an Organizational Context - Research Study
High Extraversion tends to be associated with management and sales success, those with high Emotional stability tend to be more effective in stressful situations, those with high Agreeableness tend to handle customer relations and conflict more effectively, and those Open to experience tend to have job training proficiency and make better decisions in a training problem solving simulation. With groups rather than individuals becoming more important in the work place, the Big Five may also be predictive of team performance. Higher the average scores of team members on the traits of Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Extraversion, Emotional stability, the better the teams performed work.
4. (Agreeableness – Tough Mindedness): Agreeableness refers to the kinds of interactions an individual prefers from compassion to tough mindedness Agreeableness is a tendency to be pleasant and accommodating in social situations. It reflects individual differences in concern for cooperation and social harmony. High scorers tend to be empathetic, considerate, friendly, generous, and helpful. Individuals scoring low on Agreeableness place self-interest above getting along with others. They are generally less concerned with others' well-being, report less empathy.
- Relevance of Agreeableness in an Organizational Context - Research Study
Role of Personality (Big five factors) on Team effectiveness was evaluated on basis of job analysis results at both individual & group level to predict the performance of 79, human resource work teams. At both the individual and group levels, the trait of Agreeableness predicted Interpersonal Skills.
5. Conscientiousness: refers to the degree of organization, persistence, control and motivation in goal-directed behavior A Conscientious individual will tend to be self-disciplined, careful, thorough, organized, deliberate (the tendency to think carefully before acting), and need for achievement. Low scorers on conscientiousness are not necessarily lazy or immoral, but they tend to be more laid back, less goal oriented, and less driven by success.
- Relevance of Conscientiousness in an Organizational Context - Research Study
The results of a meta-analysis that investigates the degree to which dimensions of the Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality are related to performance in jobs involving interpersonal interactions are reported. The meta-analysis was based on 11 studies (total N = 1,586). Each of which assessed the FFM at the construct level using the Personal Characteristics Inventory. Results support the hypothesis that Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and Emotional Stability are positively related to performance in jobs involving interpersonal interactions. Results also support the hypothesis that Emotional Stability and Agreeableness are more strongly related to performance in jobs that involve team work. Research has shown that the Big Five personality factors have a positive relationship with performance motivation, goal setting, expectancy and self-efficacy. Research has found that conscientious employees set higher goals for themselves, have higher performance expectations and respond well to job enrichment (take on more responsibility). Research indicates that those who are conscientious are less likely to be absent from work.
Applications:
1. Pre-Recruitment – Organizations can define an ideal candidate profile (as per the 5 behavioral traits) for a specific job, and then assess candidates against it. It is important to note that decisions using the information in the test should not be made in isolation, instead it should be made in conjunction with other sources of data such as interviews and biographical data results.
2. Employee Development – Feedback in terms of the 5 personality traits can be used to capitalize on candidate strengths and overcome weaknesses.
3. Team Building – Test Feedback can used during team building, as employees can get professional and personal insights about themselves, their colleagues, and on how to improve communication and teamwork with others, which includes internal & external customers.