Monster Government Solutions

Most customers have made the decision – it is time to go automated. This is a decision that not only impacts the recruiting process but also has HR managers scratching their heads about developing just the right questions to determine a candidate’s level of competencies. Using an automated process for candidates can be very effective, as long as you are able to ask the right questions to determine a candidate’s true ability to get the job done.

At Monster Government Solutions, we understand this challenge and have developed a framework and aide that is based on what we’ve learned from the educational market. We have learned that it is all about the customization of the questions that are used that can help our customers determine a candidate’s relevant competencies, knowledge, skill and abilities.

In order to speed the question development process, many federal agencies have moved away from customized multiple choice questions and have chosen what are commonly called Applicant Assessment (AA) type questions.

While AA questions are easy to write, the wide spread use AA type questions in a job announcement presents at least two problems. First, they limit the amount information collected (and therefore what is learned about the applicant) to only one dimension of competence or proficiency—i.e., level of supervision under which the applicant performed a task or applied a competency/KSA. Second, anecdotal evidence from those who have used AA questions indicates that AA questions are particularly vulnerable to self-rating inflation, especially in situations where applicants are re-applying to the same or similar jobs and are trying to increase their chances of reaching the interview stage.

We are developing a series of posts that will discuss the best ways to develop questions for the automated process. Don’t worry – we know this is tough, but help is here! For more information, check out this white paper authored by our in-house expert, John Milatzo.

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