Types of Assessment Tools: Structured Interviews and Oral Assessments

A structured interview is a form of assessment where a candidate responds to questions about his or her skills and work accomplishments. An oral examination is similar to a written essay except that the questions are asked verbally and there is the possibility of asking further questions and clarifying answers. Both of these assessment methods are best suited for initial certification and for use in combination with other tools. The assumption underlying this approach is that a candidate’s past performance is the best predictor of future performance. The following table outlines the advantages and disadvantages of these tools.

Advantages
Can assess candidates’ soft skills (in case of structured interview) and knowledge (in case of oral examination)
Relatively easy to develop

Disadvantages
Must develop a thorough scoring key
Requires trained assessors (often 2 or more conducting the interview)
Can be time consuming and expensive to administer and score
Candidate is aware of evaluation and may respond in a dishonest fashion to meet assessor expectations
Candidates may misrepresent their achievements

This post is based on content from 'Assessment Tools Certification' by Human Resource Systems Group, Ltd.

Why is Competency-based Management for Internationally Trained Individuals?

Competencies are only the starting point as, in organizations using CBM, the competencies are connected to each of the Human Resources functions. Thus, your competency approach can support ITIs in many different ways. The chart that follows on the next page illustrates some of the ways that CBM can help you bridge your gaps with ITIs in your organization.



This post is based on content from 'Integrating Internationally Trained Individuals without Reinventing the Wheel' by Shaun Vollick.

Types of Assessment Tools: Portfolio Assessment

A portfolio is an organized collection of material attesting a candidate’s learning and achievements related to standards or competencies. The candidate is required to prepare a personal portfolio that contains elements including: formal education, work history, documented informal learning experiences, and sample work. Candidates must provide supporting evidence of everything included. The following table outlines the respective advantages and disadvantages of this type of assessment.

Advantages:
Provides an assessment of knowledge and skills which are difficult to observe and evaluate for others

Disadvantages:
Costly to develop reliable scoring scheme (need very clear guidelines)
Candidates must spend considerable time assembling the portfolio
Time consuming and difficult to score
Variety of documents submitted therefore difficult to establish equivalencies

This post is based on content from 'Assessment Tools Certification' by Human Resource Systems Group, Ltd.

Types of Assessment Tools: Work Simulation

In work simulation, candidates are presented with a task that is similar to work tasks that candidates typically perform on the job. They are required to perform interventions or actions based on the situation presented. This method is best suited for initial certification or for use in combination with other tools, depending on the scope and complexity of the simulation.
Examples of work simulation could include a 15-minute role-play for sales associates or the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) for physiotherapist and physicians, a high-stakes exam that includes twenty work stations over the course of half a day. The following table outlines the advantages and disadvantages of work simulation assessments.

Advantages
Closely imitate the work environment
Tests candidates on tasks they typically perform on the job
High face validity and well accepted by candidates
Sound psychometric qualities

Disadvantages
Difficult and expensive to develop
Requires significant resources for administration
Candidates are aware of evaluation, so they can modify their behaviours to meet expectations of assessors

This post is based on content from 'Assessment Tools Certification' by Human Resource Systems Group, Ltd.