Psych Tech @ Work

In this episode, Dr. Charles Handler chats with friend and colleague, Dr. Steven Hunt of SAP, an Industrial-Organizational psychologist and recognized expert on strategic human resources. Dr. Hunt has made a career focusing on the use of technology to create more effective workforces.This episode explores the intersection between technology, human performance, and business performance. The conversation focuses on using technology to tie micro and macro-level data together in order to provide a more complete view of the value of humans to strategic, organization-level metrics.Dr. Hunt explains that true shifts in business success requires understanding how workforce composition impacts organizational performance. Typically organizational performance is evaluated using data from key functions such as sales and marketing and does not give people data a seat at the table. Recent progress in technologies such as that provided by Dr. Hunt’s employer SAP, facilitate the integration of HR systems with business systems (such as those supporting sales, marketing, supply chain, etc.).Hunt explains that tying people data to business data is the only way to elevate staffing to be more strategic. Systems that integrate HR data with business data will provide a critical foundation for the change by challenging leaders to think about people differently. Conversely- both Drs. Hunt and Handler agree that this shift will also require I/O and HR professionals to understand business data and how to mesh it with people data.Dr. Hunt has over 25 years’ experience designing systems for a variety of human capital management applications including performance management, staffing, employee and leadership development, culture change, workforce analytics, and succession planning. He is also the author of two books on HR process design and implementation: 'Common-sense Talent Management: Using Strategic Human Resources to Increase Company Performance' and 'Hiring Success: The Art and Science of Staffing Assessment and Employee Selection.'As always, this edition of Science4Hire is brought to you by Rocket-Hire!Rocket Hire is your partner for launching successful talent assessment strategies and solutions. For more information on how Rocket Hire can help you and your organization, contact us to schedule a time to discuss your company's challenges. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit charleshandler.substack.com

During this Science4-Hire episode, Dr. Charles Handler mashes up his rabid football fandom and his passion for employment testing to discuss the NFL’s Player Assessment Test (or NFL-PAT) with the I/O psychologists responsible for creating and maintaining it.Implemented in 2013, the NFL-PAT is an hour-long, computer-based test measuring a wide range of traits and competencies directly related to a player’s on- and off-the-field performance. Special guests and creators of the NFL-PAT, Drs. Harold Goldstein and Charles Scherbaum of Baruch College and Dr. Kenneth Yusko of the University of Maryland, provide a detailed rundown of the strategy behind this state of the art assessment, the work put into creating it as well as the incredible results it has delivered.This discussion is the perfect blend of sports and science, offering loads of insight that will entertain any football fan while sharing general truths required for success with any talent assessment program.Interesting points covered include:-The historical, strategic factors behind the initiative-The luxury of having access to a treasure trove of player data-Expanding the job performance criteria to include off the field measures-Creating specialized assessment content that is context-specific for football-How the NFL actually uses the program and the value that it has created.Finally, we discuss the success of the NFL-PAT assessment, and how other any company can leverage the best practices used by the NFL to up their hiring game. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit charleshandler.substack.com

David Hain is the guest for this discussion of scaling and growth for the HR technology and talent assessment industry. Mr. Hain currently serves as the Managing Partner of Gotham Growth Group, and previously served as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of HR Technologies, Inc.Mr. Hain is a highly energetic and successful business leader with diverse experience driving profitable growth in challenging, competitive, and volatile customer markets. His firm provides outsourced corporate development all focused on growth and providing clients the ability to allow clients to leverage existing investments in intellectual property, technology and channels of distribution into rapid, profitable, and sustainable growth in new or existing markets.Highlights from this episode include:A discussion of how investors view the assessment spaceFiguring out how to make assessment a viable commodityThe need for talent assessment technology to straddle science and the business of technology to create solutions that companies need.What companies are doing to overcome the issue of the fragmented candidate journey.The trick to scaling assessments This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit charleshandler.substack.com

Dr. Charles Handler is his own featured guest this week, as he gives us his own professional background before expounding on what he sees coming for next year.Dr. Handler discusses his take on important trends by answering a series of questions, including:1. What is the biggest shift we are seeing in employment testing as we move into 2020?2. What concerns Dr. Handler most in 2020?3. What do consumers of talent assessments really want?4. What will 2020 bring in terms of AI based assessments?5. What is the business outlook for talent assessments in 2020?6. What would Dr. Handler’s advice to a company looking to add talent assessment to it’s hiring workflow in 2020? As always, this edition of Science4Hire is brought to you by Rocket-Hire!Rocket Hire is your partner for launching successful talent assessment strategies and solutions. For more information on how Rocket Hire can help you and your organization start 2020 on the right foot, visit our site: https://rocket-hire.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit charleshandler.substack.com

This episode takes the listener on a journey through some fascinating topics- All of which tie back to human nature and the world of work. Our guest star is Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic an organizational psychologist who is currently a professor of business psychology at University College London (UCL) and Columbia University, as well as the Chief Talent Scientist at ManpowerGroup.We discuss Tomas’ book "Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders? (And How to Fix It)." from the perspective of humans and their relationship to work and organizations. It is clear that the world of work represents a complex dynamic between individuals and organizations. When looked at from the dark side- this interplay can lead to waste in the form of unhappiness and poor economics. This dialogue provides a really interesting foundation for a subsequent discussion of the future of assessment. The focus turns to assessment at scale and the many issues that play into a future where personal data provides trait based insights without the use of a traditional assessment. A focus on the economics of assessment at scale provides some unique and fascinating insight into the future of assessment as a discipline AND a business.At the end of the day- the hidden treasure in accurate, ethical assessment at scale lies in the ability to increase productivity through helping humans find jobs that align with their talents and interests.At scale such matches will provide new levels of personal and economic enlightenment and drive a new age of prosperity! About Tomas Chamorro-PremuzicTomas is one of the founders of Meta, a company that creates data-driven tools to help corporations identify employees and leaders with entrepreneurial talent.He also serves as a consultant for both the private and public sectors, with clients that have included JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, Prudential, Unilever, the British Army, the BBC, Twitter, Spotify, and Harvard’s Entrepreneurial Finance Lab. He is the director of the MSc in Industrial-Organizational and Business Psychology at the University College London (UCL), having previously co-run the MSc in Occupational Psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London. He has also previously taught at the London School of Economics and New York University. He is the author of the column Mr. Personality, which appears regularly on Psychology Today, and contributes regularly to the Guardian, Fast Company, Management Today, Forbes, and Harvard Business Review. In February 2015, Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic assumed the role of CEO at Hogan Assessments after spending two years as the company's vice president of research and innovation. The company provides personality assessment services that corporations can utilize for hiring and training purposes.Find the original article, Tomas' book is based on here: https://hbr.org/2013/08/why-do-so-many-incompetent-menAnd grab a copy of the book yourself here:https://www.amazon.com/Why-Many-Incompetent-Become-Leaders/dp/1633696324 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit charleshandler.substack.com

Can you "teach" consulting?How do the masters learn?What are the universal truths and secrets to success? These are the fundamental question that Dr. Van Latham answers with Dr. Charles Handler in this episode. There has traditionally been no real training for consulting skills. Most of us have learned via experience and many mistakes! There are some central themes that represent tricks of the trade.In this episode, two highly experienced consultants offer words of wisdom to those interested in building consulting careers.Dr. Latham also shares information about the consulting program he teaches at the University of Texas at Dallas.This episode is a must listen for anyone who is looking to up their game when solving problems for clients. Van M. Latham is an Industrial/Organizational psychologist specializing in Human Resources management. Dr. Latham works in all areas of Human Capital, but is known primarily for his work in organizational and leadership development. At PathPoint, he has helped businesses improve organizational capability and performance through effective people practices. He has consulted with some of the world's most recognizable companies and brands, such as American Express, AMD, Ashland, Biogen Idec, CVS/Caremark, Dollar General, Ernst & Young, Foot Locker, Harvard University, Hershey's, Hubbell, Lenovo, McGraw Hill Financial, Marriott, Paychex, PepsiCo, SAP, and Thermo Fisher Scientific.From the launch of his own consulting practice to his work with the University of Texas at Dallas as part of their Organizational Consulting Certificate program, Dr. Latham is the dynamic personality with a wealth of experience to share with listeners, no matter where they are in their own consulting journey.Find more about Dr. Latham and his work at these links:https://pathpointconsulting.com/https://obcc.utdallas.edu/organizational-consulting-certificate/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit charleshandler.substack.com

This episode’s guest is Kevin Wheeler, Founder, and Chairman of the Future of Talent Institute. Kevin is a futurist and a true thought leader whose personal brand brings to the party a practical but future-forward blend of wisdom.Kevin brings a really strong foundation in understanding the role talent will play in shaping the future business landscape. It is through the lens of a hybrid futurist- realist that Kevin discusses his views on how assessment fits into the big picture. In this episode, Kevin shares his views on the state of recruiting and talent assessments 10 years from now.According to Kevin, there is a utopian view that AI will take over the need for human intervention in hiring. His view does not align with this. Rather Kevin feels that 10 years the view will not be radically different than it is today. Instead we will see a more evolutionary change that will be subtle and consist of augmentation as opposed to redefinition.Kevin feels that 10 years from now there is no way we will not be able to push a button and deliver the perfect candidate. Instead, using systems to quickly settle on a shorter list of candidates that are better qualified is more realistic. In fact, the entire hiring experience will be streamlined to be simpler and easier- with administrative tasks being handled by the machines freeing up humans to do what they do best.I asked Kevin, “How his clients feel about the AI based TA tools available today? Are they afraid or excited?” Kevin’s reports that his clients are confused, skeptical and scared. They do not know if the technology that is being advertised is for real. They also fear that tech tech may take their jobs someday. Most recruiters don’t trust the black box of AI. They need better education about what the tech is really doing.When it comes to the practicality of advanced tech’s role in the hiring workflow, Kevin’s clients generally show that we have a long way to go. This is because, despite the hype, the reality is that even though there are some cool tools out there, they still have to exist within a big-picture process and workflow. Typically getting new tools to play well with existing legacy systems is an exercise in frustration. Putting an exciting tool into a process that is not its equal can create a log jam that keeps the value of the new tech from being realized.According to Kevin- There are 3 key areas where AI is going to lead change over the next 10 yearsSourcing- Finding candidates will be much easier via the assistance of AI. We already see this trend, but in the next 10 years, the sourcing function will become both more automated and more accurate.Assessments- Humans are complex and assessments don't tell the whole story. We are a long way from being assessed by AI alone. Insights can be delivered via AI and the most basic level can be automated, but blindly expecting AI to radically change assessments in 10 years is foolish. The biggest change will be the increased use of work samples that are augmented by AI.Chatbots- Chatbots and assistants in the here and now are not really too capable, in 10 years we will have very capable assistants to help us. This will mean that applying for a job will be a much better experience for candidates. We all want a good human experience. By removing the admin layer AI can help stuff will free up TA to provide the human experience candidates want.Yes, we will still have assessments in 2028, they will be easier to use and will provide a smoother, more realistic experience for candidates and TA. But beware the danger of over-relying on AI to come rescue us. Kevin is confident that we won’t be getting a magic button to deliver the perfect employee anytime soon.Kevin leaves us with the ideal strategy for the next 10 years (and beyond)- “Question everything!”Kevin Wheeler is the Kevin started FOTI out of his passionate belief that organizations need a more powerful and thoughtful architecture for talent than they have at present. After a 25 year career in corporate America serving as the Senior Vice President for Staffing and Workforce Development at the Charles Schwab Corporation, the Vice President of Human Resources for Alphatec Electronics, Inc. in Thailand, and in a variety of human resources roles at National Semiconductor Corporation, Kevin has firsthand knowledge of the need for better strategies and approaches to finding, developing and retaining people. Kevin is a globally known speaker, author, teacher and consultant in human capital acquisition and development, as well as in corporate education. He is the author of numerous articles on human resource development, career development, recruiting, and on establishing corporate universities. He is a frequent speaker at conferences. He writes a weekly Internet column on recruiting and staffing, which can be found at www.ere.net, and he and Eileen have written a book on corporate universities, The Corporate University Workbook: Launching the 21st Century Learning Organization. He has served as adjunct faculty at San Jose State University, the University of San Francisco and on the business faculty at San Francisco State University.Learn more about Kevin's work at https://futureoftalent.org or email Kevin at kwheeler(at)futureoftalent.org This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit charleshandler.substack.com

In this episode Dr. Handler & Dr. Fred Oswald- past president of SIOP and scientist extraordinaire discuss a range of topics related to the past, present, and future of employment testing.The discussion starts with the foundational reasons employment testing exists- immutable things such as the value of measuring individual differences. The discussion then turns to innovation in the field of personnel selection and the application of new concepts shaping the future of testing such as the “open science” movement.Dr. Oswald shares his thoughts about who will shape the future of testing- will it be applicants’ demands for a consumer grade experience when applying for a job, technology companies, or I/O psychologists?Finally- Dr. Oswald shares details of the research he is currently conducting. Dr. Fred Oswald is a Professor in the Industrial/Organizational Psychology program within the Department of Psychology at Rice University. He recently served as the president of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP). With more than 8,000 average annual members, SIOP is the world’s largest professional organization for industrial and organizational psychologists. His expertise deals with personnel selection and psychological testing in organizational, education and military settings. Dr. Oswald’s work deals with defining, modeling and predicting societally relevant outcomes from psychological measures that are based on cognitive and motivational constructs. The conversation ranges across both Dr. Oswald's predictions, but also the state of the industry today.Learn more about Dr. Oswald and his work at http://workforce.rice.edu or email him at foswald(at)rice.edu This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit charleshandler.substack.com

This episode looks at assessments from the perspective of a talent acquisition leader and asks the question-- Do talent acquisition leaders really care about assessments?http://talentgrowthadvisors.com/ According to Linda- understanding the space given to assessments by talent leaders requires that one really understands what keeps them up at night. Unfortunately, the answer to this question is not a simple one. Pain points in the hiring process are often the result of many factors converging in a “perfect storm”. Placing all the blame on one component (i.e., ATS, assessment, background check, etc.) will not fully remove the pain. In many cases the TA process and workflow is like Frankenstein’s monster- a bunch of stitched together parts moving awkwardly together. Fixing challenges faced by TA leaders requires a holistic evaluation that applies a supply chain mentality to the entire process and its components. When one considers all of the various moving parts that are needed to create a successful hiring process- assessments far from the first thing that comes to mind.To succeed with an assessment program- one has to embrace the fact that a good hiring process is much bigger than just putting a good assessment in place. So what part of the big picture is giving talent leaders fits?According to Linda- it starts with our current labor market. It is a candidate’s market right now and the simple fact is that the supply of talent cannot keep up with demand. This is the lens through which a talent leader sees assessments.With candidates in short supply- you have to make sure you are attracting talent, not repelling it. This calls for a focus on brand management. The standard method for recruitment brand management has been an employment page with stock photos and videos that all end up looking the same.In today’s market - a targeted, differentiated approach to branding is a must. Talent leaders be creative and resourceful enough to find ways to target ideal candidates and surprise and delight them. Every decision about what goes into the process and how it is packaged is a balancing act that requires leaders to make decisions that will not upset and repel prospective applicants.This message sounds like really bad news for those pushing for assessments, but it is far from a death knell. One just has to respect the fact that he labor market shapes the box that assessments must fit in when it comes to engaging talent leaders. Any assessments used must not disrupt the apple cart when it comes to attracting talent and compelling them to complete your application process.So what are the rules exactly?From an operational standpoint- the assessment has to fit a supply chain mentality. It must be tightly integrated into the process and the right data must be delivered to the right place at the right time. From a candidate perspective - there must be a compelling reason for the assessment, the assessment must be short, and it should speak to the uniqueness of the employer’s brand.Even meeting the above criteria does not guarantee the acceptance of an assessment into the workflow. Ultimately- it boils down to the role itself, what the competition is doing, and the difficulty faced in filling openings. Assessments definitely have a fighting chance in today's market- but require a realistic view on the context in which they must work and the ability to adapt to its constraints.Linda Brenner is the Managing Director and Founder of Talent Growth Advisors, based in Atlanta. She’s passionate about defining what “good” looks like and taking concrete, measurable and staged steps to get there.Find Linda and her organization at https://www.linkedin.com/company/talent-growth-advisors or at https://talentgrowthadvisors.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit charleshandler.substack.com

This episode explores the various ways social media information is being used to evaluate job applicants and provides expert opinions on their viability and general acceptance. Special guest Dr. Shawn Bergman’s expertise in the area of social media for hiring, as well as his own research provide a great backdrop for filtering general perceptions about this hot topic. The conclusions drawn provide a useful context for anyone interested in exploring the use of social media data as an assessment tool. Before looking at the various ways social data is used in hiring, it is important to look at the some of the issues that apply to using social media data to make employment decisions.ConcernsThere are four overall areas of concern when it comes to using social data as an assessment. 1. Problems with source materials- There are a great deal of individual differences in the use of social media. For instance, both Dr. Bergman and Dr. Handler admit that they are not very active on social platforms. It seems logical that a lack of data based on infrequent posting or not using a particular channel- could have a negative impact on an applicant’s evaluation. The potential differences in how much people post and where- represent a challenge when comparing them to others who may post frequently to many channels. 2. Accuracy- The accuracy of social media data in measuring human traits is speculative at best. Without confidence in construct related measures- the value of social data as a predictor of job performance is suspect. Of course it is possible to simply correlate patterns extracted from social data with performance metrics- but this brings us right back to the same issues raised with most AI based evaluation tools. Unfortunately, many companies making social media assessment tools do not involve I/O psychologists - adding additional concerns when it comes to the measurement of actual job related constructs. 3. Privacy- The default assumption with social data in hiring is that the individual being evaluated has not given specific consent for their information to be used. This is probably the most talked about issue when it comes to social media data for hiring, and one that will not go away anytime soon. One of the main problems in the realm of privacy is that it is often impossible for an individual to know their data is being used to evaluate them. While opting in is becoming a standard requirement- it is virtually impossible to police the use of tools that harvest and evaluate social media data. There is also the question of who owns social data. Questions of data ownership can turn the concept of privacy on its ear- requiring legal precedent and legislation to sort out. 4. Bias- There are several ways bias can enter the room when it comes to hiring and social media data. Any process in which profiles are reviewed manually presents a serious snakepit when it comes to bias. Automated tools are also famous for creating systematic biases when making evaluations. While there is some great work being done to train AI/ML to actually reduce bias, the fact remains that social media data helps keep the very real issue of bias alive and well. Use CasesDr. Bergman reports that 70% of organizations use some form of social or public data when evaluating applicants. So how are they using these tools?Manual review of profiles/postsWhile the sexiest and most talked about use case centers around the use of AI based tools to systematically evaluate data from social media accounts and posts, the lowest hanging fruit when it comes to the use of social data for hiring decisions is the simple review of profiles by humans. Social media data is often used for a very low tech and manualized process of reviewing profiles of job candidates to look for inappropriate information, revealing posts, etc. This process is accessible to anyone with a computer, setting up many a disaster when it comes to subjectivity, accusations of immorality, etc.Human review of profiles for problematic behavior definitely opens up a great deal of concern. It is accessible and there is no accountability for reporting the results of these often ad hoc evaluations. While these evaluations can be outsourced to firms that specialize in the evaluation and return a report, this does not legitimize the method. The available research in this area shows that there is no relation between these evaluations and performance on the job. Furthermore, this type of easily disadvantages protected classes, and its job relevance is often hard to demonstrate. AI based toolsThe core of all these tools is tech that spiders the web to find profiles and information, scrapes the data, and then interprets and processes it into an output that can be used to support decision making. The tech can work passively- based on open web searches with no opt ins, or more actively - with applicants opting in to share information that can be used to evaluate the applicant. Social media data is often used as part of the sourcing process. The most common use case of technology enabled tools is passive sourcing in which social data is used to identify persons who may be a good fit for a particular job so that they can be contacted about an opportunity. This use case presents a number of difficulties because it happens outside of the actual application process. Individuals may not know their data is being used and the tools used to harvest data may do so in a biased manner. These methods are not actually assessments if they aren’t part of the formal hiring process. However, there is accountability in record keeping when it comes to sourcing efforts.Social media data is also used to create a “super profile” that can be used for hiring. Profiles constructed using social media data most commonly package the data into a personality profile. There are currently many different tools that allow anyone to try creating a personality profile from their social accounts. Both Drs. Handler and Bergman report that when they tried out these tools- the results did not seem accurate. Research so far has not shown there to be any strong correlation between machine derived personality profiles and those of more traditional methods. These tools have also not shown any real correlations with job performance.The future is brightThe consensus from the research and experts in the area of social media based assessment is that “we are not there yet”.As with all advanced technology tools, we can expect to see much improvement in the future. While the technology side of things will definitely advance our ability to make meaningful predictions from social data- the moral and ethical boundaries surrounding the use of these tools will likely remain.Looking to the future it is important that we understand that technology is a tool, not a solution. When this approach is taken- the tools of the future will be less haphazard and more systematic in nature. The net of it all is that there are exciting times ahead in the realm of social data and predictive hiring. But getting there is going to require an interdisciplinary approach that recognizes legal and ethical boundaries. Shawn Bergman is a Professor of Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Human Resource Management at Appalachian State University, focusing on organizational systems, soft-skills training, leadership development, and the application of technology and analytics to solve applied problems. Dr. Bergman has been inducted into the Appalachian State University Faculty Hall of Fame and received numerous teaching honors and awards, including a Board of Governors Excellence in Teaching Award. He is also the co-founder and Director of Research and Evaluation at the Vela Institute.Learn more about Shawn and the Vela Institute here: https://velainstitute.org/our-team/shawn-bergman/See what Appalachian State is building here:https://iohrm.appstate.edu This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit charleshandler.substack.com