The value gain(ed) through Assessment and Development Centres · 2018. 6. 13. · Introduction to...

37th Annual ACSG Conference

5 – 7 April 2017 at

NH The Lord Charles, Somerset West, South Africa

The value gain(ed) through

Assessment and Development Centres

3

37th Annual ACSG Conference

The Value gain(ed) through Assessment and Development Centres

With thanks to our Sponsors:

Distell Wine for Delegates Pinsight Conference Dinner

Thomas International Delegate Bags TTS-Talent Lanyards

Exhibitors

Platinum: Thomas International

Gold: HFM TTS

Silver: Evalex LEMASA

Advertisement: Deloitte

Network Partners: SABPP SIOPSA

Abstract Selection Process:

The submission format review process and acceptance of abstracts were handled by the ACSG committee.

All abstracts submitted were subjected to a blind peer review process by the ACSG

committee.

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CONTENTS

Page

ACSG information 5

Financial year ending 31 May 2016 6

List of acronyms used 7

Programme 9

Pre-conference workshop abstracts 11

Conference abstracts 16

Alphabetical presenters‟ index 31

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Assessment Centre Study Group (ACSG)

ACSG Committee (2016 – 2017)

Chairperson Petrus Nel

Conference Coordinator Tebogo Kgatle Marketing and Communications Mo‟aaza Wadvalla

Special Projects Ndayi Takawira Treasurer Danie Oosthuizen

Company Secretary Judith Williamson

ACSG Honorary Members

George Coetzee Eugene de Bruin

Hennie Kriek

Deon Meiring Sandra Schlebusch

Herman Spangenberg

Past Chairpersons

1981 – 1984 Hermann Spangenberg (SBW) 1985 – 1985 Albert van der Merwe (Sasol)

1986 – 1987 Hermann Spangenberg (SBW) 1988 – 1995 George Coetzee (Naspers)

1996 – 2001 Hennie Kriek (SHL) 2002 – 2003 Willie Marais (Old Mutual)

2004 – 2005 Charmaine Swanevelder (SHL)

2006 – 2007 Deon Meiring (SAPS) 2008 – 2009 Anne Buckett (Precision HR)

2010 – 2011 Sandra Schlebusch (LeMaSa) 2012 – 2013 Lydia Cillié-Schmidt (The Talent Hub)

2014 – 2015 David Bischof (Deloitte)

Contact Details: Mobile: +27 (0)83 304 6068 Fax: +27 (0)86 548 5674

Email: [email protected] or [email protected] www.acsg.co.za

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.acsg.co.za/

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SA ASSESSMENT CENTRE STUDY GROUP NPC Statement of comprehensive income for the year ended 31 May 2016

(Figures in Rand)

2016 2015

Revenue 841 298 619 357

Cost of sales (428 749) (506 908)

Gross profit 412 549 112 449

Profit on exchange differences - 31 973

Overhead expenses (202 184) (151 535)

Total comprehensive profit (loss) for the year

as per audited statements 210 365 (7 113)

2015 Revenue and costs included in the 2016 audited financial statements*

(186 127) 186 127

Adjusted profit (loss) 24 238 179 014

*Income and expenditure of R186 127, which was not included in the 2015 financial

year, was deferred to the 2016 financial year. This was due to an unresolved inter invoice difference between Tusk Event Management and ACSG at the end of the

2015 financial year.

The full annual financial statement is available on the ACSG website.

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List of Acronyms

AC Assessment Centre(s)

AC/DC Assessment and Development Centre(s)

ACSG SA Assessment Centre Study Group (South Africa)

DC Development Centre(s)

COMENSA Coaches and Mentors of South Africa

CDC Coaching Development Centre

DAC Development Assessment Centre

HPCSA Health Professions Council of South Africa

HR Human Resource(s)

HSRC Human Sciences Research Council

IACCP International Association for Cross-cultural Psychology

I/O Industrial and Organisational (Psychology)

IPM Institute for People Management

SA South Africa

SABPP South African Board for People Practices

SARS South African Revenue Services

SIOPSA Society for Industrial and Organisational Psychology of South Africa

SIOP Society for Industrial and Organisational Psychology

SJT Situational Judgement Test

SSA State Security Agency

TAT Trait Activation Theory

UCT University of Cape Town

UJ University of Johannesburg

UP University of Pretoria

UNISA University of South Africa

US University of Stellenbosch

VAC Virtual Assessment Centre(s)

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Programme

Pre-Conference Workshops

Wednesday, 5 April 2017

07:00 – 08:00 Registration and Refreshments Foyer

08:00 – 12:30 1

Introduction to Assessment Centres

Petrus Nel (University of the Free State, South

Africa)

10:00 – 10:30 Refreshment Break

Abstract on

page – 11

08:00 – 12:30 2

Situational Judgement Tests: Fundamentals

and Advanced Topics

Filip Lievens (Ghent University, Belgium)


Abstract on page – 12

12:30 – 13:00 Lunch

13:00 – 17:30 3

Introduction to Development Centres

Sandra Schlebusch (LeMaSa, South Africa)



13:00 – 17:30 4

An Ethical Decision-making Framework for Assessment Centre Designers

Henriette van den Berg (University of the Free State, South Africa)


Abstract on

page – 15

13:00 – 17:00 Exhibitors‟ build up time

15:00 – 17:00

Registration for Conference on 6 & 7 April 2017

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Programme

Conference Day One

Thursday, 6 April 2017

07:30 – 08:30 Registration and Refreshments

08:30 – 09:00 Welcome, official opening and ACSG matters

Petrus Nel (Chairman, ACSG)

09:00 – 10:00

A Modular Approach to Assessment: Webcam and

Speed Assessment as Examples

Filip Lievens (Ghent University, Belgium)

Abstract on

page – 16


10:15 – 11:10

Practitioner Session 1

(Abstract on page – 17)

The Development and Value of a Sales Assessment Centre Process for High-

Performance Salespeople

Marcel Harper (Onmicor, South Africa) & Maria Sebate (Barloworld Equipment, South Africa)

Training Symposium


Coordinated by Sandra Schlebusch (LEMASA, South Africa)

With contributions by:

Anne Buckett* (Precision ACS, South Africa)

Crystal Hoole (University of Johannesburg, South Africa)

Stacy Isaacs* (ABSA, South Africa) Martin Lanik* (Pinsight, USA)

Sari Lehkonen* (EPSO, Belgium) Bernice Venter* (Masters’ Dissertation,

South Africa)

* Presenting

11:10 – 12:05

Practitioner Session 2 (Abstract on page – 19)

Actions Speak Louder than Words: Are ACs Appreciated

Anthony Wilson (Consultant, South Africa)

12:05 – 13:00

Practitioner Session 3 (Abstract on page – 21)

Value to be Gained from Online Assessment

Centres: Case study of Three Different Online Assessment Centres

Danie Oosthuizen (TTS-Talent, South Africa)

13:00 – 13:30 Lunch

13:30 – 14:15

Plenary Session – Insights from ICACM, Bali, October

2016

Anne Buckett (Precision ACS, South Africa)

Abstract on

page – 26

14:15 – 15:10

IGNITE the Value of Assessment Centres

Martin Lanik (Pinsight, USA) with contributions by: Gustav Bothma (Betafence, South Africa), Anne Buckett (Precision ACS, South Africa), Francois de Kock (University of Cape Town, South Africa), Linda Hall (Consultant, South Africa), Terrence Harrison (AMSA, South Africa), Sari Lehkonen (EPSO, Belgium), Marna Malan (Sasol, South Africa), Danie Oosthuizen (TTS, South Africa), Sandra Schlebusch (LEMASA, South Africa) and others



15:30 – 16:00 ACSG Bi-annual General Meeting

16:00 – 17:00

Plenary Session – A Code of Ethics for Assessment Centre Practitioners in South Africa Rodney Lowman (CSPP/Alliant International University San Diego, USA), Deon Meiring*

(University of Pretoria, South Africa), Vuyani Muleya* (UNISA, South Africa) and Sandra Schlebusch* (LeMaSa, South Africa)

*Presenting

Abstract on

page – 30

19:00 – 22:00 Conference Function at 96 Winery Road

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Programme

Conference Day Two

Friday, 7 April 2017

07:30 – 08:30 Registration and Refreshments

08:30 – 09:30

What Does It Take To Become The Top Employer In South

Africa? The Case Of British American Tobacco South Africa

Riana Ohlson (British American Tobacco, South Africa)

09:30 – 10:00 New ACSG committee – Introduction and Voting


10:30 – 11:15


(Abstract On Page -33)

Thinking Drives Behaviour – A Case

Study on the Use of a Capability

Assessment Centre for Executive

Succession Planning

David Bischof (Deloitte, South Africa)


(Abstract on page -34)

Unlocking Value Trough Integrated

Reporting: A Case Study on the

Integration of Simulation Exercise

Results with Various Other Assessment Outcomes

Fred Guest (TTS-Talent, South Africa)

11:15 – 12:00



Weighing up the Long and the Short of

Development Centres

Wilma Botha (Consultant, South Africa)


(Abstract on page -37)

The Role of Technology and Talent

Analytics in Strategic Human Resource

Management

Caitlin de Kok & Jaintheran Naidoo

(HFM, South Africa)

12:00 – 12:45


(Abstract on page - 38)

Fairness in Assessment Centres –

Benefits and Recommendations from a

Candidate Perspective

Louise Heyns (Deloitte, South Africa)


(Abstract on page - 39)

Leader Habit: How to Increase ROI of

Assessment Centres Through Continuous Development

Martin Lanik (Pinsight, USA)


13:00 – 13:15 Announcing the new ACSG committee and closure

13:15 – 14:15

Plenary Session – Ethical Excellence in Assessment Practices

Henriette van den Berg (University of the Free State, South Africa)


14:15 – 15:15 Late Lunch

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Pre-Conference Workshops: 5 April 2017

Introduction to Assessment Centres

Track: Workshop Presenter: Petrus Nel (University of the Free State, South Africa)

Venue: Somerset 1 When: Wednesday, 5 April 2017 from 08:00 – 12:30

The purpose of this workshop is to provide delegates with basic knowledge on the

use of assessment centre technology. The aim is to provide HR practitioners with an understanding of assessment centre methods so that they can make informed

decisions on how and where assessment centres can be utilised in their organisations. Delegates will not become assessment centre practitioners after

attending this half-day workshop, but will at least have a good source of reference on which informed decisions can be based.

The topics that will be discussed are:

What is an assessment and development centre?

Uses of assessment centres; Why are competency models important in assessment centres?

Types of assessment centre exercises; Compiling an assessment matrix and the selection of appropriate exercises;

The role of the observer; The process of data integration and report writing;

Feedback principles; Assessment centre ethics; and

Steps in designing an assessment centre.

Given that this is an introductory type of workshop, information will mainly be shared through presentations and questions and answers.

Petrus Nel, PhD, has been in the higher education sector for the

past 15 years. He is the co-editor of four books in industrial psychology and people management. He has published before and

regularly presents papers at both national and international conferences. His areas of expertise are mainly psychometrics,

applied psychological and performance assessment and personnel psychology. Petrus is currently interested in the application of structural equation

modelling and item response theory in dealing with bias and equivalence in psychometric instruments. He is registered as an industrial psychologist with the

HPCSA. He holds a PhD from the University of Stellenbosch and a Master‟s degree from the University of Pretoria.

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Situational Judgement Tests: Fundamentals and Advanced Topics

Track: Workshop

Presenters: Filip Lievens (Ghent University, Belgium) Venue: Somerset 2

When: Wednesday, 6 April 2017 from 08:00 - 12:30

Situational Judgment Tests (SJTs) present people with a hypothetical situation and ask them what they would do in that situation. About ten years ago (2006), I gave

one of the first workshops on SJTs in South Africa at the assessment centre

conference. Since then, the science behind SJTs has made steep progress and SJTs have made strong inroads in practice. SJTs are no longer seen as the little brother

of assessment centres... So, it is about time to take stock of all of these developments. This workshop therefore will cover essential and advanced topics in

designing and implementing SJTs.

Accordingly, the workshop should appeal to novice SJT users as well as to more experienced SJT aficionados. Fundamental and advanced knowledge about the

following topics will be presented: Types of SJTs, theory of knowledge determinants behind SJT, deductive and inductive SJT development, instructions/ scoring of SJTs,

etc. The workshop will be evidence-based because I will derive recommendations on the basis of the latest state-of-the-art SJT research.

Filip Lievens is professor at the department of personnel

management and work and organisational psychology at Ghent University in Belgium. His main research areas deal with

selection/assessment and recruitment/employer branding in human resource management. His work has been published

among others in the Annual Review of Psychology, Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, and Journal of Management. Currently,

he serves in the editorial board of Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, and Academy of Management Discoveries. More work-related and

personal information can be found on: http://users.ugent.be/~flievens/

http://users.ugent.be/~flievens/

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Introduction to Development Centres

Track: Workshop

Presenter: Sandra Schlebusch (LEMASA, South Africa) Venue: Somerset 1

When: Wednesday, 5 March 2017 from 13:00 – 17:30

Assessment centres (ACs) can be used for two purposes: assessment and development. Most people are familiar with using ACs for selection purposes; only

some will use ACs for development purposes. Development interventions can be

expensive. Line managers are hesitant to send their subordinates for training if they do not see the results of the training in the work environment. Employees

themselves are reluctant to attend training since it does not address development needs as perceived by them. Therefore chances are that training and development

interventions may not be successful.

The purpose of a development assessment centre (DAC) is to identify the participant‟s current areas of strength and current areas needing further

development so that future development can be aligned with real needs. When development interventions are truly needs-driven the organisation can include

these interventions as part of its workplace skills plan and eventually claim some of the levies back. When DAC participants buy into their individual development

needs they will be more committed to address these particular needs. The subsequent training and development interventions will therefore be more effective.

This workshop introduces DACs and how to successfully implement a DAC within an organisation so that the organisation can reap the benefits of needs-driven training

and development interventions.

The objective of the workshop is to open up the possibility of using an AC for developmental purposes. During the workshop theoretical input will be delivered

along with practical hints. The differences between an assessment centre used for selection purposes and an assessment centre used for developmental purposes, as

well as the different variations of a DAC will be discussed. After attending the workshop the delegates will be able to implement a DAC effectively within their

organisation.

Sandra Schlebusch is the managing director of LEMASA (Pty) Ltd.

She obtained a BCom Honours degree in industrial psychology at the

Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education. She continued her studies in business and management-leadership and obtained an

MBA during May 2004 at the University of the Northwest, Potchefstroom Campus. Her current studies include compiling her doctoral proposal on

a comparison of learning during centres with a development purpose. She has extensive work experience across industries. Her experience covers the whole

spectrum of human and organisational development. Her passion is using simulations and assessment centres for developmental purposes. She received an

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Award of Recognition for Continuous Contribution to the field of Assessment Centres in South Africa for the year 2007 from the Assessment Centre Study Group

(ACSG). She is co-editor of the book Assessment Centres: Unlocking Potential for Growth (2008), and a previous chairman of the ACSG. She was awarded Honorary

Membership of the ACSG in 2012. Her additional assessment centre related involvement, apart from numerous presentations at conferences, includes being a

member of the task group that updated the 2007 Guidelines for Assessment and Development Centres in South Africa (4th Ed), as well as the task group that

updated the current Guidelines for Best Practice in the use of the Assessment Centre Method in South Africa (5th Ed), 2016. She was one of the few international

people requested to comment and provide input on the Russian Assessment Centre Standards as part of the establishment of the standards towards the end of 2013,

and she was part of the International Taskforce on Assessment Center Guidelines to

update the Guidelines and Ethical Considerations for Assessment Center Operations (6th Ed). She established the ACSG Academy, a part of the ACSG, in 2012 with the

aim to educate and skill potential Assessment Centre users.

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An Ethical Decision-making Framework for Assessment Centre Designers

Track: Workshop

Presenter: Henriette van den Berg (University of the Free State, South Africa) Venue: Somerset 2

When: Wednesday, 5 April 2017 from 13:30 – 17:30

Psychological assessment is one of the high risk areas of psychological practice that requires advanced ethical competencies. The potential harm that can be done with

unreliable and invalid methods of assessment requires a high level of understanding

of risk mitigating measures that protect the interests of clients and practitioners. Various regulatory frameworks will be discussed and applied to assessment centres

to sensitise participants to ethical pitfalls related to their assessment practices. The majority of practitioners follow intuitive decision-making processes when they

encounter ethical dilemmas. In this workshop participants will be introduced to three examples of structured, step-wise ethical decision-making models and will

apply these models to different case studies. This will be followed by a risk assessment model of their assessment practices with specific focus on how different

assessment processes potentially violate the integrity and autonomy of clients, the potential risk-benefit ratio of these practices and considerations to ensure

administrative justice in the assessment process. Examples will be discussed of how these risks can be eliminated or controlled in the design, implementation and

evaluation of assessment tasks. Small groups will use the risk assessment feedback to apply a five step ethical decision-making process to enable practitioners to

identify and apply alternative solutions to the ethical dilemmas that they frequently

encounter in their practices. A resource kit of guideline documents will be shared with participants to help them develop their own context specific ethics resource

kit.

Henriëtte van den Berg registered as a counselling psychologist in

1986 after completing her structured Master‟s degree in counselling psychology at Potchefstroom University. She completed her PhD in

psychology in 2001. She worked in a hospital environment for two years and served as psychologist for five years at student counselling

centres at different universities. Henriëtte entered academia in 2001 at the University of Free State and specialised in occupational health

psychology, trauma therapy and developmental psychology. She also served as programme director for the applied psychology program and as coordinator of the

Masters in clinical and counselling psychology at Free State University. She served

as director of the postgraduate school, University of Free State for five years and currently works in a private practice involved in talent management of young

professionals. She frequently presents CPD workshops on ethics for various health professionals.

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Conference Day One: 6 April 2017

A Modular Approach to Assessments: Webcam and Speed Assessments as

Example

Track: Keynote Address Speaker: Filip Lievens (Ghent University, Belgium)

Venue: Somerset When: Thursday, 6 April 2017 at 09:00

Given that the business world is characterised by volatility, uncertainty, complexity,

and ambiguity (VUCA), there is increasing consensus that staffing approaches

should also become more agile. One approach to accomplish agile talent assessment is to reconceptualise selection procedures as modular. This means that

a selection procedure such as an assessment centre can be broken down into smaller components (aka building bocks). Examples of such building blocks are

stimulus format, response format, scoring format, instructions, etc. In turn, these building blocks can then be flexibly recombined to construct a wide variety of new

"hybrid" selection procedures. In this presentation, evidence regarding two such hybrid approaches will be presented: webcam assessment and speed assessment.

Filip Lievens is professor at the department of personnel

management and work and organisational psychology at Ghent University in Belgium. His main research areas deal with

selection/assessment and recruitment/employer branding in

human resource management. His work has been published among others in the Annual Review of Psychology, Journal of

Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, and Journal of Management. Currently, he serves in the editorial board of Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel

Psychology, and Academy of Management Discoveries. More work-related and personal information can be found on: http://users.ugent.be/~flievens/

http://users.ugent.be/~flievens/

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The Development and Value of a Sales Assessment Centre Process for

High-performance Salespeople

Track: Practitioner Session Presenter(s): Marcel Harper (Onmicor, South Africa) and

Maria Sebate (Barloworld Equipment, South Africa) Venues: Somerset 1

When: Thursday, 6 April 2017 at 10:15

Objective: We present a case study of the development, implementation and

evaluation of a sales-based assessment centre for use with high-performance salespeople.

Application: 58 High-performance salespeople within a large multinational company were participants in a Sub-Saharan development project that aimed at

enhancing sales skills and identifying strengths and development areas future training and development. As part of this exercise, the need for a focussed, highly

customised sales assessment centre was identified. The unique nature of the business model and product offering in relation to the market sector played a

significant role in this decision (i.e. premier product within a highly contested market with multiple low-cost alternatives).

In the case study, we detail three key elements of this process:

1. the business case for development of an assessment centre targeted at sales behaviours;

2. the method followed in constructing the assessment centre; and 3. post-assessment research findings on the real and perceived benefits of the

assessment centre implementation

Method: In evaluating the impact of the assessment centre, we draw upon

structured interviews with salespeople, sales managers, and support personnel in the sales cycle. In addition to qualitative data, we also analysed performance data,

pre- and post-performance scores, and assessment data to detect possible main effects for selected competencies that were measured by the AC. Psychometric

measurements were also used in the overall project and their relationship to the AC data are reported here.

An additional consideration was to understand the participants/selectees‟

experience of having undergone the AC. We suspected that the process itself would have had salutary effects and we investigate this hypothesis.

Conclusion: Our presentation concludes with several lessons learnt in regard to

development of similar ACs as well as methodological challenges in determining the

value or impact of ACs in general. We offer a potential framework for future implementations of this kind, with specific reference to sales teams and the

assessment of sales-related competencies. In addition, we explore potential unintended but positive effects such ACs may have on participants.

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Marcel Harper is a psychological scientist and registered psychologist

currently heading strategy and digital innovation at Omnicor in Rosebank, Johannesburg as their Chief Strategy Officer. Before joining

the business world, he taught psychology at the University of Johannesburg where he conducted research on social perception,

cognition, and behaviour change. He is an active member of the Association for Psychological Science.

Maria Sebate is a researcher and registered clinical psychologist

currently working as a talent manager at Barloworld Equipment, Sandton. Before joining Barloworld, Maria worked as an assessment

manager for Edcon, BP Southern Africa and the Human Sciences Research Council where she did research in the field of psychometric test

development and standardisation.

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Actions Speak Louder Than Words: Are ACs Appreciated

Track: Practitioner Session

Speaker: Anthony Wilson (Consultant, South Africa) Venue: Somerset 1


The aim of this presentation is to explore how Assessment Centre (AC) dimensions are chosen and how the data obtained from ACs are used. The research covered issues like,

whether: line managers understand the purpose and benefits of ACs; ACs inform selection decisions;

management attach more value to interviews than AC data; ACs are used merely as “window dressing”, giving an illusion of fairness, but not used

for actual hiring decisions; the rich data gathered in an AC is used; and AC results are used for development plans.

A qualitative study will be done. Questionnaires and interviews with hiring managers will be

used to collect data about the use of AC results. A thematic analysis of the data will be done to determine whether AC output is used to make decisions about hiring and promotion.

Delegates will gain insights about:

what hiring managers actually want to know about candidate; informing line managers and other stakeholders about ACs and their benefits; how to “sell” an AC to the hiring manager and the HR manager;

designing ACs to include what is required and appreciated and exclude what is not; presenting AC results to assist hiring decisions;

writing shorter, worthwhile reports (i.e. reports that will actually be read); and being aware when they might be breaching the ACSG guidelines.

Anthony Wilson is an AC practitioner in Africa and the Middle East, a

certified emotional intelligence coach and a practitioner member of COMENSA. He was the managing consultant at CEB, SHL Talent Measurement in Dubai,

UAE and a consultant at Saville Consulting and a trauma counsellor for ABSA. Anthony holds an MPhil and diplomas in Jungian psychology and

psychotherapy. He is considered an expert in dream analysis using Jungian-oriented, symbolic-synthetic method. He has published 100+ articles and presented papers

at international conferences for 25+ years. Anthony was on the task force of the 2007 ACSG Guidelines for Assessment and

Development Centres. He was the external examiner for Business School Netherlands, examining MBA dissertations and chairing PhD defence panels. He was senior lecturer at De

Montfort University Business School and Business School Netherlands, teaching the following MBA modules: organisational behaviour, strategic human resources management, action learning and research methodology. He co-authored UNISA‟s workplace wellness

certificate course.

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Value to be Gained from Online Assessment Centres: Case Study of Three

Different Online Assessment Centres

Track: Practitioner Session Speaker: Danie Oosthuizen (TTS-Talent, South Africa)

Venue: Somerset 1 When: Thursday, 6 April 2017 at 12:05

In the early 2000, online assessments and more specifically, online assessment centres

were few and faced major technological challenges. Currently, a number of service providers offer solutions which does not only simulate in-trays electronically, but provides a

day in the life experience to a candidate where information needs to be analysed, decisions taken and live role plays, presentations and client interactions conducted.

Foremost in the minds of users, is the question if the financial value gained from the convenience of online assessments outstrips the benefits of a face to face assessment

centre. The question needs to be asked if online assessment centres are powerful enough to give a similar in-depth assessment of competencies as face-to-face assessment centres

are capable of. In this presentation three case studies will be presented on how online assessment centres have unlocked significant financial cost savings, while main-lining a valid and reliable outcome.

The presentation will be structured around the following points:

1. An overview of the online assessment centre process conducted for the three cases; 2. A comparison between a cost structure should the assessments be conducted face-to-

face vs. online; 3. The non-financial benefits these three companies experienced from conducting online

assessment centres; 4. Challenges faced in doing an online assessment centre and how to overcome it.

The presentation will be concluded with lessons learned and a reflection on the overall value added benefits of online assessment centres.

Danie Oosthuizen has almost thirty years of experience in all aspects of

psychometrics, people assessment, competency design, job profiling, talent management and assessment and development centres. He has extensive

experience in consulting to top management and taking responsibility for large scale psychometric and competency based assessment projects, selection and placement assignments and talent management processes. He is a skilled

facilitator and has supported numerous executive teams improving their effectiveness through team sensitisation workshops and development programmes.

He is the holder of a Masters degree in industrial psychology from the University of Stellenbosch and has been a registered industrial psychologist since 1989. He also holds a

MBL from UNISA (2000) and received his D Phil in Leadership and Change from the University of Johannesburg in 2009.

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Training Symposium

Chairman &

Discussant: Sandra Schlebusch (LEMASA, South Africa) Participants: Anne Buckett (Precision ACS, South Africa), Stacy Isaacs (ABSA,

South Africa), Martin Lanik (Pinsight, USA), Sari Lehkonen (EPSO, Belgium) and Bernice Venter (Masters’ Dissertation, South Africa)

Venues: Somerset 2 When: Thursday, 6 April 2017 from 10:15 - 13:00

The important role that assessors play in the execution of an assessment centre is a major advantage of the method, yet at the same time, a limitation (Thornton, Rupp, & Hoffman,

2015). Assessor training is mentioned in Best Practice Guidelines (International Taskforce on Assessment Center Guidelines, 2015; Meiring & Buckett, 2016) as a non-negotiable

aspect of delivering valid and reliable assessment centres. Over the years, two approaches to assessor training materialised: a process, or behavioural approach, and a frame-of-reference approach (Lievens, 2001; Thornton, Rupp, Hoffman, 2015). However, in a global

survey of assessment centre practices in 2012, it was found that 34% of those who responded to the survey, indicated that less than one day‟s assessor training is taking

place (8% indicated that no training took place!) (Hughes, Riley, Shalfrooshan, Gibbons & Thornton). The majority of the training taking place was about the competencies being

assessed, the content of the exercises, as well as the procedure for evaluating centre participant behaviour. Dewberry and Jackson (2016) mentioned assessors, and training, as some of the causes of dysfunctional assessment centres. Against this background, the

Training Symposium aims to create a forum where researchers and practitioners can share their research results about assessor training, as well as their practical approaches to

training assessors. The five presentations will cover the competencies required of coaches during a coaching development centre, how to scale assessor training to reach a large number of potential assessors globally, training line managers as assessors, and finally

step-by-step guidelines to design assessor training.

Presenter Association Presentation Title

Bernice

Venter

University of

Johannesburg

Competencies of Coaches at a Coaching Development

Centre

Martin Lanik Pinsight™ e-Learning Solutions for Large scale, Global Assessor

Training

Stacy Isaacs ABSA

Graduate Assessment Centres – Providing Assessor

Training to Hiring Line Managers for Potential Leader Selection

Sari

Lehkonen

European Personnel Selection Office

EPSO Academy – be the best at selecting the best

Anne Buckett Precision HR The “Nuts & Bolts” of Assessor Training

Sandra Schlebusch is the managing director of LEMASA (Pty) Ltd. She obtained a B Com Honours degree in industrial psychology at the

Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education. She continued her studies in business and management-leadership and obtained an MBA during

May 2004 at the University of the Northwest, Potchefstroom Campus. Her current studies include compiling her doctoral proposal on a comparison of

23

learning during centres with a development purpose. She has extensive work experience across industries. Her experience covers the whole spectrum of human and organisational development. Her passion is using simulations and assessment centres for developmental

purposes. She received an Award of Recognition for Continuous Contribution to the field of Assessment Centres in South Africa for the year 2007 from the Assessment Centre Study

Group (ACSG). She is co-editor of the book Assessment Centres: Unlocking Potential for Growth (2008), and a previous chairman of the ACSG. She was awarded Honorary Membership of the ACSG in 2012. Her additional assessment centre related involvement,

apart from numerous presentations at conferences, includes being a member of the task group that updated the 2007 Guidelines for Assessment and Development Centres in South

Africa (4th Ed), as well as the task group that updated the current Guidelines for Best Practice in the use of the Assessment Centre Method in South Africa (5th Ed), 2016. She was one of the few international people requested to comment and provide input on the

Russian Assessment Centre Standards as part of the establishment of the standards towards the end of 2013, and she was part of the International Taskforce on Assessment

Center Guidelines to update the Guidelines and Ethical Considerations for Assessment Center Operations (6th Ed). She established the ACSG Academy, a part of the ACSG, in 2012 with the aim to educate and skill potential assessment centre users.

The Competencies of Coaches in a Coaching Development Centre (CDC)

The core purpose of this study is to explore the desired competencies of coaches operating

in the context of a coaching development centre (CDC). In a traditional assessment centre (AC) decisions are made regarding selection, promotion and training needs. Development assessment centres (DACs), on the other hand, extend their applications to include

professional development. A CDC is a form of a DAC, with the added focus on coaching. In a CDC, the coach has a broader role to what is required at a traditional centre. Not only do

CDC coaches need to assess job related behaviours, but also need to act as facilitators and coaches, guiding participants towards developing selected skills. Having these additional responsibilities, the cognitive demands placed on CDC coaches are even greater than the

demands placed on assessors and observers in assessment centres and development assessment centres, respectively. Despite this concern, very little evidence exists regarding

the cognitive demands of observers, with no existing research on the cognitive demands of coaches in CDCs. Research is limited in this regard and this study strives to make a dent in the field of CDCs. By creating awareness for the urgent need for research in this domain,

this study aims to encourage future researchers to further investigate the field and eventually deliver a body of research on CDCs. The study additionally strives to present the

importance of coaches operating within CDCs and the impact they are able to make on the overall effectiveness of CDCs. Self-completed questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and a Delphi technique allowed for the design and validation of an exploratory competency

framework encompassing the core competencies of coaches in a CDC. A qualitative research methodology was utilised with exploratory research intent. The information was

interpreted from an interpretive research paradigm, using content analysis. The pooled perspectives and opinions of thirteen participants informed the comprehensive competency framework of coaches in a CDC. Twenty competencies have been included in the

framework, six of which are considered to be core competencies. This unique and comprehensive competency framework will allow organisations to select the best suited

coaches that will ascertain optimal performance and development outcomes amongst participants. In doing so, organisations will utilise their resources more effectively and establish a unique competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Bernice Venter recently completed her Masters degree in industrial

psychology at the University of Johannesburg. She is currently working at Nulandis (Pty) Ltd as an industrial psychologist intern. Prior to her industrial psychology studies, Bernice completed a BA Music degree and was working as a

music teacher. During this time, she also secured a part-time position at a

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consulting company. It was at this point in time that she realised that she wanted to become an industrial psychologist and has been focused on becoming a registered industrial psychologist. Bernice is particularly passionate about the field of coaching, and

the opportunities this field has to offer. Her Masters dissertation focused on the competencies of coaches in a coaching development centre. With this research, she hopes

to make a dent in the field of coaching and encourage fellow researchers to also contribute to this field‟s body of knowledge.

e-Learning Solutions for Large-Scale, Global Assessor Training

According to Mercer Global Talent Trends Study, 43% of organizations plan to start using virtual assessment centers (VAC) in 2017. Such rapid expansion of the VAC business

necessitates scalable assessor training and certification solutions. With geographically dispersed global assessor pools, it is often impossible and cost-prohibitive to conduct

traditional, in-person assessor courses. How can we training and certify more assessors faster?

I will discuss several novel methodologies we have been experimenting with at Pinsight®. First, I will describe how we created 100 percent online assessor training using various e-

learning solutions. We have maintained all traditional content of assessor training – common rater biases, frame of reference training, role playing, scoring, etc., and devised

online activities to deliver powerful e-learning modules. Second, I will discuss how we leveraged situational judgment tests to automate the

assessor certification process. At Pinsight® all assessors must be recertified every six months. Through these tests our assessors have to demonstrate competence in role-

playing, scoring of observed behaviour and giving delegates feedback. During certification, assessors watch and rate short video vignettes and read written examples of effective and ineffective performance.

This presentation will benefit the audience in three ways: (1) we will provide ideas and

discuss our experience with moving assessor training online, building asynchronous online courses, and using various e-learning solutions; (2) we will offer ideas how to automate assessor certification through situational judgment tests; and (3) lastly, we will share our

lessons learned with running a large-scale, global assessor training and certification operation.

Martin Lanik’s curiosity and breadth of talent-management experience led him to believe there must be a more accurate, cost-effective solution to

strategic talent management based on objective analytics. He's found the solution using big data, live assessors, and proprietary algorithms.

Recognised as a global leader in talent-management technology, Martin has connected with the world's leading experts to bring his vision to life. As the

CEO of Pinsight™, Martin pushes his global team to constantly innovate and create higher value to Pinsight™‟s clients. He has been invited to speak at conferences around the world

on topics related to talent assessment and development. Martin's an organisational psychologist. He earned a PhD in industrial/organisational

psychology from Colorado State University. During the past ten years he's consulted for organisations in most industries and spanning most continents.

25

Graduate Assessment Centres – Providing Assessor Training to Hiring Line Managers for Potential Leader Selection

The Challenge: ABSA annually embarks on a mass recruitment and selection process for high potential graduates to employ within the various business units. However, the

competitive banking environment dictates that only top-quality graduates be appointed. Competition for appointing the top quality graduates is stiff, with the top students receiving lucrative job offers from companies world-wide early during the final academic year.

Another challenge, apart from stiff external competition, is satisfying the critical ABSA line managers that the newly employed graduates report to.

Our Solution: Using a multiple hurdle approach with an assessment centre as the last selection instrument in the decision-making process, and using the hiring line managers as

the assessors during the assessment centre.

The Focus of the Presentation: This presentation will focus on training hiring line managers as assessors for the graduate assessment centre within a short period of time. Other aspects that will be shared are how the actual training took place, a brief overview of

the logistics to make this happen and the value add that this approach has had for managers, employed graduates and the overall organisation.

Stacy Isaacs has an Honours industrial psychology qualification obtained at

the University of Johannesburg in 2012. During 2015 she completed her six month psychometry internship through UJ and ABSA and passed the psychometry board exams during October 2016.

ABSA is the first company she has worked for and she has been with ABSA for

approximately seven years. Stacy always had a keen interest in psychometry, especially assessment centres and from 2015 she has been involved with the end-to-end graduate recruitment process that includes an assessment centre.

EPSO Academy – be the best at selecting the best

I will explain how we decided to reinforce our internal training of AC assessors, by launching a pilot project called EPSO Academy, back in October 2015. The first results of

this fully integrated training, development and accreditation programme are now available. This programme consists of a flexible, mostly self-regulated learning package, covering all

the tools, techniques and topics needed to run high-volume and effective selections. A total of 25 learning objectives were defined upfront and covered by different learning modules. Our target was to train 20 new assessors, willing to learn new skills and build their HR and

AC expertise. Since we are operating in the European public sector, quality aspects were taken into account at all levels, including measures for increasing diversity and equal

opportunities of our candidates invited to pass the AC tests. I will also the share the feedback received from the trainees so far.

Sari Lehkonen holds a MA in French, communication and political science from the University of Helsinki (1995) and a Post-Graduate

Certificate in HRM from the University of Kingston in London (2012). She speaks fluent Finnish, French, English and Dutch.

Sari joined the European public service in Brussels in 1996. Through her various positions, she has developed solid expertise in the management

of human and financial resources, as well as in promoting the European Union to specialized audiences and citizens. She is currently Head of Unit in charge of the Stakeholder relations and selecting permanent EU staff, in line with global best practice.

About 5,000 candidates are assessed each year in the assessment centres located in

26

Brussels and in Luxembourg, for employment in a wide variety of fields within the EU Institutions and agencies.

The ‘Nuts & Bolts’ of Assessor Training

This presentation will cover the important components of assessor training. It will include an overview of best practice guidelines in the South African context. In addition, delegates

will gain an understanding of the relevant content to include in assessor training as well as how to tailor the training programme for different role players who are typically involved in

an assessment centre. Delegates will leave the presentation with step-by-step guidelines to help them design an assessor training programme customised for their own organisation and assessment centre purpose.

Anne Buckett is an industrial psychologist with extensive experience in assessment and development centres in industry. She is presently the managing consultant of Precision ACS with a primary focus on assessment

and development centres. She has worked for several large international consulting firms in various capacities applying her I/O experience across a

wide range of HR interventions. Anne is trained on a variety of tools, techniques and methodologies across a large number of well-established

test7 publishers. Her experience covers both private and public sector organisations. Anne has served on various industry committees over the years, namely; PAI, SIOPSA and the ACSG (Chairperson 2008 – 2009). Anne is currently in the process of completing her

doctorate on asssment centres in South Africa.

27


Insights from ICACM, Bali, October 2016

Track: Plenary Session

Presenter: Anne Buckett (PrecisionHR, South Africa) Venues: Somerset


The International Congress on Assessment Centre Methods (ICACM) held its 40th annual conference in Bali from 26 – 28 October 2016. Attended by over 300

delegates, the programme covered assessment centres (ACs) in government in

Indonesia as well as issues of culture, gender, technology and research from other countries. This presentation will provide delegates with key insights and themes

emerging from the ICACM conference. The presentation will further discuss international research trends, case studies and points of interest for South African

AC practitioners.

Anne Buckett is an industrial psychologist with extensive experience in assessment and development centres in industry. She

is presently the managing consultant of Precision ACS with a primary focus on assessment and development centres. She has

worked for several large international consulting firms in various capacities applying her I/O experience across a wide range of HR

interventions. Anne is trained on a variety of tools, techniques and methodologies

across a large number of well-established test publishers. Her experience covers both private and public sector organisations. Anne has served on various industry

committees over the years, namely; PAI, SIOPSA and the ACSG (Chairperson 2008 – 2009). Anne is currently in the process of completing her doctorate on

assessment centres in South Africa.

28


IGNITE the Value of Assessment Centres


Presenter(s): Martin Lanik (Pinsight, USA) Gustav Bothma (Betafence, South Africa),

Anne Buckett (PrecisionHR, South Africa), Francois de Kock (University of Cape Town, South Africa),

Linda Hall (Consultant, South Africa), Terrence Harrison (AMSA, South Africa),

Sari Lehkonen (EPSO, South Africa),

Marna Malan (Sasol, South Africa) Danie Oosthuizen (TTS, South Africa), and

Sandra Schlebusch (LEMASA, South Africa) Venues: Somerset


Companies spend heavily on leadership solutions, especially at high level positions. Bersin (2014) found that on average, companies spent $4,716 per participant on

mid-level, $10,179 on senior-level, and $12,210 on executive-level leadership development. Top performing companies spent 24%, 75%, and 150% more on

their mid-level, senior-level, and executive-level leadership solutions, respectively.

Whether in their traditional, in-person format or administered virtually, assessment and development centres are among the most expensive leadership solutions on

the market. Despite their high price tag, assessment centres are increasing in

popularity. Between 2010 and 2016, the use of assessment centres has increased by 46% and use of development centres by 70% (cut-e, 2016). Similarly, according

to Mercer Global Talent Trends Study, additional 43% of organizations plan to start using assessment centres in 2017.

What’s the ROI of assessment centres, and does it justify the increased

use of the method? What are the benefits for individual delegates? How can we increase the value gained through assessment centres?

In this series of IGNITE talks, each speaker will have 5 minutes to present 20 slides

that automatically advance after 15 seconds. Speakers will answer the above question from the perspective of their practice and scientific research. More

specifically, speakers will (a) discuss how to calculate ROI of assessment and development centres, (b) provide case studies demonstrating how businesses have

benefited from the method, (c) highlight research on delegate reactions and

benefits gained by delegates, and (d) outline ways how consultants and organisations can increase the value gained through assessment centres.

Martin Lanik’s curiosity and breadth of talent-management experience

led him to believe there must be a more accurate, cost-effective

solution to strategic talent management based on objective analytics. He's found the solution using big data, live assessors, and proprietary

algorithms.

29

Recognised as a global leader in talent-management technology, Martin has

connected with the world's leading experts to bring his vision to life. As the CEO of Pinsight™, Martin pushes his global team to constantly innovate and create higher

value to Pinsight™‟s clients. He has been invited to speak at conferences around the world on topics related to talent assessment and development.

Martin's an organisational psychologist. He earned a PhD in

Industrial/Organisational Psychology from Colorado State University. During the past ten years he's consulted for organisations in most industries and spanning

most continents.

30


Code of Ethics for Assessment Centre Practice in South Africa


Presenter: Rodney Lowman (CSPP/Alliant International University San Diego, USA), Deon Meiring (University of Pretoria, South Africa), Vuyani

Muleya (UNISA, South Africa) and Sandra Schlebusch (LeMaSa, South Africa)

Venue: Somerset When: Thursday, 6 April 2017 at 16:00

Applying ethics to “do what is good for self and what is good for others” (Van Vuuren & Schlebusch,

2013) remains a challenge in Assessment Centre (AC) practice, especially when confronted with

demands of clients, time frames and other, sometimes conflicting, expectations. As an internal, or

external, AC service provider, you need to contract with the primary client on what, when and how

you will deliver AC services and you need to follow the design phases of an AC (Schlebusch & Roodt,

2008). This might already challenge ethical AC delivery given the (usual) time and cost demands of

the primary client AND the scientific rigour demands of AC design. Muleya (2014) found that despite

Best Practice AC Guidelines (Meiring & Buckett 2016), we still experience unethical AC practices

taking place in the work context in South Africa. Dewberry and Jackson (2016) found that AC

dysfunctionality (as experienced by assessors, designers and participants) stems from AC design, AC

implementation, assessors, training and a lack of consideration for the AC participant – most phases

of AC delivery. The Code of Ethics for AC practice in South Africa (draft) aims to instil the principles

underpinning delivering ethical ACs and will be both aspirational and directional. The principles and

supporting values is a reference guide to apply within all AC phases, by all people involved in the

entire AC process to ensure functional, ethical AC application. During the presentation the draft

Code of Ethical AC practice will be presented first, followed by a practical case study to demonstrate

ethical AC practice in action. The ACSG will also be requested to accept the draft Code as the Code

of Ethics for AC practice in South Africa.

Rodney L. Lowman, PhD, distinguished professor at CSPP/Alliant International

University in San Diego and visiting lecturer at UNISA, is an internationally recognised

authority and consultant on professional ethics, career assessment, work

dysfunctions, and professional ethics. A PhD graduate of Michigan State University

with specialisations in industrial-organisational and clinical psychology, Dr Lowman is

the author or editor of nine books and monographs, has published over 100

publications of a scholarly nature and made hundreds of professional presentations all

over the world. His books include: An Introduction to Consulting Psychology: Working with

Individuals, Groups, and Organizations, Internationalizing Multiculturalism: Expanding Professional

Competencies for a Globalized World, The Ethical Practice of Psychology in Organizations (2nd Ed),

Handbook of Organizational Consulting Psychology, The Clinical Practice of Career Assessment, and

Counselling and Psychotherapy of Work Dysfunctions. He has also edited two journals: The

Psychologist-Manager Journal and currently edits the Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and

Research, the premiere journal in the field of consulting psychology.

Deon Meiring, who has a PhD in industrial and organisational psychology from

Tilburg University in the Netherlands, is an associate professor at the department of

Human Resource Management, Faculty of Economic Management Sciences at the

University of Pretoria. Before joining UP in 2010, he practised as senior Industrial

Psychologist at the South African Police Services (SAPS) and was responsible for the

development and implementation of the assessment centre for senior management in

the SAPS. He was also appointed an assistant extraordinary professor in the

Department of Industrial Psychology at Stellenbosch University in 2007.

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Deon specialises in advanced assessment practice and has extensive experience in assessment and

development centre design, teaching on ACs and personality test construction. He consults on a

part-time basis on executive and specialised assessment projects to industry. He has contributed to

publications on ACs in the SA Journal of Industrial Psychology – “Guidelines for best practice in the

use of the Assessment Centre Method in South Africa (5th Edition)”, 2016 - “Investigating the

Construct Validity of a Development Assessment Centre, 2013” and academic books “Employee

Recruitment, Selection, and Assessment. Contemporary Issues for Theory and Practice” – Construct

Validity of AC”, 2015; Assessment and Development Centres: Strategies for Global Talent

Management. Gower Publishing Ltd, Wey Court East, Union Road, Farnham, Surrey GU9 7PT, England.

“Computer-based Simulation Technology as part of the AC and DC: A Global South African Review”,

2011. He was also the chairperson of the task force on the Guidelines for best practice in the use of

the Assessment Centre Method in South Africa (5th Edition).

Vuyani Muleya obtained his Masters degree in industrial and organisational psychology at the

University of Johannesburg in 2015. His Masters‟ dissertation was titled „Ethical challenges in

assessment centres within the South African context.‟ He presented his preliminary findings at the

2013 ACSG conference in Stellenbosch, South Africa. He was supervised by Ms Sandra Schlebusch

and Dr Linda Fourie. Upon graduation, he worked at Transnet Freight Rail as an assessment

practitioner. Vuyani is currently a lecturer at the University of South Africa. As an aspiring academic,

his research interests include assessments (ACs), employee wellbeing, decolonisation in the

workplace, career psychology and group dynamics.

Sandra Schlebusch is the managing director of LEMASA (Pty) Ltd. She obtained a

BCom Honours degree in industrial psychology at the Potchefstroom University for

Christian Higher Education. She continued her studies in business and management-

leadership and obtained an MBA during May 2004 at the University of the Northwest,

Potchefstroom Campus. Her current studies include compiling her doctoral proposal

on a comparison of learning during centres with a development purpose. She has

extensive work experience across industries. Her experience covers the whole

spectrum of human and organisational development. Her passion is using simulations and

assessment centres for developmental purposes. She received an Award of Recognition for

Continuous Contribution to the field of Assessment Centres in South Africa for the year 2007 from

the Assessment Centre Study Group (ACSG). She is co-editor of the book Assessment Centres:

Unlocking Potential for Growth (2008), and a previous chairman of the ACSG. She was awarded

Honorary Membership of the ACSG in 2012. Her additional assessment centre related involvement,

apart from numerous presentations at conferences, includes being a member of the task group that

updated the 2007 Guidelines for Assessment and Development Centres in South Africa (4th Ed), as

well as the task group that updated the current Guidelines for Best Practice in the use of the

Assessment Centre Method in South Africa (5th Ed), 2016. She was one of the few international

people requested to comment and provide input on the Russian Assessment Centre Standards as

part of the establishment of the standards towards the end of 2013, and she was part of the

International Taskforce on Assessment Center Guidelines to update the Guidelines and Ethical

Considerations for Assessment Center Operations (6th Ed). She established the ACSG Academy, a

part of the ACSG, in 2012 with the aim to educate and skill potential Assessment Centre users.

33

Conference Day Two: 7 April 2017

Thinking drives behaviour – a case study on the use of a capability Assessment Centre for executive succession planning


Speaker: David Bischof (Deloitte, South Africa) Venue: Somerset 2

When: Friday, 7 April 2017 at 10:30 Results from the 2016 Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends Survey indicated that despite an increase in spending on corporate leadership programs last year, the quality, rigor, and

investment for leadership efforts remain uneven across companies. The traditional pyramid-shaped leadership development model is simply not producing leaders fast enough

to keep up with the demands of business and the pace of change. This finding provides an argument for assessment and development techniques that more adequately address the changing world of work to provide for a better return on investment.

Current and historical leadership assessment and development techniques are largely

based on behavioural leadership models and „day in the life of‟ assessment techniques. This approach could be viewed as problematic in light of the current and constantly evolving world of work where behavioural assessments define appropriate behaviour for a context,

but tend to do so without focusing on important elements of the context. It could be argued that there needs to be a stronger focus on leadership adaptability, versatility and

agility and how to identify this in a future world when doing assessments, particularly in the leadership space. Furthermore, assessment and development should move its focus from improving standard leadership behaviours to understanding capability in the business

context in order to „change behaviour by changing the way people think.‟

This presentation will provide information on the methodology and results of a capability assessment centre approach with a group of 15 individuals as part of a CEO succession planning project. The capability assessment centre consisted of a two and a half hour

interview, a 45 minute repertory grid analysis exercise and psychometrics measuring personality (five factor model and the „dark side‟ of leadership derailers) and cognitive

conceptual thinking abilities. The presentation will seek to highlight the advantages of using an integration of the above

techniques with a strong focus on experience and context to inform leadership succession and development and the benefit of this approach to leadership interventions.

David Bischof is currently senior manager of the assessment centre at

Deloitte Consulting (Pty) Ltd. He holds a Master‟s degree in research psychology (cum laude) and is registered as both a research psychologist and

a psychometrist – independent/private practice with the HPCSA. David specialises in leadership assessments and development as well as high level

local and international project management of assessment centres used in both the private and the public sector for development, recruitment, talent

management, career pathing, succession planning and skills audit purposes. David is

currently chairperson for People Assessments in Industry (PAI), an interest group of the Society of Industrial and Organisational Psychology of SA (SIOPSA) and is past chairperson

for the Assessment Centre Study Group (ACSG). David has presented twice at the ACSG conference and once at the SIOPSA conference on best practice talent management approaches and global human capital trends.

34


Unlocking the Value through Integrated Reporting: A Case Study on the

Integration of Simulation Exercise Results with Various Other Assessment Outcomes


Presenter: Fred Guest (TTS-Talent, South Africa) Venue: Somerset 1

When: Friday, 7 April 2017 at 10:30 Report writing is often perceived by assessment centre administrators as a cumbersome task that

takes a lot of time to complete and which doesn‟t always add value. Line managers regularly say

that they don‟t read long, narrative statements of behaviours and are only interested in a high level

summary, a few bullet points as commentary and an overall match score. This is in contrast with a

wealth of in-depth information gained during an assessment centre which administrators feel

indebted to report on. The time spent on compiling extensive narrative reports also increase the

overall cost of assessment centres significantly with unacceptable long periods of time between the

date of the assessment centre and when reports are being completed. Where companies are under

pressure to make quick selection decisions, they can‟t wait for days to get feedback as they may

lose a possible candidate.

Computer based reporting has gone a long way to assist practitioners to integrate assessment

results from various instruments and exercises in a standardised and objective way and reduce the

workload of the assessor significantly. The results can also be presented in various ways while

graphs, tables and diagrams can be used to create a visually impactful report that is easy to read

and interpret. In this presentation a case study will be presented on how assessment results from

psychometric assessments, 360 feedbacks, career history and assessment centre exercises have

been used to create integrated results using different formulae and to present the results in a

visually appealing way. The benefits and limitations of computer based integrated reports will be

discussed and the value adding benefits that the end users of assessment centre results gain will be

elaborated on. A cost and time comparison will also be made between traditional and computer

integrated reports.

Fred Guest has more than 17 years of experience in the areas of competency

design, occupational and psychometric assessment, and integrated talent

management. As a consultant he assisted a range of national and international

companies in the manufacturing, financial and service industries in the design of

competency frameworks for integrated talent management systems, the

development of recruitment and selection strategies, internet-based competency and

occupational assessment practices, as well as performance management and

succession planning systems. Working with executives and senior management teams, he

implemented projects in Southern Africa, Egypt, Europe, Singapore, and Australia.

As an academic and scholar, he has published and presented at a number of conferences. He has

presented 20 papers at refereed national academic/scientific conferences. He is often invited to

lecture with various South African universities and has supervised two Master dissertations. During

the last two years, Fred has acted as a supervisor for five industrial psychology interns and one

psychometric intern. He was President of the Society of Industrial and Organisational Psychology of

South Africa (SIOPSA) from June 2006 – 2008, Past-President from June 2008 to June 2009 and

was awarded honorary membership of the Society for his contribution to IO psychology in South

Africa in 2008. Fred has been an active member of the executive of SIOPSA for 2004 to 2011. He

was the convener of the IOP future fit program and scope of practice working committee and is a

member of the SIOPSA conference abstract committee and scientific review board.

35


Weighing the Long and the Short of Development Centres

Track: Practitioner Session Presenters: Wilma Botha (Consultant, South Africa)

Venue: Somerset 2 When: Friday, 7 April 2017 at 11:15

The purpose of this presentation is to report on the significance of the duration of a

development centre (DC) when considering value and impact.

Having the luxury of time, traditional three-day DCs have to their advantage comprehensive analyses with personalised feedback, coaching and opportunities to experiment with new skills. On the down side, a longer DC might involve so many exercises

and feedback sessions that the event could become laborious and overwhelming for participants and assessors. Since participants are out of circulation, the impact of the event

could be compromised when participants and assessors become preoccupied with work and family demands and thus disengage before the conclusion of the event. The logistics and costs of a long DC are often regarded as disadvantages.

Shorter DCs (that last a few hours) are often internet-based and entail a simpler design

and a focus on the most relevant competencies. The reports are often computer generated whilst development feedback and tips may be generic. A disadvantage of a short DC is that participants usually get only limited chances to demonstrate behaviours with no

feedback after individual exercises and therefore no opportunities to display improvement during the event. In addition, participants may not always be enticed to become involved

when interacting by phone or video in electronic DC‟s. In this qualitative study data was gathered from semi-structured questionnaires and

interviews with DC participants, practitioners and managers. Based on a thematic analysis of the data, this presentation will cover the following issues:

the practicality of different DC approaches, challenges of implementation and suggestions;

whether the length of a DC is a valid consideration when choosing an option; whether both options yield the information required to initiate a development process;

and

how duration of DCs affects business outcomes, impact and satisfaction.

Wilma Botha is registered to practice both counselling and clinical psychology. She obtained her MA in psychology from the University of

Pretoria, an MBA from the University of Stellenbosch and a DPhil from the University of Johannesburg.

Her career commenced at the HSRC. She then went to the SANDF where she gained experience in occupational assessment, job analysis, OD and the

development of assessment centres at the Military Psychological Institute. Later, as head of the department of psychology at 2 Military Hospital, her duties included designing

employee assistance and diversity management programs, psychotherapy and supervision. She joined SHL in 2000 where her responsibilities included training, coaching and the

design and facilitation of assessment and development centres. She joined the SSA in 2007. She regularly presents the findings of her research projects at local and international

conferences.

37


The Role of Technology and Talent Analytics in Strategic Human Resource Management


Presenter: Caitlin de Kok & Jaintheran Naidoo (HFM, South Africa) Venue: Somerset 1

When: Friday, 7 April 2017 at 11:15

Computer and internet-based technologies are increasingly being adopted within the human resource management process, from online job portals to digital

development plans. One area that has gained popularity along with the rise of

technology is „big data‟ and data visualisation – the practice of analysing large data sets for the purpose of pattern finding, trend spotting, benchmarking and decision

making. One of the most relevant applications for this technology within HR is talent analytics–tables, graphs and dashboards that provide strategic information at

all stages of the employee lifecycle.

Organisations around the world report the competitive benefits of real time, large scale data processing and visualisation. Talent analytics are an extremely valuable

tool to track, analyse and share employee data, as well as assist HR in making data-driven decisions. The insights gained can be applied in a number of different

areas, such as identifying top performers, discovering the reasons for high turnover, assessing the quality of talent in job applicants, benchmarking group

strengths/development areas and more.

This presentation aims to discuss talent analytics as applied to assessments,

performance management, return on investment, turnover, competencies, assessment centres and other areas relevant to HR. Real life, anonymised analytics

data will be presented within multiple case studies to illustrate how these metrics can be used effectively at each stage of the talent management lifecycle, including

selection, development and performance management.

Caitlin de Kok obtained her Masters in psychology in 2012 and is a registered Research Psychologist. She has an interest in technology

and data analytics as applied to the fields of HR and work in general. Her experience lies in the creation and validation of

psychometric assessments, surveys, benchmarks and training material, as well as the facilitation talent management initiatives

within both the public and private sector.

Jaintheran Naidoo is a registered industrial/organisational

psychologist with over 15 years of experience within the IO space. He has experience in various areas, including both the private and

public sectors. His areas of passion lie in management/leadership development, training facilitation and talent management strategy.

His work has taken him around world, where he has facilitated HR interventions in countries such as Australia, Malaysia, Hong Kong

and Mauritius.

38


Fairness in Assessment Centres – Benefits and Recommendations from a

Candidate Perspective

Track: Practitioner Session Presenter: Louise Heyns (Deloitte, South Africa)


Objective: The researcher explored interactional fairness in an assessment centre

from a participant perspective. It explored the impact of the assessment centre

experience on the participant, the personal benefits they felt they obtained, and considered participant recommendations for future use from an interactional

fairness perspective.

Methodology: The research applied a qualitative research design and semi-structured interviews were used to gain an in-depth understanding of the

phenomena. Interviews were conducted with assessment centre participants to obtain their perspectives on interactional fairness. Questions explored the

participants‟ perceptions of assessment centres, their personal experiences, benefits obtained, and their recommendations for improvement. The data was

analysed using Tesch‟s (1990) qualitative data analysis method.

Theoretical Foundation: The researcher explored fairness from an organisational justice perspective, which involves three aspects – distributive-, procedural-, and

interactional justice (Fortin, 2008). The main focus of this research was based on

interactional fairness, as over the last 14 years, research in South Africa exploring interactional justice in assessments seem to be limited (Donald, Thatcher, & Milner,

2014). Interactional fairness perceptions seem to play an important part in the positive perceptions that assessment centre participants have of the organisation

and its processes, as well as acceptance of the results (Walker, Helmuth, Feild, & Bauer, 2014; Bauer, Maertz, Dolen, & Campion, 1998).

Conclusions: Results indicate that the when considering interactional fairness in

assessment centres, the impact on participants were mixed. Although there is an indication that there are personal benefits for the candidate, recommendations

indicate that there is still room for improvement from a participant perspective.

Louise Heyns has been an employee with Deloitte for over four years

and is currently employed in the assessment centre of the human

capital division. In this role she specialises in project management, psychometric assessment, and skills audits. During her time with

Deloitte, Louise has also been involved with leadership development and facilitation. She recently completed her Master‟s dissertation.

39


Leader Habit: How to Increase ROI of Assessment Centres through

Continuous Development

Track: Practitioner Session Presenter: Martin Lanik (HFM, South Africa)


The field of talent development is undergoing rapid transformation spearheaded largely by

companies like IBM, General Electric, Microsoft, Accenture, and Adobe - all revamping their performance management systems (Zillman, 2016). These organizations realized one

truth behavioural scientists knew for decades – development cannot be “once and done” activity. As 58% of companies report that their current performance management system is not an effective use of employees‟ time (Deloitte, 2014), they are searching for a

replacement that offers continuous feedback and development.

Unfortunately, we see the same “once and done” philosophy also in assessment centre practice, which limits the value gained for delegates and organizations. Too often, the post-

assessment follow-up necessary for behavioural change is ineffective, completely missing, or too costly to implement on a larger scale (e.g., executive coaching). However, recent advancements in assessment centre technology provide a scalable solution capable of

achieving behavioural change through continuous feedback and development after the assessment centre occurred. It‟s like turning the assessment centre into a 12-month

solution! Drawing on the habit-forming formula (Duhigg, 2012), I will discuss how to turn

assessment centre feedback into actionable, continuous development plans that consist of simple “5-minutes-a-day” exercises that employees can practice directly on the job. I will

then turn to discuss how technology can help employees track their daily progress, calculate improvement in real time, and provide on-going feedback. The same technology can also provide real-time analytics for managers and HR teams to understand how their

employees are developing.

Martin Lanik’s curiosity and breadth of talent-management experience led him to believe there must be a more accurate, cost-effective solution to

strategic talent management based on objective analytics. He's found the solution using big data, live assessors, and proprietary algorithms.

Recognised as a global leader in talent-management technology, Martin has connected with the world's leading experts to bring his vision to life. As the

CEO of Pinsight™, Martin pushes his global team to constantly innovate and create higher value to Pinsight™‟s clients. He has been invited to speak at conferences around the world

on topics related to talent assessment and development. Martin's an organisational psychologist. He earned a PhD in Industrial/Organisational

Psychology from Colorado State University. During the past ten years he's consulted for organisations in most industries and spanning most continents.

40


Ethical Excellence in Assessment Practices


Presenter: Henriëtte van den Berg (University of the Free State, South Africa) Venue: Somerset

When: Friday, 7 April 2017 at 13:15

The main ethical principle guiding the work of an assessment professional is: First

do no harm. The practitioner has the responsibility to use assessment methods in a

fair and constructive manner that reflects sensitivity for the cultural diversity of test takers. Firstly, the presenter will discuss the global ethical principles of respect for

the autonomy and dignity of clients, beneficence versus non-maleficence and justice as the cornerstones of ethical decision making processes and the

implications of these principles for the use of assessment centres. Secondly, she will link international and national regulatory guidelines to the design and

implementation of different assessment techniques. Thirdly the importance of using techniques that are suitable for the cultural and linguistic diversity of South

African organisations will be addressed. The presentation will conclude with the introduction of a ten step ethical decision making model that serves as a decision

making toolkit that practitioners can apply to the frequently encountered ethical dilemmas in their assessment practices.

The audience will benefit from the practical application of the ten step model that

they can adapt to their own contexts. Various on-line ethical support resources will

also be introduced.

Henriëtte van den Berg registered as a counselling psychologist in

1986 after completing her structured master‟s degree in counselling psychology at Potchefstroom University. She completed her PhD in

psychology in 2001. She worked in a hospital environment for two years and served as psychologist for five years at student counselling

centres at different universities. In 2001 she entered academia at University of Free State and specialised in occupational health

Psychology, Trauma Therapy and Developmental Psychology. She also served as programme director for the applied psychology program and as coordinator of the

Masters in clinical and counselling psychology at Free State University. She served as director of the postgraduate school, University of Free State for five years and

currently works in a private practice involved in talent management of young

professionals. She frequently presents CPD workshops on ethics for various health professionals.

41

Alphabetical Presenters’ Index

B

Bischof, David 33

Botha, Wilma 35 Buckett, Anne 22, 26, 28

D

De Kock, Francois 28 De Kok, Caitlin 37

G

Guest, Fred 34

H Hall, Linda 28

Harper, Marcel 17 Harrison, Terrence 28

Heyns, Louise 38

I

Isaacs, Stacy 22

L Lanik, Martin 22, 28, 39

Lievens, Filip 12, 16 Lowman, Rodney 30

M

Meiring, Deon 30 Muleya, Vuyani 30

N

Naidoo, Jaintheran 37

Nel, Petrus 11

O Oosthuizen, Danie 21, 28

S

Schlebusch, Sandra 15, 22, 28, 30 Sebate, Maria 17

V

Van den Berg, Henriette 15, 44 Venter, Bernice 22

W

Wilson, Anthony 19

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