The Science Behind Our Assessments

PXT Select Comprehensive Selection Report Cover

It's hard to understand someone fully, even when you've known them for years. People evolve, change, and adapt. Therefore, it is not surprising to learn that during the hiring and selection process, it is nearly impossible to predict how someone will perform, let alone if they're the right person for the role.

Although there are many tools to help organizations learn about a person: resumes, learned skills and experience, education, training, structured job interviews, and background checks, none of these can help predict an individual's future performance. The usual methods tell us about their past and present, but you need to select for the future.

At PXT Select^®, we help organizations worldwide create high-performing workforces through a scientifically validated understanding of their people.

With PXT Select^®, you can be confident you are using the right data to:

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Help you know your people—new candidates and current employees—at a deeper level. You'll learn their true nature, aptitudes, and interests.

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Predict future success in each role.

How Does It Work?

Iceberg illustration with the text “Observable Characteristics” above the waterline and the text Candidates Hidden Potential below the waterline

Knowing Candidates at a Deeper Level

If you think of a person like an iceberg, you will notice that we all have parts of our job persona that are readily observable and parts of ourselves that remain under the surface.

Some behaviors are seen in our daily workplace interactions, including skills, experience, and education. Below the surface is the structure or essence of a person that supports what's seen above the surface, including thinking style, behavioral traits, and motivations.

Our assessments help you measure what's below the surface.

Predict Future Success

With our job fit feature, our assessments reflect the areas of the person-environment fit, giving you an objective measure of a person's aptitudes, personal abilities, and motivations as they relate to the role requirements.

Our assessments use statistical analysis, which helps you determine the candidate that fits the job requirements best— setting you up for success from the beginning of the hiring journey.

Ven diagram with the text Personal Characteristics on the left, FIT in the middle, and Successful Job Characteristics on the right.

Are PXT Select Assessments Accurate and Objective?

Let us begin by saying that no data about a person can be 100% accurate, and no organization should base its hiring decisions solely on assessments. Assessments are designed to support and complement the process by providing objective and reliable data.

With over 30 years of assessment data and millions of individuals assessed, we guarantee that our assessments meet the highest levels of validity and reliability.

Reliable
Not valid

Low validity
Low reliability

Reliability

The assessment measures traits or skills consistently, and everyone is measured the same way. With our assessments, we can attest to two types of reliability tests: test-retest and internal consistency.

Not reliable
Not valid

Both reliable
and valid

Validity

The assessment measures what it claims to measure.

Compliance and Hiring Bias

Our assessments were developed following recognized psychological standards and guidelines.

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They comply with the EEOC and the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures established by the US Department of Labor. These guidelines ensure that our assessments are appropriate for workforce decision-making because they reduce bias and are fair to all groups.

Assessments that are fair and unbiased give everyone an equal opportunity to perform and, by extension, an equal opportunity for employment selection based in part on assessment results.

We recommend that the assessment serves as no more than one-third of the ultimate hiring decision and that similar weight is given to other steps in the entire selection process.

Following fairness study guidelines, our sample group included thousands of applicants across all ages, genders, and ethnicities. These studies determined that hiring decisions using our assessments are not adversely impacting the placement decision for any individual.

Can Candidates “Trick” the System?

Personality assessments are not a pass/fail type of test. They are assessments of personality, and therefore it is hard to “trick” the system when answering based on self-perception and awareness.

However, we recognize that some candidates may answer questions in a way that they feel paints them in a more favorable light vs. what they would do in a real-life situation. Psychologists call this “socially desirable responding,” which refers to the social instinct to avoid disapproval. In other words, individuals may “distort” their responses. This is especially true when applying for a job.

Our assessments flag instances when a candidate may not have been completely candid in responding to the assessment. We determine this by asking them several questions, of which almost all candidates answer the same way. If they repeatedly provide inconsistent responses to these distortion questions, then we say there's a chance they are not being candid.

The reports flag the possibility of distortion so the hiring manager can place extra emphasis on these questions during the interview to assess whether the person's experiences align with their assessment results.

The Science Behind Our Assessments