Requirements analysis in aptitude diagnostics

The first step towards a sound personnel selection

„"We would like to use a personality test."“ Or: „"We would like an assessment center."“

We hear statements like this all the time in personnel selection. And of course, it makes sense to think early on about which aptitude assessment methods are suitable for your selection process. From an aptitude assessment perspective, however, the order should be different: The procedure itself shouldn't come first, but rather the central question: What skills, abilities, knowledge, and personal qualities does a person need to be successful in this specific job role? Only when these requirements have been defined as precisely as possible can a decision be made as to which aptitude assessment procedures can be used to meaningfully capture them.

 

From job description to requirements profile

The requirements analysis describes which aptitude characteristics are relevant for the successful execution of a task and to what extent these are required. Future requirements should also be considered: What developments within the company or broader societal changes could influence the task in the future? And could these developments also change the required aptitude characteristics? The resulting requirements profile then forms the basis for selecting appropriate diagnostic methods.

But how do you identify these suitability criteria? Simply copying the wording of a job advertisement isn't enough. Terms like "hands-on mentality," "team player," or "out-of-the-box thinking" are initially very general and can mean completely different things depending on the employer. A job analysis translates such vague terms into concrete, success-relevant requirements and observable behaviors.

Let's take, for example, the much-cited "hands-on mentality." What exactly this means is highly subjective. Does it refer to initiating tasks independently, taking action even with incomplete information, or solving problems pragmatically? For a specific position, it could, for instance, mean that a person independently takes initial steps to solve problems instead of waiting for detailed instructions, and recognizes when they need support or a decision from others. Only through such a concretization does a buzzword become a requirement that can also be diagnostically assessed.

To methodically identify and specify such requirements, expert interviews, surveys of current job holders, or the analysis of particularly critical situations are suitable approaches. A resulting requirements analysis then establishes the link between the specific job and the subsequent diagnostic selection decision.

 

Which method is suitable for which requirement?

Only after defining the job requirements does the question of the appropriate diagnostic procedure arise. Not every aptitude assessment method is equally suitable for accurately capturing every competency or aptitude characteristic. For example, performance tests can assess cognitive abilities, personality tests can reflect specific job-related personality traits, structured interviews can gather information on experiences and behaviors, and work samples or simulations can allow for the observation of concrete behavior in situations that are as realistic as possible.

It is therefore crucial that the chosen procedures fit the previously identified requirements and make a concrete diagnostic contribution. This can also include the Multimodality principle This plays an important role: When different requirements are assessed using different diagnostic methods, information from various perspectives can be combined. For example, a competency relevant to the position can be considered not only through self-reported information in an interview, but also through observable behavior in a simulation or work sample.

A practical tool for planning is the Requirements-Exercise Matrix. It compares the defined requirements with the planned diagnostic exercises or procedures. This makes it clear which requirements are addressed by which procedure, whether individual requirements are not considered at all or are considered multiple times, and how the different procedures can be meaningfully combined.

Thus, the initially abstract question "Do we need a personality test or an assessment center?" becomes a much more concrete one: What information do we need for our selection decision – and with which, possibly multiple, diagnostic methods can we obtain this information in the most reliable way possible?

 

Good aptitude diagnostics begin with the right question.

A sound selection process therefore does not begin with the decision to use a personality test, an assessment center, or another diagnostic procedure. It begins with the question of what will actually make a person successful in a specific role.

A systematic requirements analysis provides the foundation for this. It helps to derive concrete and success-relevant requirements from general concepts and then to select the diagnostic methods with which these can be captured as thoroughly as possible. The requirements-exercise matrix can support the structured linking of requirements and the procedures used.

So, anyone facing the question "Which test should we use?" should take a step back and first ask:

What requirements do we actually want to capture – and why are these specifically relevant for success in the position?

Only when this question is answered can a meaningful decision be made about how to measure it.

 

Feel free to contact us – we will support you in developing a tailored and scientifically sound selection process from your requirements.

Image: (c) Meike Dietz