FAQ
YOUR QUESTIONS - OUR ANSWERS

There is no general restriction. However, a personnel questionnaire should be minimized in order to provide applicants with a process as easy as possible. Therefore, at this point in the application process it is useful to include only those criteria that will allow an initial decision. Such as school grades, foreign languages, or industry knowledge.

Yes. The definition of target group-specific filtering criteria is quite common.
If different contents should be tested, this may be especially meaningful for very different target groups such as trainees and managers, various personnel questionnaires have to be used.

The main reason for separation is the need for e-mail address verification since the entire communication with the applicant is done this way. Sending of access data related to the personnel questionnaire occurs automatically and immediately after registration; there is no time delay disadvantage for the applicant. The other aspects which speak for a separation exist in the possibility to avoid multiple applications as well as to catch up the approval with the storage of personal data, before a lot of time was invested for filling the personnel questionnaire.

Yes. This is possible through the so-called duplicate check that weighs different criteria such as names, addresses and more. If a defined threshold is reached, the system decides that there is a dual application. In this case, candidates will receive appropriate information on whom to contact.

Yes. A function for uploading documents is provided in the personnel questionnaire. Documents (e.g. resumes, photos, report cards and such) have to be categorized by the candidates to make them sortable in the application management.

Yes. Candidates can maintain and modify their data until they submit their applications. Hereafter modifications by the candidate are not possible. However, after checking the system human resources administrators always have the ability to make modifications in order to keep the candidate data current.

Yes. The question on whether relatives are working for the company is asked in the personnel questionnaire, mostly associated with a specification of the relationship and occupation. In the application administration these candidates are marked as "VIP" to ensure they are identified. How to deal with such candidates as part of the process should be defined individually in order to have the workflow adjusted accordingly.

Yes. Within the application management the respective candidate will be marked by a red light (defined criteria are not met), but the system basically only makes recommendations. The human resources managers determine by themselves in each individual case if a decision has to be made on this basis.

Yes. When registering, candidates first enter their preferred combination of location and occupation. They can also indicate alternatives in the personnel questionnaire. Using the add-on module "Multiple Standard Capability" additionally allows indicating the qualification for several target groups and assigning candidates to a different target group if needed. For example, candidates who do not receive a recommendation for a study thus can be offered training if they are recommended for this purpose.

There is no limitation. A sophisticated role and capability system allows tailored administration of any number of access rights. For example, in addition to a master user who has insight into the entire process, roles for users having insight but no modifications rights (e.g. workers union) can be defined. It is also possible to make only specific information available to employees if they are supposed to have only little contact with the overall process and their handling of the system should be more intuitive.

In both cases, an upload feature is available that works similar to attaching documents documents to an e-mail: after pressing the appropriate button one can browse the computer or network and search for the documents which are then stored in JOBMATCHER. In case of an online application, candidates have the chance to attach documents during the completion of the personal questionnaire.

JOBMATCHER supports all file formats without any restriction. This applies to CVs, certificates/report cards and other documents that are made available by the candidates during the application process as well as to the application management. Personnel managers can store any number of photos, documents such as achievement reports or other information in the system in any format and make it available for other users.

No. JOBMATCHER can handle the entire communication by itself.

Yes. Besides e-mail templates, letter templates can be defined and administered.

Yes. As well as letters, faxes, or even notes from personal interviews.

Yes. A corresponding add-on module (INVITE) for the appointment is available. Candidates have the opportunity to log themselves in - similar to the reservation of seats in the movie theatre or in the plane - and choose among several appointments. The corresponding invitation management notes the reaction of the candidate directly in the system and thus keeps the schedule always current.

Yes. Test access as well as emails or letters can be self administered and sent should this be necessary. Safe-points in the testing process are stored by JOBMATCHER so that an interrupted test can be resumed later at the same point.

Yes. Input screens can be made available and used to enter results of other methods which then can be lead into a uniform interpretation. Thus it is possible, for example, to calculate an overall value of a recruitment day, whereas testing methods and other exercises are weighted in a target group specific way.

In liquid format, test procedures consist of a large pool of tasks from which an individual test is drawn for each candidate. JOBMATCHER ensures that each candidate gets a test version of the same size and same difficulty. To ensure this, the system generates an individual test, based on several parameters, such as difficulty, separation efficiency and reliability. In order to meet the appropriate algorithm in the prescribed manner, JOBMATCHER generates up to 1,000,000 test versions per second. The liquid format explicitly prevents the deterioration of the test procedures. Its main focus is the handling of insecure tests, for example, in the context of preliminary selection of candidates for testing on the Internet.

By using his/her access data the candidate logs on again with his credentials and continues processing. JOBMATCHER stores completed subsections at defined safe-points.

Partially. In cognitive processes time limits are given, since the test performance is defined through the number of correctly processed tasks within a defined time period. Time limits will be given to participants before the start of a task and they are kept informed throughout the process with a clock that shows the time remaining for completion. After expiration of the processing time that window closes automatically. Test procedures in the areas of personality, behavior and interests, however, work without time limit.

Our test procedures used by us were developed in the test factory of our parent company, S & F Personnel Psychology Management Consulting GmbH, under the scientific responsibility of Prof. Dr. Heinz Schuler.

Yes. All procedures implemented in JOBMATCHER have been developed according to the highest psychological quality standards. The provisions of DIN 33430 were considered for each isolated procedure long before the DIN was published in summer 2002.

There are three main quality criteria, which define the quality of a test: objectivity, reliability and validity. They are closely related. A good test should indeed meet all three main quality criteria; however, its analysis should be in a certain order. Between the main quality criteria the following relationship exits: objectivity is a necessary, albeit not sufficient condition for reliability; Reliability is a necessary, albeit inadequate condition for validity. A test that is not objective cannot be reliable and valid. And a test which, although objective but not reliable may also be denied without further review of the validity. Additionally, it is also possible that a test, although very much objective and reliable, doesn’t measure validly.

The reliability of a test provides information about its accuracy - regardless of whether or not it actually measures what it should predict or measure (validity). The reliability thus describes to what extent tests result are free from measurement errors. Reliability can be determined through various measurement methods. This especially includes the internal consistency, test-retest reliability, the parallel test reliability and split-half reliability.

The internal consistency is a measure of the homogeneity of a scale. High internal consistency documents that several items of a scale generally measure the same. The most common indicator for internal consistency is Cronbach's alpha (α).

The test-retest reliability indicates the degree of concordance between two measurements of a constant attribute by the same procedure.

The parallel test reliability indicates whether the use of comparable test procedures such as parallel tests lead to largely identical results.

In determining the split-half reliability, a test is divided into two halves in order to examine whether the statistical parameters of the two samples obtained in this way are largely identical.

Objectivity is the degree of independence of a diagnosis by the examiner. This means that a test is to come to the same result, irrespectively of who conducted, evaluated or interpreted it. In the case of procedures implemented in JOBMATCHER the high degree of standardization is an important tool to ensure objectivity.

The validity (or validation) specifies if a test actually measures what it intends to measure. From a scientific perspective the appropriateness of the conclusions that are drawn from diagnostic values will be discussed. Validity is therefore the most important quality criterion in determining testing procedures. It is possible to distinguish different types of validity whereas the most central criteria are criteria, construct and content validity.

The validity of the criteria stated as a correlation coefficient gives information about the relationship between a test result and certain career success criteria ( derived for example from performance appraisals), considering that prediction is the main reason for the use of such testing. If no information can be given about the validity of criteria during a proceeding, then this results in an outstanding receipt, which intends to predict the procedures career success. During the assessment of the criteria validity of a procedure it needs to be considered that even a correlation of r= .15 already contributed to the prediction of occupational performance if the procedure included aspects that have not yet been covered by other procedures. As the ceiling of the forecast performance a correlation of r= .70 counts, which only emerges in rare cases as the result combining several procedures. However; single procedural cases may also yield correlations with dimensions of occupational success up to an r= .15 – particularly if they are constructed to be company-and -requirement specific.

The construct validity of a test, given as a correlation coefficient, reflects the extent to which the feature or construct that is to be measured (for example, Intelligence) is mapped completely. To do this a test is compared with another one, whose validity has already been established. It is also common to incorporate procedures - which measure something distinctively different (such as personality tests) and are not likely to yield a correlation - in the same way.

Content validity is a specific aspect of construct validity which reveals information about how individual tasks or statements actually match the occupational requirements.

The variously used term face validity is not assigned to a specific quality criterion, which means there exists no coefficient to be calculated. Coefficients which provide information about the quality of tests for example are calculated for reliability or criteria validity. Face validity is the result of immediate evidence - a test shows face validity because it appears plausible. Contrary to content validity, face validity is often judged based on the opinion of the user.

A correlation coefficient is the measure for the strength of a relationship between two data series. The correlation (r) fluctuates between -1 and 1. Positive correlations (between 0 and 1) show that a high value in one data series (for example, the results of an intelligence test) correlates with the high value in the other data series ( for example a performance evaluation).

Based on several thousand individual studies it can be said with certainty today that personality is of crucial importance for the handling of occupational requirements. This can be illustrated well with an example: a product that requires explanation will most likely be represented well by an engineer with solid expertise, since he can answer technical questions in great detail. In order to sell the product successfully however, he should also have a personal disposition with an inclination to walk up to potential customers which makes it possible for him to anticipate the wishes and needs of others and allows him to skillfully argue if necessary.

A test result always originates in a particular context. If a test value is rated as high or low it is determined in most cases based on the performance that other people provide (similar to sports). Accordingly, the assessment of the individual performance should be compared to those of the other participating individuals (similar to sports). Hence, every single test result stands in reference to a norm group of comparators which is composed of other candidates or, considering the industry, similar activity and level that is comparable.

Personality tests have proven themselves as diagnostic procedures, with the use of the procedure on the basis of self assessment being state of the art: statements are judged based on how accurate they are in describing the person that is taking the test. It is possibly to willfully distort the results of this test in both directions. In practice however, this represents a neglected issue, since people are either interested in a realistic result or have no knowledge of the results and therefore a later review or the need for a fit with a specific profile is expected. In addition, the effects of self-centered individuals are unknown. Euphemistic self-portrayal can lead to higher test values. However; oftentimes changed values also are included in the criterion, for example when self-portrayal becomes an expression of confidence, which calls for handling of a sophisticated task. Items that are especially vulnerable to falsifying self-portrayal can readily be eliminated during the construction of the procedure.

In suitability diagnostics the term integrity is considered a personality construct that captures the inclination towards counter-productivity and disloyal behavior in the workplace (for example, deviant behavior, absenteeism, bullying, misuse of working materials and work equipment). Investigations also reveal that such behavior which goes against that of other employees or against the company holds a negative relationship with occupational performance. The use of integrity testing is often offered in combination with an intelligence test. Since both constructions depend on one another, performance variance can be better clarified so that a better prediction about occupational performance is possible and so that unqualified individuals can be kept at distance from the company.

Intelligence is a preamble for the different cognitive abilities. Depending on the different theories of intelligence, it is divided into different components (for example , A.O. Jäger calls the components processing speed, memory, ingenuity, and processing capacity in reference to verbal, numerical, and figural material in his “Berliner Intelligenzstrukturmodell “ [Berlin Intelligence Construct Model]. General features of all intelligence definitions are (among others): quality and speed for solving of new (not routine) tasks. This is also defined as learning aptitude.

Cognition is a collective term in German for both the process and the result of information processing (perception, conceptualization, problem solving etc.); in the English speaking aptitude tests, cognitive ability is used as a synonym for the term “intelligence“.

Multimodality describes the principle of the diagnostic assessment through several aptitude approaches. During this process the three most important aptitude approaches are combined – the simulation approach, the biographical approach, and the trait approach.

Here, occupational scenarios that are requirement relevant are modeled, in which the candidate has to act. A classic example is the work probe. In form of situational judgment tests like LEAD or CUSTOM!ZE you will also find an introduction into testing procedures.

This aptitude approach describes the principle, from past achievements and experiences to predictions about future occupational achievements. Therefore; biographical questionnaires are used quite regularly for the selection of employees in the field. In the Multimodal interview MMI, biographical related questions make an important contribution during the selection of employees.

This aptitude approach incorporates the fact that existing fundamental personality traits are shown to be associated with occupational success and that the expression of these traits remains quite stable over long periods of time. The aptitude property approach especially contributes to the concept of potential and the partially undiscovered art of indicating potential, which enables a person to potentially achieve success. Examples of selection procedures constructed on this approach include intelligence and personality tests.

JOBMATCHER is implemented in platform neutral Java technology. Therefore, both the application management and test administration are browser-independent.

No. In order to provide the greatest possible accessibility commercial add-ons such as Flash are waived.

No. JOBMATCHER is exclusively available as a web-based application. Through the consistent absence of local installations, a high standard in terms of safety and service consistently can be ensured and implemented as a cost effective solution. Customers automatically benefit by from further developments of the system platform, which can be operated and maintained from an efficient data center. Waiving local installations also supports the technical implementation of a process that can be flexibly used from any location. If required, JOBMATCHER can also be hosted by oneself and made available on the intranet.

Technical requirements for the processing of our testing procedures are a computer with Internet connection, Java Script enabled (default setting) and a standard mouse. The testing procedures are optimized for a resolution 1280 x 1024 resolution, but can also be operated in other resolutions.

Yes. JOBMATCHER can be made available free of charge to other HR systems via a standard XML interface, e.g. SAP or PeopleSoft. The needs-based programming of customized interfaces is possible. Need-dependent programming of customer-specific interfaces is possible. For details as to connection options click here.