Touchscreen Analysis
Unsupervised psychometric testing for digital recruitment campaigns continues to gain traction, driven by its efficiency, time and cost savings and rapid short-listing results. Digital devices have also technologically advanced significantly over the last fifteen years. But how might device choice affect psychometric test outcomes?
OPC Assessment carried out some recent analysis that sheds light on this topic.
Lead Business Psychologist, Emily Wong, analysed historical test data, noting the OS (Operating System) used by candidates to infer the device used, and then did performance comparisons. The comparisons were between:
- non-touchscreen device OS, like Windows, MACOSX, that you would find on a computer/laptop; and,
- touchscreen device OS, like iOS, Android, that you would find on a mobile or tablet.
Various ability and personality tests were included in the study evaluating competencies such as concentration, customer-service orientation, verbal reasoning, and safety behaviours.
Key Findings
- Data analysis revealed a small but discernible difference in candidate performance based on device choice.
- Although statistically significant, the overall impact on test results was minimal.
- Candidates using non-touchscreen devices (e.g. a computer/laptop with a mouse) tended to perform slightly better on speed and accuracy on some of the tests than those using touchscreen devices.
- Despite small differences, test validity remains intact, ensuring accurate candidate evaluation.
Recommendations
In light of the findings, OPC Assessment has some short recommendations to ensure candidate fairness and standardisation.
- Always prioritise a non-touchscreen device, e.g. PCs, laptops, Macs with a mouse over a touchscreen device when undertaking psychometric tests.
- Clients should offer clear instructions to candidates, emphasising this preferred device choice and urge them to follow instruction diligently for their benefit.
Following these steps helps provide a more accurate performance measurement and minimises device choice impact. This guidance helps to promote fair assessment and maintains the integrity of standardised testing in a digital age, as well as supporting candidates to perform their best.
You can read the full analysis article here...
For more insights and support on assessment testing and device choice, get in touch with the friendly OPC Assessment team.